The Gunners are almost there; one more win in the Champions League and they’ll look all-but assured of an automatic place in the last 16. Standing in their way: embattled Dinamo Zagreb, fighting for their lives to stay in the hunt for a play-off spot.
By Karl Matchett
Kindly fall of the fixture list?
It remains tough to tell as clubs get to grips with the new league version of European competition, and across the board it feels as though playing the strongest available team may be the approach. But, it might just be that the final two rounds of fixtures – and these teams’ respective points – play nicely into Arsenal’s hands.
Mikel Arteta will of course want to wrap up matters at home; win here and they probably don’t have to be too concerned with their last away day in Girona. And that might have the added knock-on effect of allowing them to rest some players before the Premier League match immediately afterwards, home to Man City. So, the reasons mount up for the Gunners to claim three points, hit 16 overall and be all-but-certain to finish in the top eight.
And, while opponents Zagreb won’t exactly roll over and accept defeat, the lingering suspicion is they are more likely to be accepting of putting all their eggs into a final-night basket, given they’re at home to Milan. That said, Dinamo’s two wins so far in the Champions League have come on the road, while they’re without a victory on home soil, so a sturdy rearguard will still be their approach at the Emirates. Hope for Arteta’s men comes in the shape of Bayern thrashing the Croatians 9-2 earlier this season – they are far from unbreachable.
Recent form
Arsenal have been sketchy at best. It feels only a week ago there was bullish talk of reigniting title hopes domestically, only for them to yet again slip up next time out. Arteta has overseen just one win in the last five in all competitions, three wins in the last seven at home and their last clean sheet against a team ranked above 16th in a league was six weeks back. Better is required.
Dinamo would almost welcome that kind of run, mind. While this match will be their first for exactly a month following a winter break, their win on 22 December snapped a seven-game winless streak that included a home draw to Celtic and a hammering by Borussia Dortmund.
Team news
Ben White, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba are all out, as is Ethan Nwaneri. Riccardo Calafiori needs a fitness test.
Dinamo are missing Bruno Petković, Josip Mišić and Petar Sučić as first-team options.
Key player
Scored one and was denied another at the weekend – Kai Havertz remains Arsenal’s biggest goal threat and has the all-round penalty box play to both create and take chances against a determined defence. In Europe this term though he’s been more about build-up play than getting shots away: he averages 1.9 per 90 minutes with an average xG of 0.39 each game.
Prediction
Arsenal will get the job done but it might not be a pretty watch all night. Arsenal 2 Dinamo 0.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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