Arsenal face off against French Ligue 1 side RC Lens on Tuesday night as they travel to the 38,000 seater stadium Estadio Bollaert-Delelis in the small city of Lens for their second match of the group stages in this year’s Champions League competition.
Arsenal who came away victorious over PSV with a dominant 4-0 win a fortnight ago, will want to bring the same energy and determination into Tuesday nights game against RC Lens.
RC Lens faced off against Sevilla in round one of the tournament and came away sharing the points with a 1-1 draw. Sitting 15th on the Ligue 1 table, they haven’t had the best start to their season so far, playing seven games but only winning two and losing five. But those two wins were in the lead up to this game so Lens seem tio be back on track, and Arteta is not expecting an easy ride from the Ligue 1 side: “I was really impressed with what they did last year,” he said on Arsenal.com. “It’s incredible to finish in that position, and the way they did it, the form they had at home. This season they have been really unlucky with some results. I don’t know how they don’t have more points, so we expect a huge battle tomorrow.
“We are more than aware of it. They are a really good side and we have a huge test ahead of us tomorrow.”
Arsenal looks to be the favourites to win but RC Lens and their fans will take this game very seriously. A sometimes-hostile atmosphere, Lens fans will try make our trip as unpleasant as they possibly can and our lads will have to stay focused and not let the atmosphere or the occasion get to their heads. It will be a massive game for Lens and their fans, so I wouldn’t expect an easy game.
Arteta and William Saliba were due to face the media but due to bad weather Arsenal’s flight was delayed and the press conference was cancelled, but Arteta did speak to the media via a phone call and confirmed Thomas Partey had been back in full training and could possibly make an appearance against Lens. Saka was seen coming off after a heavy knock against Bournemouth on the weekend but Arteta confirmed that he is fine and has also been in full training, which is a huge boost for Arsenal.
Arteta said about Partey’s return: “He’s been progressing really well in the last two weeks, and he managed to train the last two or three days with the team. That’s great news for us obviously,”
“He’s progressing and has been very good in the past week. He is a big player and we know what he brings to the team.”
Trossard was also seen in full training pictures posted via Arsenal’s official twitter page and is likely to make a return to the starting line up on Tuesday night. A few big boosts for Arsenal after some big injury scares over the past few weeks. I expect Arsenal to come out strong, but we do face Manchester City in the Premier League on the weekend, so I’d expect that to be at the back of Arteta’s mind too and we could see a few players rested.
After a long time out of The Champions League, Arteta and his squad will be hoping to go far and prove why they belong in one of the most competitive competitions in the world. With a big away end expected, the atmosphere should be amazing and hopefully we come back to London with all three points.
What’s your thoughts Gooners?
Daisy Mae
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