Arsenal among UCL favorites, but must overcome injuries in their opening match

This may just be the first game of the season for Arsenal, but this Champions League opener already carries plenty of significance, as Mikel Arteta's team goes into the action with big ambitions against an Italian side who are high on confidence from their Europa League victory. After narrowly losing out on the Premier League title last season, finishing two points behind Manchester City, and falling in the quarterfinals of the last Champions League, the Gunners are more determined than ever to cement their place among Europe's soccer giants.

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Expectations are high, and rightly so: Arsenal has been unbeaten this season, neck and neck with City at the top of the Premier League. But this time, it is time to face a more confident and dangerous Atalanta side at their home. For Arteta, he knows that winning away from home is going to be important in making any solid campaign stick, and it was evident in some of the pre-match comments he has revealed: "If we want to reach the level we aim for, we have to be excellent both at home and on the road."

Favoritism and the away challenge

Arsenal goes into the Champions League with the weight of one of the favorites. The hunger for European glory is stronger than ever. As Arteta pointed out, winning a competition like this requires more than just a strong squad; it requires consistency and efficiency. Last year, Arsenal learned in the most bitter fashion how "small margins" can decide a team's fate in Europe. That defeat to Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals was one of those harsh, salutary lessons.

This time, the Gunners know they cannot afford to let things slip. While Atalanta is not considered a European powerhouse, last season showed they can be trusted. They are a very aggressive and dynamic side, one that creates many headaches against whomever they meet, especially when playing at home. Still, Arsenal is confident, unbeaten this season with a strong squad despite some big absences.

Injuries and key returns

Injuries have become a nuisance for Arsenal. For this match, they also lacked crucial ones such as Odegaard, Merino, and defenders Tierney, Tomiyasu, and Zinchenko. Not all news is terrible, however. Welcome respite comes in the form of the return of Saka and Calafiori to the fold after respective spells with injury problems. Gabriel Jesus also returns after being out for some time with a thigh problem and can be expected to take center stage in Arsenal's attack. His return is a boost for Arteta, who will need the sharp forward line to permeate into the well-organized backline of Atalanta.

With these returns, Arsenal do become a lot more dynamic, especially with Saka on board. His forte in breaking through defenses to create dangerous plays will be in Store to dismantle the Italian defense that, though strong, has shown moments of vulnerability.

Atalanta's style and the Arsenal approach

Mikel Arteta didn't hold his praise on Atalanta's style. He admitted that the Italians are not easy to play against, with their peculiar kind of setup tactically that needs short notice to adapt to. "They have a particular style. it's very challenging for opponents," said Arteta.

Atalanta just loves to press high and institute a high tempo of play that can unnerve teams not ready to operate at that level. Arteta knows this quite well, so he would likely plan his team to absorb this pressure with a somewhat tactical response to the pressure on them. This is where players like Saka feature in, unleashing some swift counterattacks that catch a high backline off guard.

Also, Arsenal would have to maintain ball possession and manage the game's tempo, which is what has been Arteta's focus of improvement all this time. The midfield, even without most of their main players, would still remain in the position of highest responsibility for such control, not to let Atalanta's quick counterattacks get them off guard.

Arteta's words on the hunger of victories in this team are fully representative of the mentality he has been trying to drill into his players. "We've reached a point where the club hasn't been in 16 or 18 years, but we weren't happy or satisfied because we wanted more," he said. That drive for more, that will to reach Europe's elite, might just prove all the difference.