Arsenal and Atletico Madrid lock horns at the Emirates on Tuesday night (8pm, Amazon Prime) in one of the stand out games in this week’s Champions League schedule.
Premier League leaders Arsenal have recorded two wins from two in Europe so far, which puts them 5th in the table at this early stage, while Atletico Madrid are in 10th with a win and a defeat on the board.
Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid Prediction & Tips
Arsenal To Win & Under 3.5 Goals @ 5/4 with bet365
This bet has already landed eight times this season, including both times in the Champions League. Arsenal, who have conceded just three goals in 10 games, have also won their last six games against Spanish teams.
Gabriel To Score or Assist @ 11/2 with Paddy Power
Arsenal’s threat from set pieces is well known, and Gabriel continues to be a danger at both ends of the pitch. The centre-back has been involved in two goals in his last four appearances, including the assist for Trossard’s winner at the weekend.
Clement Lenglet To Be Carded @ 5/2 with Sky Bet
Cards are always on the cards when Atletico Madrid come to town. Take Clement Lenglet, for example, who is no stranger to the referee’s notebook, having accumulated three yellow cards and a red card from his last five matches in all competitions, including a yellow at Anfield and a red in his last outing against Celta Vigo.
Arsenal Form & Team Setup
Arsenal are firmly in the hunt for both domestic and European silverware this season. Mikel Arteta’s side are now odds-on favourites for the Premier League title and priced at 6/1 to lift the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
The Gunners have made a strong start to the campaign, with nine wins, one draw, and just a single defeat from their first 11 matches, including five consecutive victories across all competitions. Their Champions League journey began with a 2-0 win away at Athletic Bilbao, followed by another 2-0 victory at home to Olympiakos.
Much of their early-season success has been built on defensive solidity. The Gunners have conceded just three goals in 10 matches, and are yet to concede in the Champions League with an xG against of 0.85.
Gabriel Martinelli will be pushing for a start after scoring in both league games so far. Arteta may opt to rotate at full-back again, with Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly both candidates to come in – as was the case against Olympiakos. Meanwhile, Piero Hincapie has returned to training and could be included in the matchday squad, but Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz remain out.
Atletico Madrid Form & Team Setup
After a sluggish start to the season, Atletico Madrid have found their rhythm, bouncing back from just one win in their first six league and cup matches to go unbeaten in their last five, winning four of them.
They showed resilience in their Champions League opener at Anfield, clawing back from 2-0 down after just six minutes to level things up, only to suffer a late heartbreaker as Virgil van Dijk netted a stoppage-time winner for Liverpool. But they responded emphatically, dismantling Frankfurt 5-1 in their following Champions League fixture.
While Arsenal have thrived on control and defensive discipline, Atletico have offered chaos and unpredictability. Their season so far has included a 3-2 loss to Liverpool, a 5-2 derby win over Real Madrid, and just two clean sheets in 11 games, but they’ve also scored 23 goals, making them one of the most entertaining teams in Europe this season.
In terms of personnel, Nico Gonzalez has been cleared to play after a first-half head injury scare at the weekend, but Johnny Cardoso could miss out. Conor Gallagher, formerly of Chelsea, is expected to feature in midfield, while ex-Man City star Julian Alvarez – with six goals already this season – should lead the line against the Gunners.
Head-to-Head Battles and What the Stats Reveal
Arsenal come into this clash riding a six-game winning streak against Spanish opposition, including last month’s impressive away win over Athletic Bilbao.
In stark contrast, Atletico Madrid have struggled against English sides. They’ve never won an away group-stage game in England in the Champions League, and have managed just one win in their last nine matches against English opposition in European competition.
That said, Diego Simeone does have fond memories of facing Arsenal after he orchestrated a 2-1 aggregate win in the 2017/18 Europa League semi-finals, despite going down to 10 men just 10 minutes into the 1-1 draw at the Emirates.
On the player front, Gabriel Martinelli has been in sharp form for the Gunners, scoring in both of Arsenal’s European victories this season. For Atleti, Marcos Llorente struck twice in the 3-2 loss to Liverpool, while Julian Alvarez has provided two assists, second only to Michael Olise in the Champions League so far.
Key Battles on the Pitch
Bukayo Saka vs David Hancko
It could be a testing night for Atletico left-back David Hancko, who faces the daunting task of containing Bukayo Saka. The Arsenal winger has been in fine form since returning from injury and boasts an impressive record in Europe with 17 goal involvements in just 19 Champions League appearances.
Gabriel vs Julian Alvaraez
At one end, Gabriel poses a major aerial threat from set pieces, as highlighted in our betting tips. But the Brazilian centre-back will also have his hands full defensively, going up against the sharp and in-form Julian Alvarez, who has been a constant menace in front of goal this season.