The Gunners face a tough visit to Russia to play the second leg of their Europa League tie with CSKA Moscow.
In the previous match, played at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal got the better of CSKA Moscow. It looked cagey at first, but the Gunners prevailed as 4-1 winners. This Arsenal analysis will run through what they must do to keep the tie in their hands.
As we saw from last night’s match between Liverpool and Manchester City, there will always be nerves, despite the margin in which a team leads. Liverpool conceded within the first few minutes, and many predicted the tone to be set, but it wasn’t.
Arsenal must avoid adding any pressure, because we all know this isn’t Arsenal’s strong point. If possible, the Gunners should focus on getting the first goal. If they achieve this, CSKA Moscow will need to score four without reply in order to pull the tie level.
Arsenal’s attack is on fire currently. Unfortunately, though, the man-in-form Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is ineligible to play in the Europa League, but it hasn’t been a problem for the Gunners so far. Is it really an Arsenal analysis without statistics?
Since his return from injury, Alexandre Lacazette has looked reinvigorated as a goal-scorer. Only starting one game, the Frenchman has scored three goals in his last three appearances. Danny Welbeck, the other eligible striker for Arsene Wenger, has been in good form too, scoring four times and providing an assist in his last four appearances.
Arsenal must attack the Russian side relentlessly, and not rest on their laurels. As we witnessed in the first match, CSKA Moscow’s back line isn’t the best equipped to deal with Arsenal’s potent attack, but they can cause problems on the counter. That said, the Gunners must not give them any respect to do such a thing.
Aaron Ramsey will look to be the key figurehead in yet another Arsenal performance. The midfielder will look to seek and exploit gaps left by the ageing Moscow back-line, a trait which has served the Gunners well this season.
The creativity of Mesut Ozil and the passing ability of Granit Xhaka will work hand-in-hand with Ramsey’s probing runs, which is what we witnessed in the previous game.
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Arsenal must also be tightly-drilled from a defensive standpoint. In the recent Premier League game with Southampton, Arsene Wenger’s men gave away two silly goals, which caused a lot of distress throughout the match.