Arsenal Hosts Shakhtar Donetsk in Crucial Champions League Match

Arsenal is set to host Shakhtar Donetsk in a pivotal Champions League match at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, October 22. Following a disappointing 2-0 loss to Bournemouth in the Premier League, which saw William Saliba receive a red card, Mikel Arteta‘s side is eager to bounce back and maintain their strong start in European competition.

The Gunners have had a solid beginning in the Champions League, drawing against Atalanta and securing a significant win over Paris Saint-Germain. However, they face a Shakhtar Donetsk team that is still seeking its first victory in the revamped league phase, having managed only one point from their first two games.

Arsenal’s historical record against Shakhtar Donetsk is favorable, with wins in their previous encounters in 2000 and 2010. Additionally, Shakhtar has not achieved a victory in England across seven attempts, with only one draw against Manchester City in 2019.

The match is crucial for Arsenal as they aim to secure three points to climb the table and avoid an extra game in the knockout stage. Key players such as William Saliba, who is available despite his domestic suspension, and Raheem Sterling, who is likely to start due to Bukayo Saka‘s hamstring injury, will be pivotal in this encounter.

The game will kick off at 8pm BST and will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video. Arsenal will be without several key players, including Martin Odegaard and possibly Jurrien Timber, but Mikel Arteta is confident in his team’s ability to secure a win against a side yet to score in the Champions League this season.

In a related match, Arsenal’s under-19 team suffered a 1-0 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk’s under-19 team in the UEFA Youth League earlier on the same day, with Valentyn Halonskyi scoring the decisive goal for the visitors.