After a tough end to their unbeaten Premier League run, Arsenal is determined to bounce back as they face Shakhtar Donetsk at home in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Gunners have picked up four points from their first two matches in this revamped tournament, while Shakhtar currently sits outside the top 24 in the league phase standings.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be looking for a strong response after a disappointing 2-0 loss to Bournemouth on Saturday, where they debuted their new third kit.
The match saw William Saliba sent off, adding to Arsenal's woes as they struggled to recover from a well-executed corner routine goal by Ryan Christie and a penalty from Justin Kluivert. Gabriel Martinelli also missed a key chance before Christie's opener, highlighting a tough evening for the Gunners.
That defeat meant Arsenal missed the chance to temporarily take the lead in the Premier League, but they now have an opportunity to get back on track before a crucial match against title rivals Liverpool next weekend.
In the Champions League, Arsenal managed a goalless draw with Atalanta and followed it up with a solid 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain, with goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka benefiting from some questionable goalkeeping by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Currently sitting 13th in the League Phase standings, Arsenal could achieve a remarkable feat by securing three consecutive clean sheets in the Champions League for the first time since November 2007. They haven’t lost a non-knockout home match in this competition since September 2015.
Shakhtar Donetsk, on the other hand, suffered a heavy defeat to Atalanta in their last European outing, losing 3-0. Their coach, Marino Pusic, saw his team struggle against Ademola Lookman, who contributed to the goals for Atalanta. Before that, Shakhtar managed a disappointing goalless draw with Bologna and is still looking for their first goal in the 2024-25 Champions League.
However, Shakhtar has found some form in their domestic league, winning their last two matches, including a 5-1 victory over LNZ Cherkasy. Despite this, they sit fourth in the Ukrainian Premier League and have a poor record against Arsenal, losing all their previous visits, including a 5-1 defeat in 2010, where former Gunner Eduardo scored their only goal.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Despite some initial optimism that Bukayo Saka's hamstring injury might heal in time for the Bournemouth match, the assist king was unable to play over the weekend and remains a serious doubt for the upcoming game against Shakhtar.
Jurrien Timber, who impressed against PSG, is in a similar situation due to his muscular issue. Martin Ødegaard (ankle), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), and Kieran Tierney (hamstring) are definitely out, although Ødegaard might have a slim chance of returning for the Liverpool match.
William Saliba’s red card on Saturday won’t affect his availability for the Champions League, and Arteta is likely to make some rotations before facing Liverpool, with Thomas Partey being a strong candidate for a rest.
On the other hand, Shakhtar arrives at the Emirates with a fully-fit squad. Fourth-choice goalkeeper Tymur Puzankov, who has been recovering from an ACL injury, has made the 28-man selection.
Shakhtar’s standout player, Georgiy Sudakov, will be looking to impress against one of his admirers on Tuesday night. The 22-year-old has made an outstanding start to the season, scoring seven goals and providing two assists in nine league appearances.
Danylo Sikan is also in contention to replace Eguinaldo up front; the 23-year-old has contributed to four of Shakhtar's last seven away goals in the Champions League, with three goals and one assist.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Havertz, Rice, Merino; Sterling, Jesus, Trossard
Shakhtar Donetsk possible starting lineup:
Riznyk; Konoplya, Bondar, Matvienko, Henrique; Stepanenko; Zubkov, Bondarenko, Sudakov, Newerton; Sikan
EXPERT PREDICTION
Arsenal 2-0 Shakhtar Dotnesk
A welcome sight for Arsenal fans, Shakhtar Donetsk has struggled this Champions League season, registering the fewest total shots (10) and only one effort on target. It’s likely Pusic’s team will again falter in the final third.
While a Gunners lineup without Saka or Ødegaard may lack some creativity, even a rotated Arsenal squad should comfortably handle Shakhtar—provided they can avoid any self-inflicted setbacks.
Last edited:
