Arsenal gained more ground in the Premier League title race yesterday, beating Everton 2-0 while Manchester City played relegation strugglers West Ham United to a score draw. So the Gunners now have a nine point lead over Man City, but that’s a tad misleading as the second place side still have a game in hand on the table toppers. Arsenal have to be feeling pretty good about Saturday’s results, and they must be feeling great about their team fitness situation. If the skipper Martin Odegaard (knee) and Brazilian forward Leandro Trossard (unspecified) shake off their injuries to make the squad, then they’ll have just one absentee (midfielder Mikel Merino, who is done for the season) on Tuesday night when they welcome in Bayer Leverkusen for a Champions League round of 16 clash.
UEFA Champions League Round of 16
Arsenal at Bayer Leverkusen Leg 2 of 2
Tie Aggregate 1-1
Kickoff: Tue March 17, 8pm kickoff, Emirates Stadium, London, UK
Google Result Probability for 90 Min: Arsenal win 75% Draw 16% Bayer Leverkusen win 9%
Arsenal Team News
Trossard and Odegaard were not involved against Everton on Saturday, with Arteta saying the previous day: “We will have to wait and see and speak to the doctors on whether they are involved or not.”
So before missing out on that match, they were touch and go. They’re likely in the same boat for this one. If they don’t feature here, then they almost certainly will next weekend.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.