UCL: Arsenal vs Marseille - Preview
Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott
Arsenal host Marseille on Tuesday night, looking to cement themselves at the top of Champions League Group F and move closer to qualifying for the Knockout Stage. If Borussia Dortmund fail to beat Napoli in the other game in the group, the Gunners will be through with a victory against the winless and pointless French outfit.
Team News
Arsenal
The Gunners have had a relatively settled line-up for a number of weeks now due to long-term injuries suffered by Lukas Podolski (hamstring), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee) and Abou Diaby (ACL). Ryo Miyaichi (hamstring) and Yaya Sanogo (back) will also be missing on Tuesday night whilst Mikel Arteta (knock) and Tomas Rosicky (illness) will face late fitness tests.
Marseille
The French side will be without midfielder Andre Ayew (meniscus tear) whilst defender Rod Fanni remains doubtful.
Predicted Line-Ups
Arsenal
Arsene Wenger is likely to pick a very similar team to the one that defeated Southampton at the weekend. Theo Walcott has recently returned from injury so he is likely to be given a start on the right-hand side whilst the knock Mikel Arteta picked up should see Mathieu Flamini brought back into the side following his domestic suspension. Nacho Monreal could be given a start at left-back in place of the impressive Kieran Gibbs.
Marseille
The French side were able to play their league match against Ajaccio on Friday night to give them an extra day’s preparation for their trip to the Emirates. Mathieu Valbuena, Andre-Pierre Gignac and Florian Thauvin were all withdrawn in the second-half of that 3-1 win to save them for this game so expect Marseille to be unchanged.
Recent Form
Arsenal’s early season form has been nothing short of stunning as they sit four points clear at the top of the Premier League after 12 games. Following their loss to Aston Villa on the opening day, they have produced some exceptional displays, which culminated in the win away at Borussia Dortmund in the last round of Champions League fixtures. The Gunners currently sit top of the group and a win here would be enough to go through should the Germans fail to beat Napoli at home.
On the other hand, Marseille have failed to pick up a single point in the Champions League this year. The win over Ajaccio on Friday shows that they will be heavily reliant on an extremely talented front four, rather than their leaky defence which has let in 14 goals in the league and 10 in Europe. Gignac, who scored a stunning volley in that win, is part of that dangerous quartet along with Valbuena, Thauvin and Dimitri Payet.
Aaron Ramsey also deserves a special mention here. The Welshman has been a revelation this season, scoring six goals in the league and two in the Champions League. He has also managed five assists in all competitions. Ramsey leads the charts in Europe for Arsenal in terms of goals, shots, successful tackles and completed passes which shows how important his spurt of form has been to Arsenal’s season.
Player to Watch
Arsenal – Mesut Ozil
Since the Gunners signed Ozil from Real Madrid, he has done more than live up to his hefty price-tag. The so-called ‘assist king’ has managed five assists and created 34 chances in total in all competitions. He plays with such elegance and style, as he makes everything look so simple when he steps foot on the pitch. Expect Ozil to be a key man again on Tuesday; he has the potential to completely destroy this Marseille back-line.
Marseille – Mathieu Valbuena
Valbuena has struggled to transfer his remarkable domestic form into Europe, creating just one chance in the Champions League compared to his 43 in Ligue 1 this season. If Marseille are to threaten Arsenal on Tuesday, Valbuena will be vital because, like Ozil at the Emirates, his eye for a key pass makes the French side tick. The Frenchman has a knack of being able to win free-kicks for his side too; he can turn on a pivot and keep the ball under control at high speeds which draws plenty of fouls. The tricky attacking midfielder has also completed 27 take-ons in this campaign.
Prediction
The Gunners will be determined to get a win here so they don’t have to rely on getting a result in Naples in the final game. This means Wenger is sure to put out a strong side and in the form they are currently in, should win this game easily.
Arsenal 3-0 Marseille