Arsenal vs Olympiacos: Date, Time and Preview

Coming off of a 2-1 Premier League loss at the hands of Chelsea, Arsenal sees another tough task up next on the schedule.

This time, it comes in the fashion of a Champions League Group B matchup against an Olympiacos team that has won all five of their Greek Super League games to start the season.

Both clubs could use a win to add to the Champions League books, as a hot start in the group stage is a necessity. While Arsenal was victorious in their first such match with a 2-1 win over Montpellier, Olympiacos was downed by Schalke by the same score.

These two clubs, no strangers to one another, should very much know what to expect heading into this match.

They have evenly split their past four Champions League matchups dating back to 2009, with the home squad winning each time. Olympiacos will look to break that trend and avoid falling behind by six points in the group standings.

Where: Emirates Stadium, London, England

When: Wednesday, October 3, 2:45 p.m. EST

Arsenal

Coming off of a loss, albeit in a Premier League game, Arsenal will surely come out firing with the possibility of a sole first-place possession in Group B Champions League standings.

Meeting in London, where Arsenal has enjoyed much success against Olympiacos in the past, surely puts this match in their favor. However, they still know the quality of their opponent, as well as the magnitude of this game.

23-year-old Gibbs said just as much in his breakdown of the match to Arsenal.com:

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"We know Olympiacos are going to be a difficult test,” he said. “We’ve had a good start in the Champions League with the win in Montpellier, so it’s important that we’re at home, we get another win and we can put ourselves on the front foot to finish top of the group."

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A hot start, resulting in a healthy group lead is what Arsenal is looking for. They are set up to do so on their home pitch, but can not overlook this matchup.

Olympiacos

Despite losing their first Champions League match of the season, much hope remains for this Olympiacos club. They have gotten out to a dominant start to their Greek Super League season, and in soccer, like many sports, momentum is key.

Key to most victories for them this season, and certainly again in this game, is Rafik Djebbour.

He has already accounted for six goals in the first five matches of the Super League season and will look to continue his impact, this time in London. Olympiacos will likely rely on him in their hopes of breaking Arsenal's dominant home pitch defense.

While a victory may seem like an upset, Olympiacos keeper, Roy Carroll, remembers a certain upset in 2004 that ended Arsenal's 49-game unbeaten streak:

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“That game in 2004 was a great ­occasion and I was delighted to keep a clean sheet,” said Carroll. “That was a good Arsenal side, probably one of the best sides in Premier League history."

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Carroll and the entire Olympiacos club would love a similar result and will hope to make it happen once again, come Wednesday.

Prediction

Arsenal's home pitch dominance of this series continues, as they secure a 3-1 victory after a close first half.