Arsenal kicks off their Champions League quest tonight with a potentially tough test at Napoli, a club that stumbled hard out of the league phase last season. The Gunners are still stinging from that heartbreaking loss in last season’s final to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in Budapest, but they’ve made a perfect start to their Premier League title defense with three massive wins from three. Napoli, on the other hand, has already dropped two straight Serie A games, and that’s just the start of their woes.
Napoli Is Already Feeling the Pressure
It’s a brutal scene for Napoli right now. Not only did they crash out of the Champions League group stage last year, but their new campaign under former Juventus and Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has been a disaster so far. They’ve lost back-to-back Serie A matches, and the biggest gut punch came on Saturday night against Inter. They were up 2-0, looking solid, only to completely fall apart and lose 3-2. That kind of collapse, letting a two-goal lead vanish in a crucial match, tells you everything you need to know about the pressure cooker Napoli is living in right now.
Key Players Back and Out For Both Sides
When it comes to personnel, both clubs have some interesting dynamics at play. Arsenal might see Jurrien Timber hit the pitch for the first time this season, which is huge! But Cristhian Mosquera didn’t train, so he’s out, meaning Ezri Konsa will continue holding down the defense. Mikel Arteta could mix things up from Sunday’s win over Chelsea, with Bruno Guimaraes, Eberechi Eze, and Viktor Gyokeres all pushing hard to feature. Their projected XI looks solid: Raya in goal; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Guimaraes, Eze; Tzolis, Gyokeres, Saka up front.
Napoli, though, is dealing with some big misses. Scott McTominay is out after a small heart procedure, and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has also been ruled out. David Neres is a doubt, which isn’t ideal. The good news for them is that former Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne is set to return to the starting lineup, and ex-Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund is also a familiar face ready to play a big role. Their predicted lineup has Meret in goal; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Rafa Marin, Spinazzola across the back; Vergara, Lobotka, De Bruyne in the midfield; with Neres, Hojlund, and Alisson Santos leading the attack.
Kick-off is set for 8pm BST on Wednesday, September 9, from the iconic Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples. You can catch all the Champions League drama live on TNT Sports 2 and HBO Max. This isn’t just an opener; it’s a massive test for both teams to show what they’re truly made of this season!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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