Anderlecht vs. Arsenal: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

Arsenal's will host Belgian champions Anderlecht on Wednesday on Matchday 3 of the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League, needing a big result in the worst way.

The Gunners haven't won in three consecutive Premier League outings, are still struggling with injuries and plenty of the positive energy following the club's busy summer has already evaporated.

Anderlecht aren't exactly international heavyweights, however, and the Belgians have struggled themselves in recent weeks. A big win on the highest stage could help Arsenal jump-start their season but any other result could spell disaster for Arsene Wenger.

Date: Wednesday, October 22

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET

Venue: Constant Vanden Stock Stadion, Brussels

TV info and live stream: The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports 1 (for UK viewers) and Fox Sports 2 USA (for US viewers), with mobile coverage available via the Sky Go app and Fox Soccer 2Go.

Preview

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Just when Gunners fans thought the club's injury crisis couldn't get any worse, the Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel reported both Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina will be out for Wednesday's match.  

This means Emiliano Martinez, also known as the man in goal for Arsenal's 7-5 spectacle against Reading a few years ago, will be the team's stopper for a pivotal Champions League match. In many ways, that's exactly how the season has gone so far for the club.

Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta are expected to return to the pitch, and even Theo Walcott could make the squad for the first time since tearing his ACL, per The Independent's James Orr. Via PhysioRoom.com, the manager also likes Jack Wilshere's chances:

The fact all these stars are in line to play is a positive sign, but Wenger would much rather not have any of his starters come with question marks altogether. Rushing players back to the pitch is never a smart idea, but the Gunners may have no other option.

Pundits like Metro's Oli Price-Bates are calling for changes following the 2-2 draw against Hull City, and Arsenal's lack of defensive depth means Wenger can't just rotate half of his squad. However, Price-Bates has his sights on Per Mertesacker:

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Per Mertesacker’s style epitomised Arsenal’s lethargic display on Saturday. With 45 minutes to turn the game around, the Gunners rarely looked threatening and lacked urgency.

Performances haven’t been good enough and Arsene Wenger needs to rotate his team in order produce the right results on the field.

He also needs to create a team that plays at a quicker tempo, because Hull found it easy to keep the Gunners at bay for the most part of the second half.

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Anderlecht were completely overrun by Borussia Dortmund during their previous Champions League match, and while they're still unbeaten in the Belgian League, they've often had to settle for draws and hold a goal difference of just +9 after 11 matches, via Sport.be.

The young squad is filled with future stars like Youri Tielemans and Aleksandar Mitrovic but scoring has been a problem. Stopper Martinez will love hearing that, although his manager doesn't want anyone to underrate the Belgians, via the club's Twitter feed:

Anderlecht are far too inexperienced and lack the star quality to keep up with an in-form Arsenal squad, but Arsenal haven't looked at their best, either. The Belgian side struggled with Ciro Immobile's movement when they faced Dortmund, and Danny Welbeck's pace and mobility should give the back four fits as well.

If the hosts bring pressure early and keep the ball wide and away from Tielemans, Anderlecht are bound to make mistakes. Like Dortmund, Arsenal's best chance of success is simply waiting for those mistakes and capitalising on them.

Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Anderlecht

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