It’s a big week for Arsenal, but every week could be big between now and the end of the season.
The Gunners moved to the top of the Premier League table over the weekend, after beating Brighton on Saturday and then seeing Liverpool drop points away to Manchester United. There’s no time to relax, though, with a Champions League game against Bayern Munich awaiting on Tuesday night.
Bayern go into the game in poor form, but have a solid record against the Gunners in Europe. With the home leg up first, it’s a chance for Mikel Arteta’s side to give themselves the upper hand before travelling to Bavaria.
We’ve got all the injury latest for you, as well as more fallout from the weekend’s action. Here are Mirror Football‘s latest lines from around North London.
Fans have called for Ben White to be handed a long ban for play-acting during Arsenal’s win at Brighton. The former Seagulls defender went down after a clash with Pervis Estupinan, with pundit Alan Shearer labelling it “a joke”.
“Disgraceful. If that’s not bringing the game into disrepute, I don’t know what is?” one fan wrote on social media “Retrospective long ban & large fine should (but almost certainly won’t) follow.”
“What I don’t understand, I don’t like and never have liked play-acting,” former England star Gary Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast. “I don’t get it or understand why players do it, but especially now when you’ve got so many cameras at the ground and you’ve got VAR anyway that will look back at incidents.
Arsenal remain optimistic about the availability of Bukayo Saka for Bayern’s visit, after the forward managed just over an hour at Brighton on Sunday. Saka had missed the previous game against Luton, but played and scored from the penalty spot before making way for Leandro Trossard at the Amex Stadium.
“I was struggling, but as long as I have two legs I will give everything – I want to be on the pitch,” Saka said after Saturday’s game. Arsenal will still be without Jurrien Timber, though, as the Dutchman continues his recovery from an ACL injury.
Bayern, meanwhile, are expected to be able to call upon goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after worries over the veteran. Bouna Sarr and Sacha Boey are both unavailable, but aside from that the German side have a clean bill of health.
With Bayern Munich supporters banned from buying tickets for Tuesday’s first leg, Arsenal have pledged to suspend any member of their own fanbase who sells their ticket to an away fan. The move follows an infamous European clash with Koln in 2017, when a large number of fans of the German club secured tickets in the home end.
Bayern fans have been blocked from attending after incidents of fireworks being thrown onto the pitch in two matches. The second such example was away to Lazio, with the Bavarians losing the first leg of their round of 16 tie.
“There is additional risk associated with this game, because Bayern Munich are not permitted an away allocation,” a statement from Arsenal read. “Any season-ticket holder or Arsenal member’s seat found to be in possession of an away fan will be suspended indefinitely.”
