Arsenal are back in Champions League action hoping to bounce back from a terrible domestic weekend as they host Shakhtar Donetsk in the European top-flight.
Mikel Arteta’s men were defeated 2-0 by Bournemouth in the Premier League last time out and will hope to brush that loss aside in order move closer to the automatic qualifying spots in the Champions League table tonight.
The top eight teams will all earn a place in the last-16 without having to go through a play-off match and the Gunners currently sit 13th with one win and one draw from their two matches so far. It has been a strong start to the competition with their opponents being Europa League champions Atalanta and Ligue 1 winners Paris Saint-Germain.
In comparision, Shakhtar are still seeking their first win in the revamped league phase having taken one point from their first two matches. Arsenal will be confident of winning all three points tonight but the Champions League does throw out the odd surprising result.
Follow all the action with our live blog below:
Arsenal vs Shakhtar
Getting ready for tonight’s action:
Can Gunners fire again?
After slipping to a 2-0 Premier League defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday, when defender William Saliba was shown a controversial red card in the first half to see their unbeaten start abruptly end.
Arsenal have the chance to get themselves back on track against Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. Mikel Arteta’s side have impressed in Europe so far, beating Paris St Germain in the last round of games.
Shakhtar, meanwhile, are yet to score in their two Champions League fixtures – but come to London on the back of successive wins in the Ukrainian Premier League.
Will Shakhtar avoid defeat at the Emirates?
The draw with Manchester City in November 2019 ended Shakhtar’s run of six successive losses in England, and was only the second time they have avoided defeat in their nine games there, in which they conceded 24 goals.
Shakhtar versus English teams
Shakhtar’s last games against Premier League opponents came in the 2019/20 group stage, when they lost 0-3 at home to Manchester City before a 1-1 away draw.
A 2-1 win at home to City in 2017/18 is Shakhtar’s only success in their last nine games against English clubs (D2 L6) – they have lost five of the last seven.
Back in the Champions League
Having not featured in the Champions League proper between 2016/17 and 2023/24, Arsenal are making their second successive appearance.
This is the Gunners’ 21st Champions League campaign – second only to Manchester United’s 25 among English clubs – but only their second in eight seasons.
The 2016/17 season had been their 19th in a row, all under Arsene Wenger.
Havertz or Henry?
Kai Havertz is looking to become the fourth Arsenal player – and first since Thierry Henry in 2000 – to score in a club-record eight successive home games.
Arsenal vs Shakhtar
This will be the fifth meeting between the sides in the Champions League. The first came back in September 2000, when Arsenal came from behind to prevail 3-2.
A late Martin Keown brace completed the turnaround.
Oleksandr Zinchenko says Man City kept him on ‘academy wages’ for three years
Oleksandr Zinchenko has revealed Manchester City kept him on an “academy contract” during his first three seasons at the club, despite playing a part in two title-winning campaigns.
Zinchenko joined City in 2016 from Russian club Ufa, having been spotted by club scouts a year earlier playing in the Youth Champions League for Shakhtar Donetsk against his current club, Arsenal.
The Ukrainian jumped at the chance to join City but says he was initially told he would be on youth wages until he broke into the first team. He was sent on loan to Dutch club PSV before returning to win back-to-back Premier Leagues under Pep Guardiola, but claims he was still not awarded a professional contract until June 2019.
Merino on Arsenal’s mentality
More from Mikel Merino who spoke about Arsenal’s mentality in the build-up to tonight’s Champions League fixture.
“I think we have a pretty complete team and coaching mentality as well,” he said, “We may lack a bit of experience because we have a really young team.
“I’m lucky because I have some experience of keeping that mentality and calmness when you have that moment of truth.”