Napoli vs Arsenal – Match preview and team news
Arsenal begin their bid to go one better than last season’s Champions League final defeat with a trip to Napoli on Wednesday, their first visit to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona since a 2019 Europa League quarter-final win there.
Mikel Arteta’s side have reached at least the semi-finals in three of the last four European campaigns, and this looks a demanding opener against a side they have never previously lost to.
Arsenal head into the match on the back of a 100% start to the season, having beaten Manchester City in the Community Shield before winning their opening three Premier League fixtures, most recently coming from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1.
Napoli, by contrast, have lost their last two matches in all competitions, including a 3-2 collapse at Inter Milan in which they surrendered a two-goal lead inside the final half hour. Massimiliano Allegri’s side will also be without midfielder Scott McTominay, who is set for around a month on the sidelines after undergoing a minor heart procedure.
Napoli vs Arsenal – Match preview and team news
Date: Wednesday, 9 September 2026
Kick-off: 20:00 BST
Venue: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples
Referee: Glenn Nyberg (SWE)
Last meeting: Napoli 0-1 Arsenal, 18 April 2019, Europa League (quarter-final, second leg)
Team news
Napoli
Scott McTominay is set for around a month out after undergoing a minor procedure for a mild heart arrhythmia. Alessandro Buongiorno and Luca Marianucci (both knee) have been omitted from Napoli’s league-phase squad entirely, while striker Giovane is also sidelined with a hernia problem. Kevin De Bruyne is yet to start this season but is pushing for a recall in place of Antonio Vergara.
Arsenal
Cristhian Mosquera’s involvement remains uncertain after he missed Sunday’s win over Chelsea with a muscle injury, while Jurrien Timber (groin) would only be considered for the bench at best. William Saliba remains a long-term absentee with a back injury. Ezri Konsa is set to continue alongside Gabriel Magalhaes in central defence, with Martin Zubimendi pushing to return to midfield in place of Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Form
Napoli
Massimiliano Allegri’s side opened the season with a 2-0 win at Genoa but have since lost back-to-back matches, going down 2-1 at home to Como before Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at Inter Milan, where they led 2-0 before conceding three times in the final half hour. Napoli have won just two of their last 10 Champions League matches and have lost three straight games against English opposition in the competition. They failed to progress beyond last season’s league phase.
Arsenal
Arsenal have won all four of their matches in all competitions this season, scoring nine goals and conceding just once, including Sunday’s comeback victory over Chelsea. They are unbeaten in their last 15 Champions League matches in normal time, and both kept more clean sheets (nine) and conceded fewer goals (seven) than any other side in last season’s competition. Arteta’s side have also lost only twice in their last nine opening matchday fixtures in Europe, winning seven of those games.
Predicted lineups
Napoli predicted XI: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Marin, Rrahmani, Spinazzola; De Bruyne, Lobotka, Anguissa; Politano, Hojlund, Santos
Arsenal predicted XI: Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Tzolis; Havertz
How to watch Napoli vs Arsenal?
The match will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on TNT Sports 2, with streaming available via HBO Max.
Read more – Latest Arsenal news
See also –Latest Napoli news
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