Arsenal find themselves in the midst of a significant Premier League title challenge. However, Mikel Arteta and his team must now shift their focus to Europe, where they face FC Porto in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League.
The Gunners head to the Estádio Do Dragão for the first game of the Round of 16 and even though Porto are undefeated in their previous 10 home games but still, Arsenal are the overwhelming favourite to pick up a win.
Arsenal have been on a five-game unbeaten streak but out of the five losses they have suffered this season, four have come away from home so Mikel Arteta will have to make sure he does not overdo things in midweek.
The last time these two sides met was back in the 2009-10 season when the North London side won the two-legged tie 6-2 but even then, Arsenal suffered a 2-1 loss in the away leg. Arsenal’s fortunes have changed tremendously in the previous couple of seasons and if they do not falter unnecessarily, this one should be an easy and regulation win for the EPL side.
Arsenal’s team news and injuries:
Midfielder Thomas Partey has returned to training on grass but the first leg will come too early for the Ghanaian international. Along with Partey, Tomiyasu and Vieira are also going to miss the trip to Portugal in midweek.
Partey has missed most of the season due to injuries but Mikel Arteta has coped perfectly with the midfielder’s absence. Also, Jorginho has been a consistent performer during the second half of the season and that’s been a big boost for the manager.
Havertz, Declan Rice and Odegaard were the three midfielders for Arsenal during their win over Burnley and we think Arteta is not going to all this combination in midweek.
Gabriel Jesus remains sidelined with a knee issue and the Brazilian’s absence will allow Leandro Trossard to play up front. Eddie Nketiah is also pushing for a start but Trossard scored against Burnley so it will be really harsh if Arteta drops him to the bench.
Jakub Kiwior has also done remarkably well on the left-hand side of defence and he will hold onto his position because Zinchenko is not expected to be fit in time. The full-back picked up a calf injury during Arsenal’s win over Liverpool earlier this month and he is likely to be out for a few weeks.
Arsenal predicted starting line up vs FC Porto:
Predicted Starting XI(4-3-3): David Raya; Ben White, Gabriel, William Saliba, Kiwior; Rice, Havertz, Odegaard; Trossard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli.
