Attack Must Be Arsenal's Best Form of Defence in Marseille

Qualification from the Champions League group stage usually requires at least one victory away from home. Arsenal begin their group stage with a trip to Marseille. Although it's their first match in the competition since qualifying, the Gunners can not afford to start slow. With daunting trips to Dortmund and Naples ahead, Arsenal must go all out for the win in France.

It will not be easy. Marseille are no pushover: they finished second behind big-spending PSG in Ligue 1 last season. This summer, unable to compete with the Paris side and Monaco for global mega-stars, they have opted to bring in a clutch of promising French talent. 

Twenty-six-year-old winger Dimitri Payet arrived from Lille, bringing with him a flamboyant style and a keen eye for goal. Twenty-year old holding midfielder Gianelli Imbula was recruited to replace the tenacious but expensive Joey Barton. The most eye-catchings signing was the addition of France U-21 star Florian Thauvin, wrested from the grasp of Lille for a fee of £12.5 million.

Thauvin currently lacks match practice but retains plenty of class. The attacking midfielder was voted France’s Young Player of the Year last season, and after leading France to glory in the U-20 World Cup seems destined for big things. His direct running and explosive shooting will bring back memories of Franck Ribery, who starred at the Velodrome between 2005 and 2007.

However, despite this array of prodigious talent, Marseille do have one glaring vulnerability. This season, under former Nantes boss Elie Baup, they have experimented with a dangerously high defensive line.

Arsenal are perfectly placed to exploit the space in behind the Marseille defence. In Theo Walcott, they have a player with the speed to burst beyond even the quickest back four. Crucially, in Mesut Ozil, they have added a player with the ability to find him. 

Ozil demonstrated in his debut against Sunderland that he has the awareness and the technique to pick out Walcott’s blistering sprints. If the Englishman had been in better finishing form, he might have ended the game with a hat-trick. 

Although Ozil will be earmarked as Arsenal’s primary playmaker, the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere are also capable of playing a telling pass when necessary. The industry of Mathieu Flamini, returning to face his former club, will provide a platform for these more creative players to thrive. 

Arsenal must go out to score goals and win the game. Dortmund have won their opening five games. Napoli have triumphed in their first three. Marseille are the weakest side in a very strong group, and Arsenal will know that three points in the Velodrome could be a huge step towards qualification. 

If Ozil and Walcott link as effectively as they did against Sunderland, the Gunners should be able to pierce that assailable Marseille defence.