Arsenal welcome Atlético Madrid to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening, aiming to extend their flawless start to the Champions League campaign.
Mikel Arteta’s side currently holds a perfect record of two wins and zero goals conceded in the group phase, complementing their strong domestic form which sees them top the Premier League.
Speaking ahead of the fixture, Arteta expressed supreme confidence in his squad, stating he backed his Arsenal side to “go all the way” this season.
However, the hosts face a challenge with a significant injury list, as key quartet Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, and Gabriel Jesus all remain sidelined with knee issues. Defender Piero Hincapié is a game-time decision.
Atlético, meanwhile, arrive on the back of a six-match unbeaten run across all competitions. Manager Diego Simeone acknowledged the difficulty of the task but backed his players to compete.
“We are going to face a very good team, with incredible characteristics in how they manage each match,” Simeone said, adding, “We have a very clear identity, we know how we play… and we come with the hope of playing a great match.” The Spanish side is without midfielder Johnny Cardoso (ankle) and possibly Nico Gonzalez (head injury).
Predicted line-ups suggest Arsenal will deploy a 4-3-3 (Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Eze, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyökeres, Martinelli).
Atlético are expected to line up in a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 (Oblak; Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Ruggeri; Simeone, Barrios, Gallagher, Almada; Griezmann, Alvarez).
The match is predicted to be a tight affair, with Arsenal narrowly favoured to overcome the tactical challenge.