da betsson： Arsenal go into their Champions League match against Paris St-Germain on Wednesday night knowing that a win will guarantee top spot in Group A – but it may also be their biggest game this season.
da lvbet： The Gunners and the French champions have both recorded ten points from their first four games, as both sides won all three matches since drawing 1-1 in Paris on the opening matchday.
This means a win for Arsene Wenger’s side will see them top the group with a better head-to-head record than PSG, regardless of what happens on the final day.
The Gunners have finished second in the group in five of the last six seasons and it’s probably little coincidence that they’ve failed to advance beyond the knockout stage in that time – no one knows the importance of topping the group better than Arsene Wenger.
In those five seasons, the north London side have faced European giants in Barcelona and Bayern Munich twice, as well as Ligue 1 side Monaco.
While topping their group gives them a better chance of getting a better European draw (although it is worth noting that Bayern, Manchester City and Real Madrid currently occupy second place in their respective groups,) beating PSG could be important for more than just Arsenal’s continental exploits.
There’s a running joke that Arsenal tend to collapse in the league and cups around spring and, while this isn’t strictly true for every season, there have been one or two instances of this. Last season the Gunners lost two games (to a depleted Manchester United and an average Swansea) and drew to bitter rivals Spurs in the three league games around the time they played Barcelona, while in 2013/14 they won only two of nine games between the start of February and early April, coinciding with their exit at the hands of Bayern Munich.
In both instances, Arsenal were outplayed and beaten 2-0 in the first leg – something which clearly knocked the stuffing out of them – and by the time they’d rallied themselves for the second leg both their league and European seasons were in tatters. Perhaps if the Gunners have easier opposition and can win their first leg, they’ll be able to carry that confidence into the later stages of the season.
But while it’s all well and good thinking about what will happen in Spring, what about now?
Having top spot sewn up early would mean Arsenal don’t need to worry about Europe again until February. Unlike other sides who will still be vying for position (Spurs and City’s groups are still in the balance), the Gunners would be able to relax and even rest players for the final game against Basel, which could come in very handy for the likes of Alexis Sanchez who may or may not be carrying an injury.
Arsene Wenger’s side are currently just three points off top spot going into the winter period. Not only would securing first place in Group A allow them to rest players going into a hectic league schedule, but it would also let them concentrate fully on their next two games against Bournemouth and West Ham – both very winnable, but potential banana skins if the Gunners have their eye on Basel in a week’s time.
Arsenal will be fully aware this is an important game in the context of the Champions League. But for their domestic as well as European hopes, they’d do well to realise just how big it really is.
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