UEFA Champions League Week Four Preview 2016/2017 Season: Group A, Ludogorets Versus Arsenal.

UEFA Champions League Week Four Preview 2016/2017 Season: Group A, Ludogorets Versus Arsenal.

By Ewah Chika.

As Arsenal travel to the Vasil Levski stadium in Bulgaria to play their week four UEFA Champions League game with  Georgi Dermendzhiev's Ludogorets who they North London side hammered 6-0 at the Emirates last two weeks, one thing every Gunners fan will be expecting is the maximum three points on the night so as to top their group as they are ahead of Unai Emery's PSG on goal difference.


Ludogorets have won their last three games after the Emirates humiliation scoring 13 goals and conceding just four. The Bulgarian club are expected to start with the same set of players considering they have no suspension or injury at the moment.

Dermendzhiev is expected to start with his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation which will have Stayanov in goal. Minev, Moti, Palomino and Pimienta in defence. Anicet and Dyakov in the centre of the park . Misidjan, Marcelinho and Wanderson in attack leaving Brazilian Cafu as the lone striker. The Bulgarian club really need to win this game as they sit third in the group table with just one point from three games, hence  losing  the game will mathematically knock them out of contention for the second round.

Arsenal on their part are expected to continue their unbeaten run of 14 games in all competitions without defeat. This season, Arsene Wenger's side have being unbeaten in all competitions since suffering a 4-3 loss at the hands of Liverpool on their first Premier League game of the season on the 14th of August. Arsenal have also won two (Reading and Sunderland) and drawn one (Middlesbrough) in their last three games in all competitions since beating Ludogorets (6-0) two weeks ago. The Gunners have traveled without starting eleven players Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellerin who have stayed behind to rest ahead of Sunday's North London derby with Manuel Porchettino's Tottenham.

Arsene Wenger is expected to start with his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation although it is likely he will bench the likes of Alex Iwobi and Santi Cazorla who just recovered from a heel injury. Wenger is expected to start Colombian no.1 David Ospina as he will continue to start in Cup Competitions while Petr Cech starts in the league. In defence , Kieran Gibbs is expected to replace Monreal in left back position while captain Laurent Koscielny partners Skhodran Mustafi In central defence with Carl Jenkinson given time to impress in the right-back position having recovered from a career threatening cruciate ligament injury suffered back in February while on loan in West Ham.

In the centre of the park, Mohammed El'Neny and Francis Coquelin are expected to continue their fruitful partnership which means Alexis Sanchez who is in top form will start on the left side of attack initially the position of Alex Iwobi. Mesut Ozil should continue in the no.10 position, slightly behind the main striker who is expected to be Oliver Giroud after scoring twice despite starting on the bench last weekend against Sunderland. To complete the attack, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain will play from the right as Theo Walcott sits out as a result of injury.

It is expected that Ludogorets will test  Arsenal on the night considering the Bulgarian club's  quality in terms of pace and trickery but this doesn't mean Arsenal will not prevail on the night having won their last four away games in all competitions.

Prediction: 3-1 in favour of Arsenal.