The Champions League draw takes place today which on paper, sounds interesting, exciting even but it’s not because we know who we’ll face. Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen. In fact all the English clubs are in the same boat.
Arsenal: Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta
Chelsea: Newcastle or PSG
Liverpool: Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray
Man City: Bodo/Glimt or Real Madrid
Newcastle: Chelsea or Barcelona
Totts: Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray
Bayer Leverkusen’s journey so far this season: won 3, drawn 3, scored 13 goals and conceded 14. During the league stage, the held Newcastle 2-2 at St James’ Park and beat Man City 2-0 at The Etihad so they won’t be an easy opponent, not that any club will be at this stage of the competition. PSG battered them 7-2. Having finished outside the automatic qualification places, they needed a playoff fixture to make it through to this stage, beating Olympiacos 2-0 over the two legs.
Atalanta finished one place above Bayer in the league table having won 4, drawn 1. and lost 3. Their wins came against Chelsea, Marseille, Club Brugge and Eintracht Frankfurt. PSG defeated them 4-0, Athletic Club and Union Saint-Gilloise beat them too. Atalanta came through the playoffs by defeating Borussia Dortmund 4-3 over the two legs.
Gabriel Martinelli has 6 Champions League goals so far this season, Viktor Gyokeres has 4, Noni Madueke has 3 and Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyokeres, Mikel Merino and Gabriel Jesus while Kai Havertz, Gabriel and Jurrien Timber have 1 each. We’ve conceded just 4 goals so far, the best in the competition to date.
I’m not even bothering to look at who we might come up against beyond our next Champions League fixture because until we’ve played either Bayer or Atalanta, what’s the point? All Arsenal need to focus on is one game at a time and one competition at a time.
Our next game is against Chelsea at The Emirates and we have to do to them what we did to Totts. Win! This Chelsea side is very up and down. One day they can be brilliant but the next, pretty average at best. I’m hoping the latter turns up on Sunday. Chelsea have a number of injuries, one being Cucurella which in some ways is a shame as I always like to see the battle between him and Bukayo Saka or Noni Madueke. He’s a ghastly player though but then Chelsea have a few of those. Caicedo springs to mind as does Delap. Fofana is another who is suspended for Sundays game having been sent off in their last match.
Our last match against Chelsea at The Emirates was as boring as they come because they came to defend, hoping for a lucky break to the get the goal they needed to take the League Cup semifinal into extra time/penalties. Their plan failed. Sunday though it’s about points and both club need all three. Chelsea to secure a Champions League spot, Arsenal to stay ahead of Man City who will have played Leeds the day before. Mikel Arteta will be talking to the media later today and fingers crossed, he’ll have positive news on the availability of Kai Havertz.
Catch up in the comments.