Arsenal have yet to formally secure their passage to the knockout round of the UEFA Europa League, but they can do so with a win over FC Zurich on Thursday night. If PSV Eindhoven defeat Bodo/Glimt in Norway, then Arsenal would need a win here, a draw wouldn’t be enough, in order to win Group A.
Currently topping the group table, by two points, Arsenal is in pole position, but PSV currently holds the tie-breaker over the north London side. You want to avoid finishing in runners-up position because that means taking on a demoted Champions League team in a play-off round.
Arsenal vs FC Zurich UEL Group Stage FYIs
Kick: Thurs Nov 3, 8pm, Emirates Stadium, London
Group A, Matchday 6 of 6
UEL Group Stage Form Arsenal LWWWW FC Zurich WLLLL
UEL Group Standings: Arsenal 12 pts, 1st FC Zurich 3pts, 4th
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Arsenal Team News
No new injury concerns to report or updates to go over. Oleksandr Zinchenko, Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny remain unavailable. Despite the need for a result here, you can expect to see some squad rotation from manager Mikel Arteta. Reiss Nelson (who bagged a brace against Nottingham Forest on the weekend), Kieran Tierney, Matt Turner and Albert Sambi Lokonga are all among the names of those who could find themselves rotated into the first XI here.
Arsenal Starting XI Prediction vs FC Zurich
GK- Turner
DEF- Tomiyasu, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney
MID- Xhaka, Sambi Lokonga, Vieira
ATT- Nelson, Jesus, Nketiah
Prediction: Arsenal 3, Zurich 0
Top team versus bottom side in the Premier League went exactly as we thought it would on Saturday. We believe the same will hold true here for UEL Group A on Thursday night.
Paul M. Banks is the Owner/Manager of The Sports Bank and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly contributed to WGN News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.