The season has well and truly begun as Arsenal’s Champions League journey starts with a familiar opponent, Borussia Dortmund. They don’t come much harder as Dortmund are seen as Arsenal’s main opponents for top spot in a group that could provide a few surprises.

Here we go again

In recent times, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund have something of a rivalry in Europe’s biggest competition as they have been pitted together in the same group on three occasions in the past four years.

Arsenal are certainly familiar with the German team and will look to do a repeat of last year’s result when they picked up all three points at the Signal Iduna Park courtesy of an Aaron Ramsey header.

Team news

Arsenal will look to gain confidence in their attacking prowess in the 2-2 draw against Manchester City but their defence is a cause for worry. Mathieu Debuchy will be unavailable because of an injury picked up that could see him out for 3 months.

Calum Chambers has tonsillitis so he will be assessed before the game. If Chambers comes up short, Hector Bellerin could be called up for a surprise start against the former German champions. Nacho Monreal has not travelled with the group to Germany because of a back problem so Kieran Gibbs will look to start.

Yaya Sanogo has also stayed at home with a hamstring problem so Danny Welbeck will look to continue as striker and hope to score his first goal for Arsenal.

Toughest challenge first

With Dortmund being Arsenal’s biggest worry, Arsenal will have to overcome their biggest challenge in the group at the first hurdle.

Although Arsenal have a bit of a defensive crisis with not enough depth at the back and with strikers Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott still out of action, Dortmund have their own injury crisis with a number of first team stars out of action such as Marco Reus, Ilkay Gundogan, Nuri Sahin and Jakub Blaszczykowski.

It should be a tightly contested match with both teams playing attacking & attractive football. Predicting a thrilling, fast paced game ending in a draw.

Expected team line-up

Wojciech Szczesny, Calum Chambers, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs, Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere, Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Danny Welbeck.

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Comments  

#12 Kingsley Ukoha Ajike 2014-09-19 02:49
Well in Physics, there's a point of finishing return and I surpose that's the point Wenger has gotten to now. He has given his best and can't go more than this. Arsenal only needs a younger evolving Manager who will bring new ideas in to the Club, like the present Coach of Dortmund. Wenger is not ready to buy first hand players, no more interested in Arsenal progress and why don't the board let him go. I lost faith in him when he ignored Fabregas and allow Chelsea take him, as if that want enough, ordinary WestHam took Song when we are lacking serious holding midfielders. What next for Wenger that honorably resigning.
+1 #11 Apollo 2014-09-16 10:46
I think ozil should be put in the exact number he was playing in madride and in his national team as half ninr
+1 #10 Apollo 2014-09-16 10:43
I think ozil should be put in the exact namber he was playing in madride as halfnine
+2 #9 sam semuwemba 2014-09-16 08:12
I think Wenger is the ploblem plus the board how can buy ozi to do what in team you have no strikers ozil ha no use
-1 #8 patrick okide 2014-09-16 07:31
it's very impossible for wenger to degine emmirate office with anize cap if he don't he has ever been excluding other good players out of the lineup much as wehe have agood players but he must change for the good achivement at the end.weeee areeee theeeee Gunnerrrrr
+1 #7 Amau Demalucas 2014-09-16 06:46
It could be like committing crime for Arsene without Cazola.
+1 #6 Visitor 2014-09-16 00:01
Santi will probably be on the bench.
#5 TC 2014-09-15 23:35
Ozil should be on the bench for this game the lazy ***, we need players who are going to try to win or at least get a point not assholes who just walk about looking disinterested.
#4 Paula 2014-09-15 23:19
Where is SANTI? He should at least be on the bench, surely. Is he injured?
+1 #3 dcdc 2014-09-15 22:36
Even if Wenger was given unlimited funds I wouldn't trust him to spend it wisely. We'd probably end up with the world's best collection of dainty-footed, supremely gifted attacking midfielders. But inadequate defensive cover, so-so strikeforce and no defensive midfield. Not gonna win the big trophies with that.
-1 #2 Abu Great 2014-09-15 21:48
Arsenal fans re the problem of arsenal. Instead of them to start by cutting arsenal matches so that Wenger nd the board will do the right thing. I dont why is that players like flamini nd Diaby nd yaya songo is doing at arsenal? all this players cant even make Chelsea or man city second team but in arsenal such player is what we re relaying to win cup. Well this season will be the worst for Wenger nd d board mack my word.
#1 okwy 2014-09-15 20:52
What happened to cazora