Is 3 nights of sleep enough time to recover from the disappointment of our last performance? We certainly hope so, as Arsenal travel to the North West of Portugal to face Braga in the Champions League.
A win for Arsenal will almost certainly see the Gunners through to the 2nd stage of the competition, and leave Braga to settle for a Europa League berth.
TEAM NEWS
Gael Clichy misses the game with a back problem, giving Kieran Gibbs a chance to impress at full back. Andrei Arshavin and Robin Van Persie have been left out, the Russian forward has been given a break, he has featured in almost every game this season, & RvP needs to work on his fitness.
Arsenal are also still without Almunia, Diaby & Varmaelen through injury.
For Braga, Paulão has not played since sustaining a thigh problem against SC Olhanense on 23 October. Quim ruptured his right Achilles tendon in pre-season training and is expected to be out until the new year.
Braga
UEFA milestones
• Braga have scored 95 goals in UEFA competition.
UEFA Champions League statistics
• Braga have won ten corners, the lowest total in the competition.
Latest domestic information
• Braga's Portuguese Cup fourth round fixture at SL Benfica, scheduled for 20 November, was postponed due to the NATO summit which took place in Lisbon on 19 and 20 November. The tie will now be held on 12 December.
• After 11 Liga games Braga have 14 points, exactly half what they had at the same stage last season when they were top of the table.
• Braga have lost eight times in all competitions this season, one more than in the whole of last term.
• Braga have kept two clean sheets in 11 league outings this season – they averaged one every two games last term, conceding just 20 goals all campaign.
• Braga suffered their first home league defeat under Domingos Paciência on 7 November, going down 3-2 against SC Beira-Mar. It was the side's first top-flight loss at the Municipal Stadium since a 3-1 reverse against Benfica on 17 May 2009.
• Paciência has nonetheless overseen 18 wins in 20 home league games since taking the helm – A. Naval 1º Maio were the only other team to take points off them at the Municipal Stadium, drawing 0-0 on 13 December 2009.
• Aníbal Capela was handed his Liga debut against Beira-Mar; Custódio made his first league appearance for the club.
• On 13 November Braga lost 2-1 at Vitória SC, finishing the game with ten men after Alan – who had scored their goal – was sent off (45).
• Braga have not won away in the Liga in six attempts this term.
• Braga won every match in the Liga last season when they registered first but three times already this term they have dropped points after forging ahead, at Guimarães, FC Porto and FC Paços de Ferreira.
Arsenal
UEFA milestones
• Arsenal's defeat at FC Shakhtar Donetsk was their 50th in UEFA competition.
UEFA Champions League statistics
• Arsenal have scored 15 goals, more than any other side. Manchester United FC hold the record for goals scored in a UEFA Champions League group stage with 20 in 1998/99.
Latest domestic information
• Saturday 20 November: Arsenal FC 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur FC
(Nasri 9, Chamakh 27; Bale 50, Van der Vaart 67pen, Kaboul 85)
Fabiański; Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Clichy; Song, Denilson, Fàbregas; Nasri (Rosický 77), Arshavin (Walcott 77), Chamakh (Van Persie 68)
• Arsenal let slip a two-goal lead to lose at home to north London rivals Tottenham for the first time since 1993. The Gunners have lost successive home league games for the first time since 1997.
• Eight of the 15 Premier League goals Arsenal have conceded this season have come in the final 15 minutes of either half, and none in the first 15 minutes. Indeed, they have conceded only once in the first half-hour.
• Arsenal suffered a second home league defeat of the season against Newcastle United FC on 7 November.
• The Gunners have won four of their last five away matches in all competitions, the exception being their Matchday 4 defeat at Shakhtar.
• Bacary Sagna opened the scoring in Arsenal's 2-1 win at Everton FC on 14 November, his first goal since 23 March 2008.
• Alex Song has four goals to his name this term – he scored just once in 50 outings for club and country last season.
• Arsène Wenger's side's run of three successive clean sheets was ended at Shakhtar; they have managed only one in four games since.
• Arsenal will host Wigan Athletic FC in the League Cup quarter-finals on 30 November.
My Prediction
Braga 1-2 Arsenal
No comments:
Post a Comment