After a strong quarter-final run in their Champions League return last season, Arsenal continue their European adventure on Thursday as they face Atalanta in Bergamo.
Whereas The Gunners made it to the last eight of Europe's premium competition, Atalanta were crowned Europa League champions last season, defeating the previously unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen in a dominant final in Dublin.
The Gunners ended their six-year absence from the Champions League last autumn by topping Group B, finishing ahead of PSV Eindhoven, Lens, and Sevilla with four wins from six matches. They progressed past FC Porto on penalties before being eliminated by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, showing once again that Arsenal are back as a European force under Mikel Arteta.
In addition to consecutive second-place finishes in the Premier League, Arsenal reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in 14 years, having come close several times during Arsene Wenger's tenure. Now, they aim to build on that momentum and continue their resurgence on the continental stage.
Domestically, Mikel Arteta's side have started the new campaign unbeaten in their opening four Premier League matches, most recently securing a hard-fought victory in the North London derby last weekend. Remarkably, Arsenal have conceded just one goal in that run, with Gabriel's match-winning header marking their 23rd set-piece goal since the start of last season.
Heading into their trip to Bergamo, Arsenal boast a six-match Premier League winning streak away from the Emirates, stretching back to last season. They'll look to keep that run going as they prepare for a quick turnaround before a pivotal clash with Manchester City in the coming weekend, followed by another tough Champions League test against Paris Saint-Germain next month.
Arsenal head into the match with some key absences. Mikel Arteta welcomes back Declan Rice, who was suspended for the North London derby, but several stars remain sidelined. Captain Martin Odegaard is out with an ankle injury (and latest reports suggest that he could be sidelined for longer than initially expected), while summer signing Mikel Merino is yet to make his debut after injuring his shoulder in pre-season. Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori also remains questionable, and Bukayo Saka, who had eight goal involvements in nine Champions League games last season, was forced off during Sunday's clash with arch-rivals Tottenham and is a major doubt.
Further complicating Arsenal's squad, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kieran Tierney, and Oleksandr Zinchenko are all ruled out. However, Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus made a late substitute appearance on Sunday after recovering from a thigh problem.
La Dea returned to winning ways with a 3-2 victory over Fiorentina on Sunday afternoon - their first home game of the season. It was a much-needed boost for Atalanta, who have lost their previous two games before the international break. Defeats on their trips to Torino and Inter Milan were far from ideal for Gian Piero Gasperini's men, but they can now feel the home support.
Indeed, Atalanta will be celebrating the recent completion of their renovated stadium as they welcome Champions League football back to Bergamo. Last season saw the Bergamaschi lift their first-ever European trophy, toppling Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final, thanks in part to an Ademola Lookman hat-trick. That victory came just days after a heartbreaking Coppa Italia final loss, giving Gasperini a long-awaited taste of silverware after years of impressive work.
This year marks Atalanta's fourth Champions League campaign, having previously reached the knockout stages twice. However, La Dea has found success hard to come by against Premier League opposition, winning only one of their six encounters. However, that win came memorably in a 3-0 triumph over Liverpool at Anfield during their Europa League run.
Despite Atalanta's European pedigree, they've won just one of their last seven home games in the Champions League, and their recent form suggests Thursday's clash with Arsenal will be no easy task. A turbulent summer transfer window and a UEFA Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid were followed by two losses in their opening three Serie A matches, as mentioned above.
Moreover, injuries have also taken their toll. Giorgio Scalvini and Gianluca Scamacca are long-term absentees, while defensive stalwarts Rafael Toloi and Ben Godfrey both missed the Fiorentina game.
On the bright side, Sead Kolasinac, a former Arsenal player, and Berat Djimsiti are back in contention, and attacking midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo also made it to the bench on Sunday. Zaniolo is looking to revive his career after a not-particularly-impressive spell at Aston Villa last season, but we doubt that the Italian international will be a starter on Thursday.
Ademola Lookman, who was involved in five goals (four goals and one assist) in his last two Europa League starts at the end of last season, will once again spearhead Atalanta's attack, supporting Italy striker Mateo Retegui (who already boasts four goals in as many Serie A games this term). However, the England-born Nigerian international has never scored in four previous appearances against Arsenal during his previous spells in Premier League clubs.
Atalanta's 23 Champions League matches so far have averaged a remarkable 3.6 goals per game, reflecting their commitment to an attacking style. Still, while Arsenal may be hindered by multiple injuries, they remain one of the toughest teams to break down under Arteta's guidance, and they possess multiple avenues to goal.
