Arsenal are seeking to extend their participation in the group phase of the Champions League to 16 consecutive years against Fenerbahce on Tuesday. The Gunners beat 3:0 the Turkish side last week and are big favourites to go advance. Check out here our unmissable Arsenal v Fenerbahce 2nd leg match preview with the latest team news and probable line-ups.
ARSENAL v FENERBAHCE: MATCH PREVIEW
Arsene Wenger has come in for criticism this season after making just one summer signing so far and losing 3-1 to Aston Villa on the opening day. They have since followed up their easy win at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium with a 3-1 away victory over Fulham on Saturday
Bacary Sagna, Kieran Gibbs, Tomas Rosicky, Aaron Ramsey and Nacho Monreal all travelled following injury scares but Wenger confirmed that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would be out for at least six weeks with a strain to his posterior cruciate ligament. With Mikel Arteta out injured and no defensive midfielder signed, Wenger could again have to rely on the partnership of Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey. Laurent Koscielny, who suffered a horrific cut in Turkey, trained fully while Wenger may choose to use rookie striker Yaya Sanogo.
Yet, even if Fenerbahce pull off a miraculous comeback to seal progression, their place in the Champions League would be by no means assured. They were banned for two years from European competition in June over match-fixing allegations but were reinstated while an appeal is heard, the result of which will be declared the day after the match.
On the pitch, too, the season has not started well. More than £25 million has been spent during the summer in strengthening the squad on the likes of Nigerian striker Emmanuel Emmenike, Portugal center-back Bruno Alves and Turkey midfielder Alper Potuk. But, after losing the Super Cup to bitter rivals Galatasaray, their league campaign got off to a woeful start as Ersun Yanal’s side surrendered a 2-0 lead to newly promoted Konyaspor and went down 3-2. Anyway, they side enjoyed a return to form in the Super Lig over the weekend, as they defeated Eskisehirspor 1-0 at home courtesy of a second-half Dirk Kuyt strike.
Raul Meireles and Mehmet Topal remain doubts for Wednesday while right-back Gokhan Gonul is still on the sidelines.
Fenerbahce have also won just 1 of their last 8 away games in the Champions League, although they only lost 1 of their 7 away games in the Europa League last season. The Turkish side won 4 of those 7 games, but to say they are behind the black ball in this one is a slight under-statement
ARSENAL v FENERBAHCE: PROBABLE LINEUPS
Arsenal (4-3-3): Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Ramsey, Wilshere, Rosicky; Walcott, Giroud, Cazorla
Fenerbahce (4-3-3): Demirel – Topuz, Alves, Yobo, Kaldirim – Meireles, Topal, Emre – Kuyt, Emenike, Sow.
ARSENAL v FENERBAHCE: TEAM FORM
Arsenal
24 Aug 2013 Fulham 1 - Arsenal FC 3 EPL
21 Aug 2013 Fenerbahçe 0 - Arsenal FC 3 UCL
17 Aug 2013 Arsenal FC 1 - Aston Villa 3 EPL
10 Aug 2013 Arsenal FC 3 - Manchester City 1 FRC
4 Aug 2013 Arsenal FC 1 - Galatasaray 2 FRC
Fenerbahçe
24 Aug 2013 Fenerbahçe 1 - Eskişehirspor 0 TUR1
21 Aug 2013 Fenerbahçe 0 - Arsenal FC 3 UCL
17 Aug 2013 Konyaspor 3 - Fenerbahçe 2 TUR1
11 Aug 2013 Galatasaray 1 - Fenerbahçe 0 TURS
6 Aug 2013 Fenerbahçe 3 - Salzburg 1 UCL
ARSENAL v FENERBAHCE: MATCH PREDICTIONS
Arsenal to win by one
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