Sunday, November 10, 2024

FC Zurich Frauen v Arsenal Preview

THE LOWDOWN
Arsenal finish the Champions League group stage- and 2022- with a trip to FC Zurich on match day six knowing that a win means they top their Champions League group ahead of the quarter-final draw, which will take place on 20 January. The Gunners are already through on account of superior head-to-head records against both Juventus and Lyon, who play one another in France.

If Lyon don’t beat Juventus, a draw will be enough for Arsenal to win the group but given FC Zurich sit on 0 points in the table, Jonas Eidevall’s side really ought to have enough to get the job done without anxious looks to France to see the score in the other game. Given the team’s injury problems during the autumn, it is quite a feat to have topping the group in their own hands and qualification secured.

This time last year, Arsenal went to Hoffenheim needing not to lose by four goals to secure 2nd place in the group and they squeaked through by losing 4-1. However, there is a job to do in Switzerland before we can talk too much about the growth of the team in European competition. Of course, Arsenal travel without Vivianne Miedema who, Arsenal confirmed, ruptured her ACL during the 1-0 defeat to Lyon last week.

It’s a crushing blow for the player and the club and will accelerate existing January plans to bring in an attacker which I gather are motoring along nicely. In the immediate term at least, with Kim Little back, Arsenal can push Frida Maanum back into a more advanced role and the team will need to find goals with Mead and Miedema, their most prolific scorers and creators, both now out for the season.

TEAM NEWS
Vivianne Miedema will miss the remainder of the season with a ruptured ACL, as will Beth Mead. Captain Kim Little returned to the squad for the Lyon game after an MCL injury but wasn’t deemed fit enough to get any minutes, that is set to change in Zurich, most likely from the bench. Lina Hurtig could be in line to start following a hamstring injury.

Available squad
GOALKEEPERS: 1.Zinsberger, 18.Marckese, 40.Williams
DEFENDERS: 2.Rafaelle, 3.Wubben-Moy, 5.Beattie, 6.Williamson, 7.Catley, 16.Maritz, 26.Wienroither, 62.Reid
MIDFIELDERS: 8.Nobbs, 10.Little, 12.Maanum, 13.Wälti, 23.Iwabuchi, 61.Earl
FORWARDS: 15.McCabe, 17.Hurtig, 19.Foord, 25.Blackstenius, 59.Agyemang

A WORD FROM THE BOSS
There is a difference between their (Zurich’s) results and their performances, against us and Lyon and Juventus they have created some very good opportunities. They are a tactically flexible team, they can play with on striker or with two and they create problems. It is an opponent we respect, especially here in front of their home fans and we know we need to make a very strong performance to beat them.

We are better with our discipline this season with yellow cards, last season we had a tricky situation with the Wolfsburg game because we had lots of players on a yellow card but we are much better in that respect. Me too, I was booked in a lot of Champions League games last season and I haven’t been this season so I have improved my discipline too!

LAST TIME OUT
Arsenal were 3-1 winners when the teams met at the Emirates in early November thanks to goals from Jordan Nobbs and a brace from Lina Hurtig.

THE OPPOSITION
Zurich have, perhaps predictably, been the weakest team in the group to this point. As well as losing 3-1 to a rotated Arsenal side in November, they have recently been beaten 4-0 and 5-0 by Lyon and Juventus respectively. The only goal they have scored so far in the group stage was Seraina Piubel’s golaco at the Emirates in November, a goal the entire squad celebrated heartily despite still being behind in the game.

There will have been realism in the Zurich ranks prior to the group stage getting underway about where they would finish in the group, especially given that the team is still part-time. However, privately they probably set themselves a target not to leave the group stage without a point and this is their last opportunity to avoid nil points.

They will be playing in front of their home crowd too. However, the bottom line is that this is a game that Arsenal ought to win comfortably and given that the Gunners still need a result to be sure of topping the group, I am not expecting much or any rotation from Jonas Eidevall. Zurich currently sit 2nd in the Swiss Nationalliga six points behind leaders Servette but the Swiss League works on a playoff system, Zurich finished 2nd in the table last season but won the playoffs, hence winning the title.

PLAYER TO WATCH


Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead scored or assisted 66% of Arsenal’s WSL goals last season between them. They have lost an awful lot of end-product in a short space of time. That means that existing attackers must pick up some slack until signings are forthcoming in January. Lest we forget that the first game after the winter break is at home to Chelsea.

Stina Blackstenius has four goals in 12 starts so far this season. While she does a lot of other valuable work off the ball the simple fact is that scoring rate is going to have to come up. She hasn’t scored in her last six games now. It is true that the goal scoring burden does not only fall to her, players like Caitlin Foord, Frida Maanum and Katie McCabe will need to chip in too. But the focus will always be on a number 9 and nobody will need to tell Blackstenius that she needs to get her scoring boots back on.

On paper, this ought to be a good game for her to do it so that she can go into the winter break feeling refreshed about the challenge ahead. The supply lines into her need to be good but she has had 18 shots in those six scoreless games, including five against Everton and four against Aston Villa. Stina and Arsenal need something to go in for her in Zurich.

PREDICTED LINE-UP

Subs: 3.Wubben-Moy, 5.Beattie, 10.Little, 15.McCabe, 16.Maritz, 18.Marckese, 23.Iwabuchi, 59.Agyemang.

HOW TO CATCH THE GAME
The match takes place at the Wefox Arena in Switzerland and kicks off at 5.45pm UK time on Wednesday. The match will be streamed live on DAZN’s YouTube channel in English, Spanish, French and German. No subscription or membership is required and the broadcast is not geo-blocked.

DAZN UEFA Women’s Champions League – YouTube

COMING UP
We will have the usual post-match reaction from Jonas Eidevall on the site on Wednesday evening. We will also have a half-season review article out during the Christmas break with @Odriozolite providing some data viz. We will also have an Arsenal Women Arsecast Mailbag edition during the Christmas break and we have one other exclusive lined up too…

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Matt

Fingers crossed we get the win and everyone comes through unscathed!

chig

Could get tricky if we haven’t scored later in game. Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that point

Xuan

Think this is the sort of game for Nobbs or Iwabuchi

Fun Gunner

It’s a case of one more big performance before the Christmas break. Zurich are a bit like Reading in that they do have something about them and if we are not fully focused it could be awkward. They have a strong team identity and have nothing to lose. Plus they are at home.
So stay on it and good luck, girls!

Gunner H

Welcome back on the field to our sensational Captain tonight.

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