Arsenal travel to Bayer Leverkusen for Wednesday’s Champions League first leg with an eight-win league phase behind them, but Arteta’s side go to Germany with fresh fitness questions and a difficult away test to manage.
Arsenal head to the BayArena on Wednesday night for the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie, with kick-off at 5.45pm UK time and the return match scheduled for March 17 in north London.
Arteta’s side earned that position by finishing top of the league phase with eight wins from eight, scoring 23 goals and conceding only four. Those numbers have put Arsenal among the strongest teams in the competition so far, but the shift from league phase to knockout football changes the tone of the challenge.
Team news
The main pre-match question for Arsenal is availability. The latest team news lists Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard and Ben White as out, while William Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard are also doubtful. That makes the final shape of Arteta’s XI one of the most important elements of the night, particularly in defence and on the left side.
There is at least some encouragement in the wider picture. Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhães and Martin Zubimendi, were all left out against Mansfield Town at the weekend after Arteta said they had been carrying issues. The Arsenal manager also said after that FA Cup tie that Trossard and Calafiori had “little niggles” and were “not comfortable to continue”, so both will need late checks before the team travels.
Leandro Trossard receives medical attention after sustaining an injury REUTERS/David KleinLeverkusen also have concerns of their own, with Arthur, Loïc Badé and Lucas Vázquez as unavailable, while Patrik Schick is doubtful. That matters because Schick has four Champions League goals this season and remains one of the clearest reference points in Leverkusen’s attack when fit.
Arsenal’s away form gives them a platform
This is where the preview sharpens. Arsenal are not going to Germany searching for rhythm. They have lost only once in their last 24 matches in all competitions, are unbeaten in 11, have scored in 13 straight games and have won their last four.
Away from home, the numbers are just as solid. Arsenal have lost only once in their last 22 away matches, are unbeaten in 13 on the road, have won the last three away from home and have scored in each of the last seven. Form that can't be argued with going into the business end of the season.
Why Leverkusen remain dangerous
Leverkusen still look a proper test, particularly at home. They have lost only once in their last 12 matches, are unbeaten in four and have scored in each of their last three. At the BayArena, they have lost only one of the last nine and are unbeaten in six, even if their most recent home league game ended 1-1 against Mainz.
Their European run has already included a 2-0 win over Manchester City, a home draw with Newcastle and a 2-0 aggregate victory over Olympiacos in the play-off round. Arsenal will know from that record that this is not an opponent to treat lightly.
What the first leg demands
For Arsenal, the challenge is to turn strong form into a controlled away performance. The Gunners' performances in the Champions League suggest they are equipped for just that, with five clean sheets in eight Champions League games and an average of 2.88 goals per match.
There is no shortage of confidence in Arsenal’s camp either. Speaking before the tie, Martinelli said the squad’s perfect league-phase campaign had given them belief and described the opportunity in front of them as “a privilege”.
Arteta said after the draw that Arsenal needed to “find ways to be better than them” to go through the tie. That feels like the right frame. If Arsenal can leave Germany with the game under control and the second leg tilted back towards north London, it will count as a very solid first-leg outcome.