UCL: Things To Know As Arsenal Eye Champions League Win Against Napoli

One of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures of the opening round of the Champions League will take place at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday when Napoli welcome Arsenal.

Both sides begin their European campaigns seeking to improve on their performances from last season. Arsenal, who finished runners-up, are determined to win their first Champions League title, while Napoli, who were eliminated in the league phase, will be looking to secure a place in the knockout stages.

Despite the difficulty of playing in Naples, Arsenal head into the encounter as clear favourites. After beating Manchester City in the Community Shield, the Gunners have opened their Premier League title defence with three consecutive victories, including a hard-fought win over Chelsea last weekend.

Napoli, meanwhile, have endured a more difficult start under Massimiliano Allegri, who took charge following Antonio Conte’s departure. The Italian champions have lost their last two matches against Como and Inter, with the defeat to Inter particularly painful after they surrendered a two-goal lead before losing 3–2 at San Siro.

Napoli vs Arsenal Score Prediction

Arsenal Extend Winning Streak

Arsenal appear unlikely to stumble in Italy.

The Gunners have continued the momentum they built towards the end of last season and have further strengthened their squad. Their increased depth has given Mikel Arteta more options to rotate his team in midweek without significantly reducing its quality.

Arsenal possess several star players who could make the difference against Napoli, with Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka in particularly impressive form. At the other end, their disciplined defence has shown it can frustrate opponents and produce another clean sheet.

Napoli are still adapting to Allegri’s approach as they seek the right balance between attack and defence, and Arsenal could exploit any uncertainty within the home side. Even a passionate atmosphere and Napoli’s individual quality may not be enough to stop the Gunners.

Arsenal’s rigid backline: Morgan Rogers is the only player to have breached Arsenal’s goal this season. They have conceded just 0.9 expected goals across their three Premier League matches, while injuries have also failed to significantly disrupt Arteta’s defensive structure.

History hints at Arsenal win: The Gunners topped last season’s league phase table after winning all eight of their matches. They remained unbeaten during the tournament in 90 minutes, with their only defeat coming in the final.

Head-to-head record: The two clubs have met only four times previously, with Arsenal winning three of those encounters. The last two meetings came in the 2018–19 Europa League. None of their previous four clashes have seen both teams score.

Prediction: Napoli 1–2 Arsenal

Napoli Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal

Napoli will be without key midfielder Scott McTominay, with the Scotland international sidelined for the foreseeable future as he prepares to undergo a minor heart operation.

Alessandro Buongiorno and Luca Marianucci are also injured, although neither would have been eligible to play after being left out of Napoli’s league phase squad.

Giovane is unavailable because of a hernia, while André-Frank Zambo Anguissa will miss the match with an adductor injury. David Neres is also a doubt for the encounter.

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Former Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is expected to replace Anguissa in midfield, while ex-Manchester United striker Rasmus Højlund is set to lead the attack.

Napoli predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Marín, Spinazzola; De Bruyne, Lobotka, Vergara; Politano, Højlund, Santos.

Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Napoli

Arsenal’s injury concerns are largely in defence, with centre-backs William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera expected to miss the trip to Naples.

However, Jurriën Timber has travelled with the squad after recovering from injury and could make his first appearance since the Champions League final.

Arteta has plenty of options within his squad and could rotate his midfield for the European encounter. Martín Zubimendi is expected to feature, while Bruno Guimarães could make his first competitive start. Declan Rice could be rested and begin on the bench.

In attack, Kai Havertz could make way for Viktor Gyökeres, who has had limited playing time this season. Eberechi Eze could also start on the left wing in place of summer signing Christos Tzolis.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs. Napoli (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Hincapié; Zubimendi, Guimarães; Saka, Ødegaard, Eze; Gyökeres.

Match Details

Location: Naples, Italy
Stadium: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 9
Kick-off Time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
Referee: Glenn Nyberg (SWE)
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (ESP)