Arsenal Q&A RECAP: Is Kai Havertz finally finding his feet? How far can Gunners go in Champions League? Isaan Khan answers your questions ahead of Lens clash
By Will Griffee For Mailonline
Published: | Updated:
Recap Mail Sport's blog to see Isaan Khan's answers all the big questions regarding Arsenal.
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That's all we have time for with Isaan, thanks for joining and be sure to follow along next time!
Arteta has admitted he still has plenty to prove on the European stage, how important is the Champions League not only for Arsenal but for his reputation?
ISAAN KHAN: Arsenal have never won the Champions League. If he were to do that, it would be history-defining. Particularly after the club’s six-year absence.The key will be getting through December relatively unscathed. With seven fixtures in the month, Arteta will be praying that injuries are not picked up in this period.
How big a moment could Kai Havertz's winner against Brentford be for the German in terms of confidence? Can he kick on now?
ISAAN KHAN: It could be pivotal. Arteta has consistently stuck by him and been staunch in his defence whenever asked questions about the German. Saturday’s winning goal will have done the player a world of good, his confidence having taken a hit in recent months with his performances and positioning scrutinised.It seems to now be clicking together.
Arsenal are scraping by opponents more than last season, a pattern Jamie Carragher says they can't keep up to win the title. Would you go along with that?
ISAAN KHAN: I do think the team has not kicked into full gear yet. It’s partly because opposition sides are more often deploying a low block to thwart the threat.
After last season, opposition now see the Gunners as a tough proposition and are happy to throw more men behind the ball in a bid to bank off chances where they can break forward.
Also, Arteta has shifted to a more controlled way of playing because of how hectic and open games could be in the last campaign.This has inevitably reduced the number of goalscoring opportunities while becoming more solid at the back.
The Gunners have been linked with Santiago Gimenez, the in-form Feyenoord striker. Is he someone they could move for in January?
ISAAN KHAN: That could well be an option. It’s clear that the centre forward position is an area Arsenal need to bolster. Particularly with the injury history of Gabriel Jesus.
Eddie Nketiah is a good option off the bench, but not a solidified starter who is going to bring goals on a regular basis as well as a physical presence around the box.It would be a gamble for the Gunners to wait until the summer to buy a forward.
In terms of team news, are many changes expected to be made tonight?
ISAAN KHAN: Ben White didn’t train yesterday and was also not a starter on the weekend vs Brentford, so I assume he will be on the bench and not come on.You would expect it to be an identical team to the one last Saturday with Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko as the full backs, but Kai Havertz replacing Leandro Trossard at centre left midfield.
A draw would be good enough to seal qualification, just how impressive have they been and how far do you think Arsenal can go?
ISAAN KHAN: For a team that has been away from the Champions League since 2017, the Gunners have adapted rather well.You would expect some hiccups along the way, like the defeat to Lens last time, but they have been impressive.There clearly isn’t that fear some teams get when they reach this kind of stage.I expect Arsenal to reach the quarter-finals at the absolute minimum, and then from there anything can happen. The draw is of course important, too.
It has been smooth sailing in the Champions League for Arsenal, but Lens beat them in the first game, what will Arteta have learned from that?
ISAAN KHAN: He will have learnt that each Champions League fixture is a battle in its own right, no matter the league form of the opposition.Lens are sixth in Ligue 1, and have only won five of their 13 league matches.Yet when Arsenal went to play them away from home, Lens were truly up for it and put up a mighty fight.It is what happens when a team like Lens have been absent from a competition for nearly two decades.
This time around it should be different, though, because a defining factor last time out was the raucous support, with flares galore and deafening noise.Lens will miss that ‘12th man’ tonight.
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