Pre-Match Report

Preview: Arsenal v FC Zurich

Arsenal v FC Zurich

We wrap up the Europa League group stage on Thursday night against FC Zurich, knowing a win will guarantee we finish top of Group A and automatically qualify for the last-16 of the competition.

The omens are good as Zurich have only won one of their last 17 away games in major European competitions, and have never beaten an English club on their travels, while we have won all seven of our previous meetings with Swiss sides.

However, with the group so finely balanced, one eye for many will also be on PSV Eindhoven’s trip to Bodo/Glimt, who must beat the Norwegians to have any hope of pipping us to top spot.

Since we last met

Antonio Marchesano celebrates scoring against Bodo/Glimt

Having gone into our matchday 1 encounter still searching for a league victory after seven games, it took Zurich until last weekend to finally taste success in the Swiss Super League when they beat Sion 1-0, and head to north London with back-to-back wins after beating Bodo/Glimt 2-1 last week thanks to Antonio Marschesano’s injury-time winner.

That means they’re rooted to the bottom of the league, six points adrift of their nearest rivals having garnered just nine points and nine goals so far. That form saw manager Franco Foda dismissed in September, with former Kidderminster Harriers and Bristol Rovers strike Bo Henriksen installed in his place.

They also lost all of their first four Europa League games, including conceding 10 in two games against PSV, but the win against Bodo/Glimt now gives them a chance of sneaking into the Europa Conference League with a positive result at our expense.

What to expect

Fc Zurich line up ahead of their game against Bodo/Glimt

Michael Cox, writing in the official matchday programme: The change in manager has also resulted in a change of formation, with Henriksen ditching the 4-3-3 system and preferring 3-4-1-2.

For all the goals he’s conceded, Yanick Breacher is actually a fine goalkeeper, accustomed to playing behind a three-man defence which has sometimes looked short of speed. Wing-back Nikola Boranijasevic motors up and down the touchline, and is also capable of pushing inside into goalscoring positions too. On the left, Adrian Guerrero has benefited from the change of system, and is offering a good attacking threat down the left.

Henriksen has chopped and changed in midfield. Ole Selnaes will probably start and sit deep, with energetic midfielder Cheick Conde given license to push forward, but is unlikely to offer much of a goal threat. The two deep midfielders provide a platform for Marchesano to play as a classic No 10, but Zurich lack a prolific striker.

How it stands

    P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Arsenal 5 4 0 1 7 3 4 12
2 PSV 5 3 1 1 13 3 10 10
3 Bodo/Glimt 5 1 1 3 4 8 -4 4
4 FC Zurich 5 1 0 4 5 15 -10

3

 

What the managers say

Bo Henriksen

Mikel Arteta: "I don’t approach games thinking that after half an hour or 45 minutes we will get the result that we want, but certainly I will have a really competitive team out there.

"We missed the chance in Holland last week and Thursday is the last opportunity to achieve our goal. - see the full press conference

Bo Henriksen: "Obviously Arsenal are the big favourites tomorrow. However, we are not here to see the sights, we will do everything we can to win.

"I believe in my players and I am convinced that tomorrow we will do everything we can as a team to create an upset."

Team news

Bukayo Saka receives treatment during the game against Nottingham Forest

Arteta has been boosted by seeing Mohamed Elneny and Oleksandr Zinchenko return to training, while Bukayo Saka has shaken off the knock that forced him off against Nottingham Forest on the weekend.

That just leaves Matt Turner and Emile Smith Rowe on the sidelines, who both have groin injuries, while Granit Xhaka is suspended due to receiving a third booking of the group stage last week.

Zurich’s goalscorer in our previous encounter, Mirlind Kryeziu, has missed the past four games with a muscle injury and is doubtful for this one, while veteran midfielder Blerim Dzemaili has been struggling for fitness in recent weeks.

Nikola Katic limped off on the weekend and could also miss out, Donis Avdijaj sat out the past two victories against Bodo/Glimt and Sion while Ilan Sauter has been out since September.

Facts and stats

Eddie Nketiah scores against FC Zurich

We have won all seven of their matches against Swiss clubs, the most games we’ve played against teams from a particular nation while winning each time.

Zurich have won only one of their last 17 away games in major European competitions (D3 L13), beating AEK Larnaca in this competition back in September 2018.

Zurich have lost all five of their away matches against English sides in Europe, conceding three goals per game on average, however their most recent away game against an English club saw them lose 3-0 against Aston Villa in the Intertoto Cup in July 2002.

We have kept a clean sheet in each of our last three home matches in Europe, our longest run since a five-game stretch between November 2018 and April 2019.

We have lost just one of our last 19 group stage matches at home in major European competitions (W15 D3), while we have won each of our last five.

Match officials

Erik Lambrechts

Belgian official Erik Lambrechts will take charge of this game, who oversaw his top-flight game aged just 27 and has been refereeing European matches since the 2014/15 campaign.

In his 14 previous appointments this season, he has shown 55 yellow cards and one red, but has awarded seven penalties. He refereed in London back in March when he was the man in the middle for England’s 3-0 win over the Ivory Coast at Wembley, when Smith Rowe, Ben White and Nicolas Pepe featured.

  • Referee: Erik Lambrechts
  • Assistant Referee 1: Jo de Weirdt
  • Assistant Referee 2: Rien Vanyzere
  • Fourth official: Jasper Vergoote
  • VAR: Dennis Higler
  • Assistant VAR: Massimiliano Irrati

Visits from Swiss sides

This will be the third time we have faced off against Swiss opposition on home turf, with the first coming in 1971/72 when we beat Grasshopper Zurich 3-0 in the European Cup second round, with Ray Kennedy, Charlie George and John Radford getting on the scoresheet.

We then beat FC Thun 2-1 in the 2005/06 Champions League group stage at Highbury, when Dennis Bergkamp rescued victory with an injury-time winner after Gilberto had seen his opener cancelled out three minutes later by Nelson Ferreira.

Then in 2016/17, we defeated Basel 2-0 in the Europa League group stage, with Theo Walcott grabbing both goals on a night where Granit Xhaka came up against his brother Taulant.

Breakdown Live

Breakdown Live

Nick Bright and Adrian Clarke are live pitchside an hour before kick-off with reaction to our team news before being joined by a special guest for their pre-match thoughts.

Our studio audience in the My Arsenal Rewards box will be discussing our comprehensive victory over Nottingham Forest with the team before being joined by Fumez the Engineer and former Gunner David Hillier.

You won't miss a kick of the action either, with live audio commentary from Max Jones and Perry Groves, so tune in from 7pm UK time for the best build-up!

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