After the disappointing 3-2 defeat against Manchester United at the Emirates on Sunday night, Arsenal are back in North London as they look to complete a perfect record in the League Phase of the UEFA Champions League.
The Gunners have picked up maximum points in the League Phase and will seal the top spot with at least a point, though they will finish first with a loss, provided Bayern Munich does not beat PSV by a large margin.
They face the bottom-placed side Kairat Almaty,, whose only point in the competition came on matchday 3 with a 0-0 draw at home to Pafos. It is a match that Arsenal will be expected to win by a comfortable margin.
Kairat’s domestic season in Kazakhstan also ended on October 26th; they have played just four matches since.
Arsenal
There is an expectation that Mikel Arteta will heavily rotate his side, if not fully, ahead of a crucial trip in the context of the Premier League title race against Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday.
Arteta confirmed that both William Saliba and Jurrien Timber will be missing Wednesday’s game due to issues, but assured it would not be a long-term problem for either, and this was a good opportunity to have both ready for Saturday.
Mikel Merino and Declan Rice are both suspended, having picked up yellow cards during the 3-1 win against Inter. It is likely that Christian Norgaard will start tomorrow night’s match, as he participated in the pre-match player press conference that accompanies European games.
**Kai Havertz**is also back in full training alongside Riccardo Calafiori, though it is still unknown how ready either is to make the matchday squad.
Kairat Almaty
Kairat Almaty will be missing Azamat Tukaybaev due to a chest issue, while Olzhas Baybek and Dastan Satpaev are both suffering from physical discomfort.
Predicted line-ups
Arsenal: Kepa; White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Norgaard, Eze, Odegaard; Madueke, Martinelli; Havertz.
Kairat Almaty: Anarbekov; Tapalov, Martynovich, Sorkin, Mata; Glazer, Kasabulat; Mrynskiy, Jorginho, Gromyko; Edmilson
Key players to watch for
Arsenal - Ebere Eze
Though it’s not the most important fixture that Arsenal will play in the remainder of the season, Wednesday night’s game is an important one for Ebere Eze.
Eze started in last week’s game in Milan, and though he didn’t walk away with a goal contribution, he played a key role, including for the first goal, where his willingness to play through the middle of the pitch saw the ball end up with Jurrien Timber, and his scuffed effort was tapped home by Gabriel Jesus.
Some of Arsenal’s best football this season has come when Eze has been playing in the number 10 role. Especially after the defeat at the weekend to United, Arsenal have come under criticism for at times being too risk-averse with the ball, and not willing to play through the middle of the pitch.
That willingness to play through the middle is there with Eze, so tomorrow is important for him to try and put in a good performance, which might possibly merit a start at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.
Kairat Almaty - Termirlan Anarbekov
Termirlan Anarbekov is expected to have a busy night against Arsenal. The young keeper is currently averaging 5.4 saves per match, which ranks him third of all goalkeepers in the UEFA Champions League.
He is ranked first out of every keeper for goals prevented (5.1) and is 14th for save percentage (73%).
Anarbekov recently had an incredible performance during the World Cup qualifiers for Kazakhstan during the 1-1 draw with Belgium, managing to make eight saves during the game.
Match details
Where is the game being played?
The game is being played at the Emirates Stadium, North London.
What time will kick-off be?
Kick-off is at 8PM GMT
Where will the game be broadcast?
The game will be broadcast on Discovery +