⚕️ Team news
🔴 Arsenal
Thomas Partey and David Luiz are sidelined. Calum Chambers, Pablo Mari and Gabriel Martinelli are building up fitness and are not available yet as well. Meanwhile, Sead Kolasinac has been cleared to play after testing negative for Covid-19.
🟢 Rapid Wien
Dejan Petrovic (central midfielder) is a doubt to play. Dejan Ljubicic (defensive midfielder, captain) is sidelined.
🔮 Arsenal predicted lineup
Apparently, Arteta will rotate his squad heavily ahead of the north London derby. However, Pepe is set to start as he will have to sit out 2 more games due to a red card that he got at Leeds. We predict Nelson and Nketiah to play alongside him upfront from the off.
Runarsson, Mustafi, AMN and Cedric will almost certainly form the rearguard. As for the second centre-back, the boss will need to choose between Holding and Kolasinac.
Lacazette is set to get another chance to impress in the no 10 role, though Smith Rowe seems to be a good choice as well. Finally, we'd go for a Willock-Xhaka pair at the base of midfield.
🧮 Stats & trivia
(Opta via Sky Sports)
- Arsenal have won both their previous home games against Austrian opponents, with this their first such game since beating Austria Wien 6-1 in the 1991-92 European Cup.
- Rapid Wien have lost three of their four away games against English opponents in all competitions, though they did win their last such visit 3-2 against Aston Villa in August 2010.
- Having won all four of their group stage games to this season's UEFA Europa League, Arsenal are looking to win each of their first five matches to a season in major European competition (excluding qualifiers) for only the second time, having last done so in the 2005-06 UEFA Champions League. They went on to reach that competition's final in that season.
- Having won both of their last two UEFA Europa League games, Rapid Wien are looking to win three in a row in the competition for the first time since November 2015 (four).
- Joe Willock has been directly involved in five goals in his last three UEFA Europa League games for Arsenal, scoring two and assisting three.
📜 Form (all competitions)
🔴 Arsenal: WWLDWL
🟢 Rapid Wien: WWDLWD
🔮 Predictions
Michael Owen (BetVictor): 2-1
"Despite enduring a poor run domestically, Arsenal have had no such problems in the Europa League. The Gunners have won each of their last 4 matches in the competition and need only a point from this to secure qualification.
"Rapid Wien arrive at the Emirates having won back-to-back Europa League matches. This match represents a bigger challenge; however, they made some big improvement since changing to a 4-2-3-1 formation. They may stick with that again here, but they’ll have to be at their best if they are to get a result.
"As mentioned earlier, Arsenal have been a different side in Europe this season, and I think they will be desperate for the win. I don’t think there will be a massive difference, but I fancy the points to stay in London."
Ben Knapton (Sports Mole): 3-1
"Arsenal are in need of a serious injection of confidence before they prepare for a North London derby against Premier League leaders Tottenham Hotspur, and the visit of Vienna gives the Gunners the perfect opportunity to right the wrongs of the weekend.
"Gooners will certainly not be getting ahead of themselves should Arsenal come out on top as expected, and Vienna will look to hurt Arteta's men - with the Arsenal boss certainly a man under pressure now - but this ought to be a routine win for the North London outfit."
Latest news
