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Preview: Arsenal v Ludogorets, team news, Elneny starts & prediction

By on October 19, 2016

arsenal champions league

Arsenal will be looking to continue our excellent recent form when we take on Ludogorets in the Champions League at the Emirates tonight.

Our 2-0 victory over Basel three weeks ago saw us move on to four points after we drew 1-1 at Paris Saint-Germain on matchday 1 and we sit joint top of Group A with the French champions.

Another win tonight would go a long way to securing qualification to the knockout stages but I think it’s vital we aim to top the group this year as we’ve been punished for coming second with tough draws in the last 16 in recent times.

Our form heading in to the game is excellent as we extended our winning streak to six games with a 3-2 victory over Swansea at the weekend and we’re the heavy favourites to make it 7 on the bounce tonight.

Ludogorets are one of the weakest teams on paper in the competition with the Bulgarians only ever winning one Champions League game in their history but they’ve vowed to have a go at the Emirates tonight. If they live up to that promise, it could play in to our hands.

Team News

Ramsey is back in training but the midfielder is still not fit enough to return having been out with a hamstring injury since the opening weekend of the season.

Giroud is also closing in on making his comeback but the striker is just short of fitness after missing the last six matches with a toe injury.

We have no fresh injury worries to contend with but Mertesacker and Welbeck remain out with long-term issues.

Preferred line-up

Ospina is set to come in as he’s our keeper for European games and Wenger is being tipped to stick with the majority of his usual starting eleven.

However, I’d like to see Gibbsy given a chance at left-back as he needs games and Monreal struggled on Saturday and I’d also give Oxlade-Chamberlain a run out in attack.

Xhaka should keep his place as he’s set to miss our next three domestic games following his dismissal at the weekend while I’d like to see Elneny given a game in midfield.

This would be my line-up:

Prediction

Arsenal are understandably the odds-on favourites to win tonight and on paper we should easily win this game. The team is playing well and on home soil we have the potential to blow them away, so as long as we don’t take the opposition too lightly, I think we’ll see us score a few goals tonight. Arsenal 3-0 Ludogorets