AC Milan vs. Arsenal: Gunners Under Most Pressure in Champions League Clash

Arsenal faces off with A.C. Milan in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 matchup on Wednesday. Since it's a road game, a positive result is crucial so the Gunners aren't forced into a tough spot heading into the rematch at Emirates.

Here are the three Arsenal stars under the most pressure to perform in today's hyped match.

Robin van Persie

It's no secret how important van Persie is to Arsenal's attack. He has 22 goals during the league campaign and the next highest scorer has four, so it's really been a one-man band up top for the Gunners. Don't think Milan doesn't know that fact.

He's going to have to be really creative in finding ways to make space for himself and when given the rare opportunity to make something happen, he needs to convert. Even for a prolific goal scorer like van Persie, that's a tall task against one of the world's top clubs.

The good thing for van Persie is that he faces the pressure virtually every time he steps on the pitch, so he should be prepared for it. It's just the Champions League factor which takes it up another notch.

Thierry Henry

Henry has been a terrific addition for the Gunners, but Wednesday will mark his last match with the team before returning to the New York Red Bulls. You know the Arsenal legend would love to end his stay with another memorable performance.

He's excelled in his role off the bench. By providing second-half magic in several of his appearances, fans have come to expect it from him. With those expectations comes pressure, though. If Arsenal is pushing for a late goal, he'll be called on to reach into his bag of tricks one more time.

If Henry fails to deliver, it would be a disappointing end to an otherwise productive stay. He doesn't want to go out on a bad note, so look for him to press a little more than normal.

Thomas Vermaelen

Per Mertesacker's ankle injury will hold him out for at least a month, which puts the onus on Vermaelen to keep things under control along the back line. Arsenal has been playing much better in their own end as of late, but losing a key cog has the potential to cause major problems.

As if to add insult to injury, the team's first game without Mertesacker is against Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The dynamic goal scorer has to be licking his lips knowing the Gunner defense will be at far less than full strength heading into today's game.

If Arsenal is going to secure at least a draw, Vermaelen will need to be a dominant force at the back. He has the talent to make it happen, but it will be interesting to see how he handles the heat.