Standard Liege v Arsenal – The Gunners will be looking to make it two wins on the bounce.
Expect a much-changed team tonight to the one that faced West Ham Monday evening. However, the Belgium side will go with their strongest lineup because they need to win to have any chance of qualifying for the knock out phase.
Arsenal did beat the Belgiums 4-0 in the game at the Emirates, however, since then circumstances have changed. Standard are now unbeaten in five games and have both confidence and momentum behind them. Arsenal did beat West Ham Monday night but that was the first win in ten games and confidence is fragile.
The home crowd will be passionate and fully behind their team and it will be a hostile atmosphere.
Arsenal is still vulnerable, we saw that for 60 minutes against a very poor West Ham side. This is definitely a game that can be lost.
That said, Freddie and the lads cannot have failed to notice how different the performance is when Arsenal are attack-minded. Hopefully, there will be an adventurous attitude and not a pragmatic one this evening.
If Arsenal plays as they did in the first half against West Ham, they will lose, if they play as they did for the last 30 minutes, they will win.
With wholesale changes expected and a return to the team of David Luiz and Matteo Guendouzi then there is a risk of too much sideways football and slowing of the game. On the other hand, they may listen to Freddie and be far faster with the transition play.
All things considered, I feel Arsenal will have learned from the two halves against West Ham and will be far more positive from the start this evening.
If they are, then I am confident the game will end in at least a draw for Arsenal.
Predicted score
Standard Liege 2-2 Arsenal
No. We are going to win.
I struggle to become
Motivated for a trophy that second best and which we probably will get knocked out at a later stage
if guendouzi is playing prepare for arsenal to play in their own third, back and across the pitch. luiz will give away his complimentary goal and I’m afraid the swallow will fly.
lol