Arsenal kick off their Champions League campaign with a clash against Serie A side, and last season’s Europa League winners, Atalanta away from home.
It’s a tricky start to the newly revamped competition for Mikel Arteta’s men but they will be confident about securing all three points despite a growing injury list. Arsenal have started the season with three wins and a draw from their first four Premier League matches and are in good touch ahead of this European outing.
In comparison, Atalanta have made an mixed start to their own domestic campaign. Two wins and two defeats perhaps points to a lack of consistency but they are difficult opponents to overcome. The Italians beat Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final to end the Germans’ unbeaten run for the campaign and win their first trophy since the 2011 Serie B title.
Arteta is hoping to add to Arsenal’s trophy cabinet this season and has eyes on the biggest European prize but to do so the Gunners will need to set down a marker tonight.
Follow all the action from the Champions League with our live blog below:
Today’s Champions League matches
(All times BST)
17:45 Feyenoord v Bayer 04 Leverkusen – TNT Sports 2
17:45 FK Crvena Zvezda v SL Benfica – TNT Sports 4
20:00 Atalanta BC v Arsenal FC – TNT Sports 1
20:00 AS Monaco v FC Barcelona – TNT Sports 2
20:00 Atlético de Madrid v RB Leipzig – TNT Sports 4
20:00 Stade Brestois 29 v SK Sturm Graz – TNT Sports 5
Where to watch every Champions League fixture on TV this week
The first round of the new-look Champions League kicks off this week, with a fresh 36-team league format replacing the old group stage.
The first gameweek sees City host Inter in a rematch of the 2023 final, Liverpool travel to AC Milan, Arsenal visit Atalanta, Celtic play Slovan Bratislava and Aston Villa mark their first Champions League appearance against Young Boys.
there will be a new broadcaster in the UK, with Amazon Prime Video holding rights for one match a week under a new TV agreement. The streaming service will have the top pick each Tuesday, with TNT Sports broadcasting the other matches.
Martin Odegaard out for ‘a while’ with ‘significant’ ankle injury as Arsenal suffer injury blow
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after a scan showed “significant” damage to his ankle.
“The scan showed some damage around the ligaments in the ankle so we are going to miss him,” said Arteta.
“It’s something quite significant so we are going to lose him for a while. Hopefully not months.”
Atalanta vs Arsenal predicted line-ups
ATA – Carnesecchi, Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac, Bellanova, Pasalic, Ederson, Ruggeri, Lookman, De Ketelaere, Retegui
ARS – Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Jorginho, Partey, Rice, Saka, Jesus, Trossard
What is the Atalanta team news?
Atalanta are without a couple of major players including striker Gianluca Scamacca and centre-back Giorgio Scalvini. New addition Ben Godfrey will also miss out through injury and Rafael Toloi is a doubt.
What is the Arsenal team news?
Arsenal are missing captain Martin Odegaard, new signing Mikel Merino and full-backs Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko. Declan Rice is available after a domestic suspension, but Riccardo Calafiori could miss out again.
When is Atalanta vs Arsenal?
The match kicks off at 8pm BST on Thursday 19 September at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo.
Where can I watch?
As with all Uefa competition matches, this game will be broadcast by TNT Sports. The match is on TNT Sports 1 and can be live streamed by subscribers on the Discovery+ app.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Good afternoon
Arsenal kick off their Champions League campaign with a clash against Serie A side, and last season’s Europa League winners, Atalanta away from home.
It’s a tricky start to the newly revamped competition for Mikel Arteta’s men but they will be confident about securing all three points despite a growing injury list. Arsenal have started the season with three wins and a draw from their first four Premier League matches and are in good touch ahead of this European outing.
In comparison, Atalanta have made an mixed start to their own domestic campaign. Two wins and two defeats perhaps points to a lack of consistency but they are difficult opponents to overcome. The Italians beat Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final to end the Germans’ unbeaten run for the campaign and win their first trophy since the 2011 Serie B title.
Arteta is hoping to add to Arsenal’s trophy cabinet this season and has eyes on the biggest European prize but to do so the Gunners will need to set down a marker tonight.