Arsenal start Champions League marketing campaign at Europa League winners Atalanta – reside
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.
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KICK-OFF: Atalanta 0-0 Arsenal
The away side get us underway in Bergamo.
Atalanta v Arsenal LIVE
Both sides are emerging from the tunnel at the Gewiss Stadium, and we are moments away from hearing the new version of that famous anthem.
Mikel Arteta explains starting Gabriel Jesus over Leandro Trossard
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, speaking to TNT Sport, starting with his selection and opting for Jesus over Trossard:
“They always make me doubt but Gabi has been training really good – great experience and journey int he Champions League. We believe he is the right player to start.”
On whether Sunday’s trip to Man City played a part in his thinking:
“The full focus is on today. We have a tough match against a great opponent. We have to do our job and then we will focus on City.”
On facing Atalanta:
“It’s great atmosphere, a special ground. The way they play as well it’s with great personality and the coach has done something special here.
“They dominate a lot of aspects of the game – they play in a particular way as well, particularly the man-oriented style. The game becomes a battle and we have to be ready for that..”
Arsenal looking to make fast start
Arteta’s side have won their opening match in each of their last six major European campaigns (five in the Europa League and then last season’s Champions League). The last side to beat the Gunners in their first game was Dinamo Zagreb in the 2015/16 Champions League.
Arteta on Atalanta and the Champions League
Speaking in a pre-match press conference, Arteta said that it’s “very difficult to play against [Atalanta]”.
“They have a particular playing style which you see week-in, week-out and it’s very challenging for opponents coming up against them. In the last two seasons, the Premier League has changed a lot, you’ve got a lot of squads that are doing similar things to them and we need to be prepared ahead of tomorrow.
““Last year was a great campaign for us. We got to a place where we hadn’t been as a club for 16 or 18 years, but we weren’t happy or satisfied at all because we want more. They showed their hunger. I think we have the ability, we certainly have the quality – and now we have to prove it.”
Arsenal’s history in Italy
This is Arsenal’s first trip to Italy in the Champions League since 2013, and the Gunners have lost their last three Champions League games there. Those defeats came at Roma (0-1 in 2009), Milan (0-4 in 2012) and Napoli (0-2 in 2013).
The Gunners’ last trip to Italy, though, came in the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2018/19. After securing a 2-0 home win, Unai Emery’s side won 1-0 away to progress.
Atalanta profile
Atalanta have had quite the Serie A story, rising from relative obscurity to becoming one of the league’s most intriguing sides.
Giasperini was appointed in June 2016 and the club’s fortunes immediately changed as the Italian, alongside players such as Papu Gomez, Josep Ilicic and a youngAlessandro Bastoni, led them to 4th place in Serie A.
Giasperini has kept the club in the right half of the league table ever since, finishing seventh and eighth on one occasion each but finishing third three seasons in a row between 2019 and 2021. In addition, Atalanta have been runners-up in the Coppa Italia three times during his tenure.
Despite becoming something of a Champions League regular in recent seasons, Atalanta’s crowning glory came last season, with a win in the Europa League final giving them just their second ever major trophy (after a Coppa Italia in 1962/63).
Players to watch: Ederson, Ademola Lookman, Charles De Ketelaere, Mateo Retegui.
Match facts
Arsenal will be the fifth English side that Atalanta have met in major European competition, after Everton (W2), Man City (D1 L1), Liverpool (W2 L2) and Man Utd (D1 L1). The Bergamo-based side beat Liverpool over two legs last season in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Atalanta’s last four UEFA Champions League games – which came in the 2021/22 group stage – have seen both them and their opponents score two or more goals (D2 L2). In the entire history of the European Cup, no side has ever both scored and conceded two-plus goals in five consecutive matches.
Atalanta team news and line-up
Atalanta include Europa League hat-trick hero Ademola Lookman in their starting XI, as well as former Gunner Sead Kolasinac.
Atalanta: Carnesecchi, Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac, Zappacosta, de Roon, Ederson Silva, Ruggeri, De Ketelaere, Lookman, Retegui
Atalanta v Arsenal
These two sides have never met before, and their first meeting pits the Europa League winners against the Premier League’s nearly side.
These are two teams who have impressed a great deal over the last season, with the reign of Mikel Arteta bringing a similar growth and stability of that of Gian Piero Gasperini at Atalanta.
The Italian has been at the helm since 2016, and marked the best moment of his tenure with last season’s Europa League final win over a previously unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin, courtesy of a brilliant performance from Ademola Lookman.
Atalanta currently sit ninth in Serie A though, having been beaten 4-0 by Inter Milan at the end of August.
