Arsenal host CSKA Moscow on Thursday night at the Emirates in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final clash. Arsene Wenger’s side overcame AC Milan by 5-1 on aggregate last month, in what some think could be a turning point in their season, after another dismal league campaign.
The Gunners come into the game, fresh from a 3-0 victory over Stoke at the weekend, however fans had to bide their time for goals, as all three came in the last 20 minutes, including two penalties. A brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubemayang, who’s unavailable for this game, as well as a penalty for the returning Alexandre Lacazette put paid to Stoke, who still sit in 19th place in the Premier League table.
On the other hand, CSKA Moscow have won their first three matches of the Russian league of this year, but they host rivals Dynamo Moscow on Monday, in what will likely be their toughest test of the year so far. They may not have too many starstudded names in their ranks, but they’re a strong outfit as they edged out Lyon on away goals in the last round.
Arsenal vs. CSKA Moscow Predictions
Arsenal need to get something out of this game, as Russia will be a daunting and intimidating place to go for the second leg. In an ideal world, Wenger’s side will have ended the tie after the first leg and they’re more than capable of doing that if they put a performance in.
Arsenal vs. CSKA Moscow Betting Tips
Head to Head
- This is Arsenal’s first quarter-final tie in European competition since 2009/10 (vs. Barcelona in the Champions League), while they haven’t advanced from one since the season prior to that (vs. Villarreal in 2008/09).
- The Gunners haven’t lost the first leg of a quarter-final tie in European competition since March 1972 (vs. Ajax in the European Cup), winning four and drawing six of the ten they’ve been involved in since.
- Arsene Wenger’s side are looking for their third consecutive victory in knockout games in European competition. They last did that in 1999/2000, when they won four consecutive games in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals and semi-finals.
- CSKA Moscow have reached the quarter-finals of a European competition for just the third time in their history, losing at this stage in the 2009/10 Champions League, although they won the UEFA Cup in 2004/05.
- Arsenal are the top-scoring team in the Europa League this season, scoring 23 goals at an average of 2.3 per game.
- The Gunners have had more different goalscorers than any other Europa League team in 2017/18, with 15 of their 27 outfield players used finding the net.
- Mesut Ozil averages an assist every 114 minutes in the Europa League, the best ratio of any player in competition history (min. 10 appearances).
- Igor Akinfeev has kept a clean sheet in three of his last six European games (excl. qualifiers), as many as he had kept in his previous 36.
- In fact, the Russian was in goal for CSKA when these sides met in the 2006/07 Champions League group stage, keeping a clean sheet in both contests.
Arsenal Team News
Arsene Wenger faces a dilemma as to who starts upfront in this match. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is cup-tied, so he’ll play no part whatsoever, while Alexandre Lacazette only returned from a two-month layoff at the weekend. Danny Welbeck picked up a back injury against Stoke and could be a doubt heading into this one.
Petr Cech could miss out with a groin injury, but David Ospina has been Arsenal’s regular goalkeeper in cup competitions this season.
Probable Arsenal XI: David Ospina, Hector Bellerin, Shkodran Mustafi, Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal, Aaron Ramsey, Granit Xhaka, Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Danny Welbeck
CSKA Moscow Team News
Viktor Vasin, Astemir Gordyushenko and Mario Fernandes are all out injured for the first leg, but could return for the second. Meanwhile, Kirill Nababkin picked up a suspension after accumulating yellow cards against Lyon, while Bibras Natcho and Pontus Wernbloom are also just one booking away from being suspended for the second leg.
Probable CSKA Moscow XI: Igor Akinfeev, Vasili Berezutski, Sergei Ignashevich, Aleksei Berezutski, Bibras Natcho, Georgi Schennikov, Alan Dzagoev, Aleksandr Golovin, Konstantin Kuchayev, Musa, Pontus Wernbloom
