Arsenal vs. Borussia Dortmund: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
Arsenal have suffered two loses and a draw in their last three matches across all competitions, making Wednesday's Champions League tie with Borussia Dortmund extremely important.
Arsene Wenger's team were 3-0 up with half an hour to go during their last European outing against Anderlecht. The Belgians struck three times to secure a draw, leaving Arsenal five points behind Dortmund at the top of Group D.
Wenger's men haven't been the same since—losing to Swansea and Manchester United in the Premier League—as the damage of that memorable night continues to show.
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Can the English side turn their fortunes around against the outfit that brushed them aside 2-0 in Germany? Here's the important details ahead of the night that will answer such a question:
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 26
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT, 2:45 p.m. ET
TV Info: Sky Sports 1 (UK), FOX Sports 1 (US)
Live Stream: Sky Go, FOX Soccer 2GO
Toothless Arsenal Need Quick Improvement at Both Ends
Louis van Gaal targeted Arsenal's areas of weakness during United's win at the Emirates. He let the home side ping the ball around in total confidence they wouldn't breach his makeshift defence of Chris Smalling, Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair, while setting his team up to spring forward on the counter when possession broke down.
United were hardly brutal—hitting the target from just two of their 12 attempts, per WhoScored.com—but it worked brilliantly.
"Yes, it was a risk," said an almost mocking Van Gaal, reported by Ian Herbert of The Independent. "But I was sure that Arsenal wants to attack and to press us. Then, you know that Arsenal is giving a lot of space away and (Per) Mertesacker and our friend, erm, (Nacho) Monreal has to defend."
Dortmund must take note. Arsenal could have secured victory in the opening 20 minutes against United, with Danny Welbeck missing a plethora of chances to defeat his former club. Jack Wilshere—who was later removed with an ankle injury, per John Cross of the Mirror—also missed a one-on-one sitter against an exceptional David De Gea.
The team once again relied on Alexis Sanchez's output, as noted by Squawka:
Once the Chilean hits a brick wall, as he did against United, the side have very few options left to drive them forward. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was perhaps Arsenal's next most incisive player, but those in the middle couldn't get on the end of his speedy runs.
Olivier Giroud's return and goal suggests he could improve the Gunners' attacking prowess, but he is unable to feature after being left off the original squad list, per Rory Keane of the Daily Mail.
Wenger's men are currently playing toothless football across the entire pitch, the kind which sees Arsenal render their own possession meaningless by overplaying on the edge of the opposition's box and eventually succumbing to simple goals. If Klopp sets up similarly to United in north London, Dortmund should find joy.
Indifferent Dortmund Remain Pressure-Free in Europe
Dortmund's Jekyll and Hyde season continued with the side's 2-2 Bundesliga draw against Paderborn at the weekend. Klopp's team are just two points from the bottom of the domestic table with three wins and seven losses after 12 matches but, amazingly, remain unbeaten after a quartet of Champions League ties.
If there's ever a squad which needs to put all of their hopes and ambitions on one competition, it's this Dortmund lineup. Unfortunately, Marco Reus' ankle ligament injury rules him out until the new year, as reported by Reuters (via The Guardian), meaning BVB's best counter-attacking hopes are gone.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's importance sky rockets with this in mind. He must remain high up the pitch and be left to target the likes of Per Mertesacker or Calum Chambers.
The versatile forward's frightening pace can spring Dortmund forward, like Angel Di Maria did for United, allowing Ciro Immobile to find space away from the charge. Di Maria played poorly against Arsenal and still managed to get an assist, suggesting Aubameyang will receive ample space to influence the game.
German legend Stefan Effenberg believes Reus' latest stint on the sidelines could eventually work out well for Dortmund. "Maybe his injury problems could prove to be an advantage for Dortmund," Effenberg told Sky90 (h/t Stefan Coerts of Goal.com). "Who knows, Reus could now stay at Dortmund for two or three more years." Football writer Alex Chaffer agrees:
Reus' absence certainly hurts Dortmund's immediate chances, but Klopp's men will welcome another break from domestic matters. They can play without pressure and in full knowledge they will remain two points clear even with defeat.
Arsenal, on the other hand, know serious questions will continue to be asked if they fail to beat the 2013 Champions League finalists. Wenger and his team have plenty to prove heading into a Christmas run which looks like it will make or break the Gunners' entire season and, indeed, January transfer plans.
