Having somehow prolonged their unbeaten start to the 2023-24 Premier League season, Arsenal seek a return to winning ways in Champions League Group B against Europa League holders, Sevilla, on today match.
Mikel Arteta’s men came up short in a 2-1 loss away to Lens on matchday two, while Los Palanganas and PSV Eindhoven cancelled each other out in a pulsating 2-2 stalemate.
The man who steadied a sinking Sevilla ship and led Los Palanganas to Europa League crown number seven last month is now on the hunt for a new role, as another unsightly set of domestic results spelled the end of Jose Luis Mendilibar’s tenure at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan
Former Uruguay manager, Diego Alonso, experienced the true meaning of a baptism of fire in his first game in charge at the weekend, as Sevilla welcomed leaders, Real Madrid, to their headquarters but emerged with their heads held high from a merited 1-1 draw.
David Alaba’s unfortunate own goal put Sevilla a goal to the good, but Dani Carvajal spared his teammate’s blushes just four minutes later, and while the script was seemingly written for Sergio Ramos to head home the winner against his former club, a combination of Kepa Arrizabalaga and the woodwork denied the Blancos icon.
A hard-earned point versus Carlo Ancelotti’s men represents Sevilla’s third stalemate on the bounce, the first of which saw Los Palanganas throw away a pair of one-goal leads to draw with PSV Eindhoven in their last Champions League affair, where they fell victim to an injury-time Jordan Teze leveller.
Experiencing a full range of emotions in the past two weeks alone, Gooners also witnessed their troops sink Manchester City and suffer a deserved Champions League beating away to Lens before the international break – the latter result bumped the Gunners down to second in Group A after their 4-0 destruction of PSV.
Few in red and white could argue that a point at Stamford Bridge was generous, but that London derby is now history, and Arsenal are now on a quest to win a Champions League game on the road for the first time since December 2016, when Basel were consigned to a 4-1 humbling by Arsene Wenger’s team.
Wenger was also in the dugout for Arsenal’s first and only two meetings with Sevilla to date in 2007, where the Gunners strolled to a 3-0 win at their Emirates home, but the Spanish powerhouses avenged that loss with a 3-1 triumph at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan before both sides advanced to the knockout rounds.
Alonso admitted that focal point Youssef En-Nesyri was an enforced withdrawal late on in their draw with Real Madrid, although the Moroccan is not believed to be suffering from anything more than a bout of fatigue and ought to take his rightful place in the lineup here.
Rafa Mir is on hand should En-Nesyri be in need of a break, while Boubakary Soumare could hold his spot at the base of the midfield after earning praise from Alonso for his showing against Real Madrid.
Ramsdale should be back in the fold on today.
However, both Thomas Partey and Kai Havertz are in contention to displace Jorginho in the middle of the park, while Gabriel Jesus struggled to make an impact in West London but should hold off the threat of Eddie Nketiah regardless. —Sportsmole
