Arsenal are back in Champions League action tonight, looking to mark their return after six years away from Europe’s top table with successive victories to take early control of Group B. The Gunners were firing on all cylinders in front of a jumping Emirates crowd on matchday one a fortnight ago, demolishing PSV Eindhoven 4-0.
They are strong favourites to dispatch a Lens team that claimed an impressive point at Sevilla in their opener but currently sit just above the Ligue 1 relegation zone after winning only two of seven matches so far this term, having finished as runners-up to Paris Saint-Germain last season. However, both of those wins have been in the last two games, with former Arsenal transfer target Elye Wahi leading Franck Haise’s attack.
Arsenal will have one eye firmly fixed on a huge Premier League showdown with title rivals Manchester City at the weekend, though won’t want to take their eye off the ball here and make only two changes from the side that thumped Bournemouth as Takehiro Tomiyasu and Leandro Trossard come in. Follow Lens vs Arsenal live below, with expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in northern France.
Live updates
Lens vs Arsenal
Standard Sport’s chief football correspondent Dan Kilpatrick at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis
Wahi leads Lens attack
As for Lens, big-money summer signing and rumoured former Arsenal target Elye Wahi leads the attack as expected.
Przemysław Frankowski, Salis Abdul Samed and Adrien Thomasson all come in following the 1-0 win at Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Friday night.
Former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba and ex-Leicester midfielder Nampalys Mendy both start.
Two Arsenal changes as Tomiyasu and Trossard start
So Arsenal make two changes from the side that hammered Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
Takehiro Tomiyasu comes into defence in place of Ben White, with Leandro Trossard replacing Eddie Nketiah in attack and Gabriel Jesus shifting back to a central striking role.
Bukayo Saka is fit enough to start and Thomas Partey is on the bench as expected.
Lens lineup
Starting XI: Samba, Gradit, Danso, Medina, Frankowski, Mendy, Abdul Samed, Machado, Sotoca, Thomasson, Wahi
Subs: Aguilar, Fulgini, Leca, Diouf, Maouassa, Said, El Aynaoui, Khusanov, Guilavogui, Pandor
Arsenal lineup
Starting XI: Raya, Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Odegaard, Rice, Havertz, Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Trossard
Subs: Ramsdale, White, Partey, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Kiwior, Cedric, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson, Elneny, Hein
Arteta expecting ‘huge test’ from Lens after rise
For all the talk of Arsenal’s long wait for a Champions League return, Lens have not played at this level since 2003.
In fact, the club only earned promotion back to Ligue 1 in France as recently as 2020.
They then recorded back-to-back seventh-place finishes before ending just a point behind title winners PSG last term.
“Well I’ve been really impressed,” Arteta said of Lens’ rise. “What they did last year is incredible to be within a point of the title.
“The way they did it, the form they had at home. This season they’ve been really unlucky with some of the results they’ve had.
“At home, they’ve got just one point and I don’t know how. So we expect a huge battle. We’re more than aware of it.
“We showed the players everything and we have a huge test.”
A big night in store for Lens….
Arteta on team selection before Man City clash
Arteta also confirmed that he would make his final decisions on team selection today.
However, he did not say if he would pick tonight’s lineup with one eye on the visit of Manchester City to the Emirates on Sunday.
“First of all we have to know who is available and what is the condition of every player because had some issues last week,” he said.
“It’s great that he [Saka] is available and we will make that call tomorrow.”
Arteta addresses Saka and Partey fitness
Here’s what Arteta had to say on Saka and Partey’s fitness when quizzed over the phone by reporters last night…
“He’s [Saka] fine. He’s much better. It was a big knock but he has recovered well and trained with us today.”
On Partey, he said: “He’s progressed really well in the last two weeks and he managed to train in the last two or three days with the team and that’s great news for us obviously.”
Asked if Partey needed to play some part against Lens to be in contention to face Manchester City on Sunday, the boss added: “I don’t know. I think his progression in the last week has been very good. He might have some exposure tomorrow depending on how the game goes.
“He’s a big player and we know what he brings to the team. He knows exactly what we need and with the injuries we had to other players in midfield and at the back he complements us in a great way and gives us options. So it’s great to have him back again.”
Arsenal hit by travel chaos with press conference cancelled
Arsenal’s preparations for tonight’s second Group B fixture in the Champions League have hardly been ideal.
Bad weather meant that they were stuck at Luton Airport for a total of five hours on Monday evening, eventually getting their flight and landing safely in Lille at almost 11pm local time.
Mikel Arteta’s pre-match press conference was cancelled as a result and he instead spoke to the media over the phone from Luton.
The Spaniard will hope that travel chaos does not have any impact on his players this evening.
