UEFA Champions League action returns on Tuesday (8pm UK) when we host Shakhtar Donetsk.
We’ve had a positive start to the competition this season, drawing 0-0 away to Atalanta and winning 2-0 at home to Paris Saint-Germain.
But, we’re looking to get back to winning ways after the weekend’s 2-0 defeat away to Bournemouth in the Premier League.
CAN SHAKHTAR REPLICATE LEAGUE FORM?
Fourth in the Ukrainian Premier League, Shakhtar have earned 19 points from their opening nine fixtures after Friday’s 1-0 victory away to Kolos. No team has scored more goals than Shakhtar (25) in the division this season.
The same can’t be said for their efforts in Europe, with Marino Pusic’s side sitting 27th in the Champions League table following a 0-0 draw away to Bologna and 3-0 defeat at home to Atalanta.
Heorhiy Sudakov is the team’s top scorer with seven goals so far this season. The midfielder came through the academy at Shakhtar and has played for the Ukraine national team with Oleksandr Zinchenko.
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Arteta: “The desire is there, we want to desperately play these kinds of matches, and we know the atmosphere is going to be terrific tomorrow night so let’s produce that and earn the right to win the game. The context is that we have lost one game in six months. Ok, now we have to win again with the context that we have lost for the first time in six months, so let’s show it.
“Defeat is part of the game, part of the sport. It happened in very specific conditions as well. Let’s move on, take that pain that we still have in the tummy and use it for tomorrow night.”
Pusic: “Arsenal is one of the best teams in the world right now. We see this as an incredible challenge and a chance to prove ourselves. Of course, we will make every effort to demonstrate our game pattern."
TEAM NEWS
On Bukayo Saka (hamstring) and Martin Odegaard (ankle), Mikel Arteta said in his pre-match press conference: “They are closer and both progressing really well. Martin is still not fit. With Bukayo, let’s see how he feels today and in the training session we have later on.”
As for Jurrien Timber, Mikel added: “He’s going to be close. We have to see how he deals with training with the whole group. It was a muscular injury.”
Tomiyasu (knee) and Kieran Tierney (hamstring) remain unavailable.
Goalkeeper Tymur Puzankov, who has an ACL injury, is the only absentee for the visitors.
FACTS AND STATS
All four UEFA Champions League meetings between us and Shakhtar Donetsk have been won by the home side, in the 2000/01 and 2010/11 group stages; we won 3-2 at Highbury in 2000 and 5-1 at Arsenal Stadium in 2010.
Shakhtar Donetsk have failed to win any of their seven away Champions League matches in England, all in the group stages (D1 L6). They did avoid defeat on their last visit though, drawing 1-1 with Manchester City in November 2019.
We haven’t lost a home game in the group/league stage of the Champions League since September 2015 (3-2 v Olympiakos), winning eight of the nine such games since then (D1). Indeed, we have kept a clean sheet in all eight victories in that run.
We have kept a clean sheet in both of our games in the Champions League this season (0-0 v Atalanta and 2-0 v PSG), while we last kept three in a row in the competition back in September-November 2007 under Arsène Wenger (4).
Shakhtar Donetsk are one of only four teams yet to score in the Champions League this season, while the Ukrainian side rank last in the competition for total shots (10, level with Lille) and shots on target (1) through their opening two matches.
In open play, Shakhtar Donetsk have progressed the ball upfield slower than any other team in the Champions League this season (0.97 metres per second). Indeed, they’re one of only three sides who haven’t recorded a direct attack in the competition this term, along with Girona and PSV Eindhoven.
Kai Havertz has made the most high-intensity pressures in the final third of any player in the Champions League this season (57). Indeed, the most by a player in a single game in the competition this season was by Havertz, in his last outing versus PSG (37).
Excluding own goals, Danylo Sikan has been directly involved in four of Shakhtar Donetsk’s last seven away goals in the Champions League (three goals and one assist).
Gabriel Jesus has scored four Champions League goals against Shakhtar Donetsk, all while playing for Man City, including a hat-trick against them in November 2018. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (five) has more goals against Shakhtar in the competition.
Bukayo Saka has scored five goals from eight shots on target for us in the Champions League. Since the start of last season, he is the player who’s overperformed his expected goals total by the biggest margin in the competition in this period (+3.27 – five goals from 1.73 xG).
MATCH OFFICIALS
Benoit Bastien has been appointed to officiate Tuesday's match. He has seen over six fixtures this season, handing out 33 yellow cards and three reds across Ligue 1, the Champions League and the Europa League.
He hasn't been involved in an Arsenal game since October 2017, when he refereed our 1-0 win away to Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League, sending off Milan Rodic before Olivier Giroud's 85th minute winner.
Referee: Benoit Bastien
Assistants: Hicham Zakrani and Aurélien Berthomieu
Fourth official: Thomas Leonard
VAR: Benoit Millot
Assistant VAR: Willy Delajod
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
We’ve welcomed Shakhtar to London on two previous occasions, first at Highbury for a 3-2 win in 2000 courtesy of a Sylvain Wiltord penalty and a late Martin Keown brace.
Then, at Arsenal Stadium in 2010, we produced a more convincing display, winning 5-1 thanks to goals from Alexandre Song, Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere and Marouane Chamakh.
LIVE COVERAGE
Tune into Arsenal.com and the official app just before kick-off to get live commentary of the game, with Dan Roebuck and Nigel Winterburn talking you through all the on-field action.
You can also find out which broadcaster is showing the action live wherever you are in the world with the article below.
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