The Gunners can seal their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a win in Belgium as Mikel Arteta and his squad face Club Brugge
Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta is without a number of players for Arsenal's trip to Club Brugge
On the verge of securing a place in the last 16 of the Champions League, an unbeaten Arsenal will look to seal their progression in Wednesday’s clash with Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadium. The Gunners come into this fixture riding high after a commanding 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich on matchday five, while their Belgian hosts suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat to Sporting Lisbon and now face the threat of early elimination following a recent managerial change.
The Emirates Stadium played host to a high-profile showdown between the two top teams in Europe - according to the league-phase standings - on November 26, where Arsenal made a statement by preserving their perfect record at Bayern’s expense. Although their flawless defensive run in this year’s competition was ended by Lennart Karl’s equaliser, it ultimately proved inconsequential, with Arsenal now sitting alone atop the 36-team table.
Last season, 16 points guaranteed qualification for the last 16, and while the permutations are complex, another Arsenal victory on Wednesday would all but assure their passage straight to the knockout stage for a second consecutive year. Mikel Arteta’s side have already secured at least a playoff spot and are now targeting a 10th consecutive Champions League league-phase win, as well as extending their unbeaten run against Belgian opposition to 10 matches.
However, Arsenal have never before won their opening six games of a Champions League campaign, and they travel to Bruges on the back of a painful 2-1 Premier League defeat to Aston Villa, a result that trimmed their lead at the top of the table to just two points over Manchester City.
Club Brugge, meanwhile, find themselves two points shy of a playoff place in the Champions League standings, having experienced a sharp decline since their remarkable 4-1 opening victory over Monaco. The Belgian side have collected just one point from their last four Champions League outings—a thrilling 3-3 draw with Barcelona—while Atalanta, Bayern, and Sporting have all bested them in recent matches.
A comprehensive 3-0 loss to Sporting on matchday five left Club Brugge languishing in 26th place out of 36, and their domestic form has also faltered. Since that European setback, Blauw-Zwart have suffered back-to-back defeats to Royal Antwerp (1-0) and St Truiden (3-2), leaving them third in the Belgian top flight and five points behind league leaders Union SG.
These disappointing results led to the dismissal of manager Nicky Hayen just 48 hours before Arsenal’s visit, with former Croatia international Ivan Leko stepping in to take charge for the first time. There is some hope for the hosts, as they are unbeaten in their last five Champions League home matches at the Jan Breydel Stadium, but their record against English clubs is bleak, with 14 defeats in 18 encounters.
Club Brugge vs Arsenal Team News
Arsenal’s defense remains severely depleted by injuries as December progresses. Cristhian Mosquera (ankle) and Gabriel Magalhaes (thigh) are both sidelined for several weeks, while William Saliba (knock) is still a doubt. Riccardo Calafiori was also seen limping off at Villa Park, adding to Mikel Arteta’s selection headaches.
If Calafiori is fit, he would likely start on Wednesday, especially as he is set to serve a Premier League suspension soon. However, Myles Lewis-Skelly is expected to be named in the starting XI in Bruges, with the visitors likely to make several changes. Ethan Nwaneri, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, and Viktor Gyokeres are all in contention for a place in the lineup, while Declan Rice and Mikel Merino will need to be cautious—both are one booking away from missing the upcoming clash with Inter Milan.
For Club Brugge, new manager Ivan Leko could be without both of his first-choice goalkeepers. Simon Mignolet (overstretching) and Nordin Jackers (rib fracture) missed the weekend defeat to St Truiden and remain doubts. The hosts are also missing centre-back Zaid Romero (back), midfielders Lynnt Audoor (muscle) and Ludovit Reis (shoulder), and striker Romeo Vermant (concussion), rounding out a lengthy injury list.
Despite these setbacks, Brugge can still call upon some promising young talents. Twenty-one-year-old centre-back Joel Ordonez, who has attracted interest from Liverpool, and 20-year-old midfielder Aleksandar Stankovic—son of former Inter Milan Champions League winner Dejan Stankovic and reportedly on Tottenham Hotspur’s radar—are both expected to feature.
Club Brugge vs Arsenal Prediction
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