Emirates Stadium, London
Wednesday, December 8
7:45 p.m. GMT, 2:45 p.m. EST
- Referee: Paolo Tagliavento (Italy)
- Reverse Fixture: Partizan Belgrade 1 - 3 Arsenal
- Matchday 2 was the first and only competitive fixture between sides
- Arsenal's League Form: L-W-W-L-W-W
- Partizan's League Form: W-W-W-W-W-W
Predicted Line-Up
just assume these are mostly guesses
Fabianski
Sagna - Koscielny - Squillaci - Clichy
Song - Wilshere
Walcott - Nasri - Arshavin
Chamakh
Subs from: Szczesny, Eboue, Gibbs, Denilson, Bendtner, Van Persie, Rosicky
Out: Djourou (thigh), Fabregas (hamstring), Diaby (ankle), Almunia (elbow), Vermaelen (Achilles)
Qualification
Grid of possible results at right.
This assumes Arsenal will finish with a better goal difference than Braga.
Grid of possible results at right.
This assumes Arsenal will finish with a better goal difference than Braga.
- Arsenal will qualify for the knockout stage, if:
- They win, OR
- They draw and Braga drops points, OR
- They lose and Braga also loses.
- Arsenal will win Group H, if:
- They win and Braga wins by fewer than 14 goals.
- Arsenal will finish third, starting the Gooner European Apocalypse, if:
- They lose and Shakhtar Donetsk drops points, OR
- They draw and Braga wins.
Match Thoughts
It is the beginning of an absolutely huge, almost season defining week for Arsenal. They have gone top of the table in the league for now, benefiting from Manchester United's postponement from the weekend. Arsenal still has their fate in their own hands regarding United's game in hand, as the Gunners travel to Old Trafford on Monday.
But it all starts here, at home, in the Champions League against Partizan Belgrade tomorrow. A couple of dreadful results away from the Emirates in Europe through the month of November have put Arsenal's back up against the wall. If their performance is any form of shambolic tomorrow, there's a chance the Gunners will not qualify for the knockout phase, essentially "doing a Liverpool" from last year, or, as I've called it, the "Gooner European Apocalypse." And quite honestly, I had a weird nightmare about that last night.
Arsenal's home form in the league has left something to be desired all season long, including losses to West Brom, Newcastle, and the Scum. Their back-to-back wins over Wigan in the Carling Cup and Fulham on Saturday has only begun to rectify the problem; that rectification must continue tomorrow. The Gunners have been dominant at home in Europe, winning by a combined 11-1 to scoreline against the two sides that would eventually beat them away from London last month.
You'll see that my predicted line-up feels largely like guesswork. It's an XI that would make sense in the league and would make sense for an absolute must-win fixture like this one, but Arsene Wenger's rotational choices in the Champions League this year have been bothering me for a month now. And it's the main reason why this is must-win in the first place.
Robin van Persie could get a start, as could Theo Walcott, but I'd be quite unhappy if Nicklas Bendtner or Emmanuel Eboue got the start too. I like Eboue, and he's passed fit again, but remember he looked dreadful in the Carling Cup, and only escaped further embarrassment when Victor Moses left with injury. Let's have as few question marks as we can on the back line, okay?
Injury News and Match Facts
It is the beginning of an absolutely huge, almost season defining week for Arsenal. They have gone top of the table in the league for now, benefiting from Manchester United's postponement from the weekend. Arsenal still has their fate in their own hands regarding United's game in hand, as the Gunners travel to Old Trafford on Monday.
But it all starts here, at home, in the Champions League against Partizan Belgrade tomorrow. A couple of dreadful results away from the Emirates in Europe through the month of November have put Arsenal's back up against the wall. If their performance is any form of shambolic tomorrow, there's a chance the Gunners will not qualify for the knockout phase, essentially "doing a Liverpool" from last year, or, as I've called it, the "Gooner European Apocalypse." And quite honestly, I had a weird nightmare about that last night.
Arsenal's home form in the league has left something to be desired all season long, including losses to West Brom, Newcastle, and the Scum. Their back-to-back wins over Wigan in the Carling Cup and Fulham on Saturday has only begun to rectify the problem; that rectification must continue tomorrow. The Gunners have been dominant at home in Europe, winning by a combined 11-1 to scoreline against the two sides that would eventually beat them away from London last month.
You'll see that my predicted line-up feels largely like guesswork. It's an XI that would make sense in the league and would make sense for an absolute must-win fixture like this one, but Arsene Wenger's rotational choices in the Champions League this year have been bothering me for a month now. And it's the main reason why this is must-win in the first place.
Robin van Persie could get a start, as could Theo Walcott, but I'd be quite unhappy if Nicklas Bendtner or Emmanuel Eboue got the start too. I like Eboue, and he's passed fit again, but remember he looked dreadful in the Carling Cup, and only escaped further embarrassment when Victor Moses left with injury. Let's have as few question marks as we can on the back line, okay?
Injury News and Match Facts
- Johan Djourou picked up a thigh injury and now suddenly Laurent Koscielny is fine to start. Djourou should be fit again by the weekend, but I'm really concerned at how quickly we've had to rush back the young Frenchman from a head injury due to a lack of center backs.
- The English media has sensationalized the fact that Thomas Vermaelen won't be back until January. It's as if our best player just recently suffered a devastating injury. He's been out since August! Quite frankly, there was a time I didn't expect him to be back at all this season.
- The other injuries remain the same: Cesc Fabregas hopes to be back by Monday at Old Trafford, Abou Diaby's ankle remains mysterious, and I'm pretty sure Manuel Almunia just doesn't want to be number two behind Fabianski.
- Arsenal's 3-1 win in Belgrade in September was the only other competitive fixture between these two sides. Partizan's penalty goal was the only goal they have scored in the group stage, now through five matches.
- The referee is Italy's Paolo Tagliavento.
- He's been a Serie A referee since 2004 and a UEFA Cup/Europa League referee since 2007.
- As far as my research dictates, however, this seems to be his first Champions League match.
- His highest international honor to date has been taking charge of two World Cup qualifiers.
- Tuesday: Twente v. Tottenham Hotspur; De Grolsch Veste, Enschede
- Tuesday: Manchester United v. Valencia; Old Trafford, Manchester
- Wednesday: Marseille v. Chelsea; Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
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