Arsenal vs Anderlecht, Champions League: Where to Watch Live, Preview, Betting Odds and Possible XI
Follow live coverage of Arsenal v Anderlecht here
Arsenal play hosts to Anderlecht in the fourth game of the UEFA Champions League as the Gunners look to close the gap on Borussia Dortmund and finish top of the group.
Where to Watch Live
Kick-off is set for 7:45pm GMT. Live coverage of the game will be available on Sky Sports 5 and Sky Sports 5 HD.
Overview
Arsenal have been in fine form in recent weeks, having won all of their last three games in all competitions, a first for the club this season.
Wins over Anderlecht in the reverse fixture followed by back-to-back wins over Sunderland and Burnley in the league have given the north London club some much needed confidence. This should see them through against the Belgian club to put one leg into the knockout stages of the Champions League.
The Gunners come into the fixture having secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Burnley, with Alexis Sanches in the thick of it all, scoring a brace while Calum Chambers secured his first goal for the club.
It was a tense affair, given that the game was scoreless until the 70th minute when Sanchez leaped above the Burnley defence to power in a header and break the deadlock.
Arsene Wenger will also be excited at the prospect of fielding Theo Walcott after nine months, who has recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
In their last encounter, Anderlecht were leading the Gunners by a solitary goal in the 87th minute but were undone by a screamer from Kieran Gibbs and an injury-time winner from Lukas Podolski to deny them their first ever win in the Champions League.
The Belgian side have only drawn against Galatasaray this season and need a solid performance at the Emirates to increase their points tally.
What Managers Say
Arsene Wenger: "I don't know exactly how it is in the groups, but it is always better you finish first because in some way you feel guilty if you don't finish first. People think if you are punished you deserve it, because you finished second.We're playing at home and we have an opportunity to win the game and we want to take this opportunity. We are on a good run and we want to take advantage of that."
Behnik Hasi: "I think Arsenal underestimated us in the first game, probably. If you want to beat the top teams in the Champions League, you need to be at your top level and hope they are not at theirs. From our game two weeks ago, Arsenal get a mental boost after (what happened in the) the last three minutes. They have had a boost in confidence - you can see a few of their players are now playing much better. They want to win the game. If they win they can go through with nine points."
Betting Odds(By 888Sport.com)
- Arsenal Win: 6/19
- Draw:9/2
- Anderlecht Win: 8/1
Team Guide
Arsenal
- Last Five(most recent first): W W W D L
- Last Result: Arsenal 3-0 Burnley
Anderlecht
- Last Five(most recent first): D W L L D
- Last Result: Anderelecht 1-1 K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen
Team News
Arsenal
- Injured: Wilshere(sickness), Debuchy (ankle), Koscielny (calf), Ospina (hip), Özil (knee), Sanogo (thigh).
- Suspended: N/A
- Doubtful: N/A
Possible XI: Szczesny; Monreal, Mertesacker, Chambers, Gibbs; Arteta, Flamini; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sánchez, Cazorla; Welbeck
Anderlecht
- Injured: N'Sakala(knee), Suarez(knee)
- Suspended: N/A
- Doubtful: N/A
Possible XI: Proto; Vanden Borre, Heylen, Mbemba, Deschacht; Tielemans, Defour; Najar, Praet, Cyriac; Mitrovic
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