Arsenal vs. Dortmund: Issues and Decisions That Will Shape Champions League Game
Two teams in abysmal form in their respective domestic leagues will meet in the Champions League on Wednesday, hoping to resurrect their respective seasons.
Arsenal have a lot more resurrecting to do than Borussia Dortmund, however. The German side have started their CL campaign immaculately, winning all three of their games with 13 aggregate goals scored and one conceded.
The Gunners, meanwhile, are in dire straits after capitulating in their last two games and blowing a 3-0 lead to Anderlecht the match prior. They only need one point from their last two group-stage games to qualify for the round of 16 but even that sounds dicey at this stage.
Let's look at what each manager can do to affect the game.
How Will Jurgen Klopp Replace Marco Reus?
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Borussia Dortmund's injury crisis has deepened once again. Marco Reus is injured for the second time this season and Klopp's side will be without their best player.
That would normally give Arsenal hope, but Dortmund were without Reus when they manhandled the Gunners 2-0 in Germany earlier this season.
Ciro Immobile stood in for Reus at striker and netted an excellent goal that day. Will Klopp stick in Immobile again or switch up his formation and make Arsenal cope with more speed?
Arsenal's rickety defense will not be able to know in advance but will be mightily challenged either way.
Will Arsene Wenger Try Different Players?
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Despite the fact that Arsenal keep turning in utterly lackluster performances and exhibit the same problems every game, Arsene Wenger sticks with largely the same formation and combination of players from week to week.
Will he finally rotate?
Why not, for example, put Tomas Rosicky in for the badly out of form Aaron Ramsey. Or how about taking a flier on Lukas Podolski on the left wing?
The Gunners have very little to lose, and there is no reason to think that the same group of usual starters will be any better this time around.
Alexis Sanchez's Fitness
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Alexis Sanchez inexplicably played almost all of two meaningless friendlies for Chile and then worked his legs off against Manchester United at the weekend.
He looked noticeably jaded at the end of that game, and indeed his mistake allowed United to break for their second goal.
Though Alexis has unquestionably been Arsenal's best player this season, he should not start against Dortmund if his fatigue will compromise his performance.
That will severely hamper Arsenal's attack, but then the Gunners should not be a one-man team, should they? He can still be used as a super sub later in the game.
How Will Wenger Align His Back Four?
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When Arsenal last played Borussia Dortmund in September, Calum Chambers was sick and could only make the bench. Hector Bellerin was given his first Champions League start in his place.
The young Spaniard acquitted himself quite well, despite his rawness, and put in a couple of good performances thereafter. But recently, Chambers has been used on the right and Nacho Monreal put into an unfamiliar position in the center of defense.
Monreal has not been awful but is clearly not suited to playing center back. Chambers, on the other hand, is much better there and Arsenal's defense looks more cohesive when he plays centrally.
Wenger will probably not allow the 19-year-old to start such an important game for Arsenal's confidence and Champions League fate, but the team might just be better off if he would.
