Lens-Arsenal is a match from the second day of the Champions League group stage and is played on Tuesday at 21:00: tv, formations, predictions
Arsenal are one of the few teams still unbeaten not only in the Premier League – where Manchester City and Liverpool fell last weekend – but in European football as a whole. The positive series continued last Saturday, at home to Bournemouth: Mikel Arteta’s men swept away the opposition (0-4) thanks to an increasingly enveloping and aesthetically satisfying game.
The victory against the Cherries allowed the Gunners to move back into second place – shared with their cousins Tottenham – and move to within -1 of leaders City, who were beaten by Wolverhampton. Arsenal had also started on the right foot in the Champions League, a competition that the Londoners had not played for six seasons. In the first day there was practically no history in the match against Psv Eindhoven, crushed 4-0 at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners, drawn in a group that is anything but impossible, can take another significant step towards qualification for the round of 16 in the event of success against Lens, who emerged unscathed from the match against Sevilla a fortnight ago (1-1). It was precisely from Andalusia that the season really began for the Giallorossi, who finished second behind Psg in the last championship. Before boarding the plane to Spain, Franck Haise’s men had four defeats (plus a draw) on their backs, which at the time meant last place in Ligue 1.
Lens raised their heads again
Their fate seemed sealed against the winners of the last Europa League but after going down almost immediately they managed to equalise with a goal from Fulgini
A celebration by the Lens players
Lens haven’t lost since: Haise got the ‘machine’ going again in Ligue 1 and two wins in a row came against Toulouse and Strasbourg. Six fundamental points to lift the morale and instil confidence in a group that in the summer was orphaned of some central figures such as Openda and Fofana, finished respectively in Leipzig and Al-Nassr. Against Strasbourg the decisive goal was scored by striker Wahi, who arrived during the last market session from Montpellier. The Giallorossi coach in the cup match will not be able to count on Haidara, Farinez, Cabot and da Costa. Behind the only point Wahi will act Sotoca and Fulgini. On the other side, Arteta has now recovered Partey: the Ghanaian midfielder will start from the bench together with Saka, in goal at Bournemouth.
The Prediction
Lens are on the upswing from a month ago but will not be able to avoid defeat against an Arsenal side that are proving increasingly solid (5 clean sheets in their first nine games of the season) and have never lost so far. The Gunners should pick up their third consecutive win, remaining on full points in the group.
Lens-Arsenal line-up probables
- LENS (3-4-2-1): Samba; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Aguilar, Abdul Samed, Mendy, Machado; Sotoca, Fulgini; Wahi.
- ARSENAL (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Ødegaard, Rice, Havertz; Trossard, Nketiah, Gabriel Jesus.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-3
