The last time Arsenal was involved in the Champions League, Bukayo Saka was on fire as Mikel Arteta’s men ran out as 3-0 winners against Monaco. Saka hasn’t featured in a while after tearing his hamstring in the resounding victory over Crystal Palace, while the other scorer on the night, Kai Havertz, has been very inconsistent with his form, and even if he managed to score in the 2-2 draw with Aston Villa, his performances in the Carabao Cup semifinals against Newcastle United and FA Cup Third Round against Manchester United left a lot to be desired.

Arsenal welcome Dinamo Zagreb tonight with the ambitions of finishing in the top eight of the Champions League league phase which will automatically rule the team out of a double-legged playoff clash against another European side. Arsenal has some rich history with Dinamo Zagreb, with the Croatian champions being the first side to play a European game at the Emirates Stadium in 2006. They also come into tonight’s game with a new gaffer at the helm, 2006 World Cup winner, Fabio Cannavaro, so it’s going to be interesting to see how things pan out for the diminutive Italian.

To team news, Arsenal confirmed the availability of Ethan Nwaneri and Riccardo Calafiori, which is very welcome news, considering how depleted the team has been in recent weeks. Having a generational talent like Nwaneri would have come in handy as the Gunners tried to break down Aston Villa after they had criminally let a comfortable 2-0 lead slip, but Arteta summoned Raheem Sterling to the fray and he was an aberration to say the least. Nwaneri will provide much-needed impetus to the attack, while Calafiori can slot in alongside Gabriel at center half to cater for William Saliba’s absence. However, one must wonder why Arteta didn’t deploy Jakub Kiwior in the position over the weekend, allowing Jurrien Timber to play at right back.

Let’s look forward to another unforgettable European night and build some momentum.

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