Arsenal: 7 Things You Must Know About UEFA Champions League Opponent Udinese

Arsenal will need to overcome Udinese in a playoff to reach the UEFA Champions League group stages. 

It's the worst possible outcome for Arsenal who would've hoped to have drawn a club like FC Zürich or Odense.

Udinese is a potential banana peel, but nonetheless, here are seven things you must know about the Italian club.   

Udinese Formation

Udinese manager Francesco Guidolin contradicts the archetypal Italian manager who employs a defensive formation and has no regrets with a 0-0 draw.

Guidolin pioneered some outrageous attacking football with his very unorthodox 3-5-2 formation, though it was more like a 3-5-1-1 formation as Alexis Sánchez would drop into the midfield.

Sánchez is gone, so who replaces him?

The backbone to Guidolin's vision was a very solid defense anchored by the best defensive midfielder in Serie A last season: Gökhan İnler. 

Well, he's left for Napoli.

Cristián Zapata was stoic at the back and not only became Udinese's best defender but also one of the best center backs in the league.

He's gone to Villarreal. 

You're probably thinking where's the width? 

It's provided by Mauricio Isla and Pablo Armero. 

Like the Napoli wingbacks Andrea Dossena and Christian Maggio, Armero and Isla are not the most solid defenders, yet at the same time not the most efficient wingers. 

But if you play them in between and in a formation which gives them more flexibility, both have thrived.

Watch out for someone like Armero who is dynamite.  

The Gaping Hope Left by Alexis Sánchez

Alexis Sánchez was the star, he was the cog, he was the reason why manager Francesco Guidolin could employ an unorthodox but entertaining 3-5-2 formation.

Mind you, it was Guidolin's bold decision to move Sánchez from the wings, where he was having no impact, to a withdrawn forward.    

Playing as a withdrawn forward, Sánchez's speed, his trickery and his vision drew multiple defenders to him, therefore allowing Antonio Di Natale to prosper.

It shows in the statistics. 

Di Natale's three seasons before Sánchez: 46 goals in 118 games at 0.39 goals per game.   

Di Natale's three seasons with Sánchez: 75 goals in 109 games at 0.69 goals per game.

Have Udinese found a suitable replacement for Sánchez? No. 

Regista Is Broke, Will the Next Gökhan İnler Please Stand Up

There's a reason why Napoli paid €17.5 million for Gökhan İnler. Because he was the best defensive midfielder in the Serie A last season.

Calm, cool and composed with the ball, İnler was lion like in winning possession and commanded the Udinese midfield to great effect. 

I guess that's why he turned up to the Napoli press conference in a lion mask.

Have Udinese replaced İnler? Somewhat. 

They've bought in 23-year-old Ivorian defensive midfielder Thierry Doubai.

Manager Francesco Guidolin could also move Kwadwo Asamoah into the defensive midfield role, but he was so imperious running from box-to-box that it could be a mistake. 

Star Player: Antonio Di Natale

The real litmus test for Antonio Di Natale is how he'll be able to cope with life after Alexis Sánchez. 

Life before Sánchez was seasons with 18 goals or less. Life with Sánchez had Di Natale as a legitimate threat to reach 30 goals. 

Di Natale is a real magician in the penalty box. Not only does he possess an eye for goal, but his movement, his anticipation, his quick feet and his finishing have seen him transition from a good player to a great player. 

Player to Watch: Kwadwo Asamoah

There's a lot of Arturo Vidal in Kwadwo Asamoah given he's a high energy player, plays box-to-box, has a great work ethic and at times plays two roles in one.

With the departure of Gökhan İnler, Asamoah gets more possession.

With the departure of Alexis Sánchez, Asamoah's first priority isn't to pass, he can run with the ball more like Vidal. 

Potentially, Asamoah can transition from being a role player to a star player and he may demonstrate that against Arsenal.    

Best Defender: Mehdi Benatia

Cristián Zapata's departure is inconvenient, but Udinese have a first rate center back in Mehdi Benatia.

What made Udinese so strong was they had two excellent in-form center backs in Zapata and Benatia.

Benatia is an agile, combative, unyielding center back who has a propensity to pick up yellow cards—10 last season. 

Robin van Persie will have to keep his emotions in check because Benatia will rattle him. 

However, Gervinho may be the one who can unlock and break through this Udinese defence.       

Beware of Samir Handanović

Samir Handanović was very impressive last season, not only with his general goalkeeping, but also his forte in saving penalties. 

He saved an astounding 11 penalties out of 26 attempts, meaning the penalty taker only had a 58 percent chance of scoring. 

Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier had a 98 percent penalty conversion rate throughout his 16 year career. 

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