Udinese vs. Arsenal: 5 Things Arsene Wenger Has to Get Right for Victory

Things haven't been going well for Arsenal recently.

That statement is hardly a news flash, obviously, but it is worth repeating to put into context just how much worse things could get in the coming days if things continue to go against them.

Last week, the Gunners finally waved goodbye to Cesc Fabregas, and a raft of injuries and suspensions to the likes of Jack Wilshere, Alex Song and Laurent Koscielny led to a far-from-first-choice team losing 2-0 at home to Liverpool.

That defeat was tinged with a little awkwardness as well, as Arsene Wenger was forced to field Samir Nasri despite the midfielder being on the verge of joining Manchester City.

Still, the one silver lining is that they have one foot in the Champions League group stages after beating Udinese 1-0 at the Emirates last week in the first leg of their qualification playoff.

Not that that result was not achieved without a fair amount of hand-wringing—the victory was hardly convincing.

Now Arsenal must travel to the Stadio Friuli to secure their 13th-straight appearance in the group stages, but it won't be easy. The Zebrette are no slouches, and the Gunners have lost their last three away games in Europe.

So how can Arsene Wenger ensure his team's progress and ease some of the considerable pressure weighing on his shoulders?

1. Learn to Begin Life Without Fabregas and Nasri

The cloud hanging over Arsenal for most of the summer (in fact, for the past couple of years) had been the impending departure of Cesc Fabregas.

While the potential for Nasri leaving has also been a serious issue in this transfer window, it is only since Fabregas finally left that the speculation on the France midfielder has intensified.

That deal is now all but done, with Nasri training for one last time with the squad before leaving for Manchester to seal his move as the rest head for Italy.

With both of those sagas rolling on for so long before reaching their inevitable conclusions, Wenger has had plenty of time to plan his future strategy for the centre of his midfield.

No doubt a big part of that future is Jack Wilshere, but the youngster was not on the flight to Udine, as he is still injured.

Someone as calculating as Wenger must surely have legislated for missing one or more of Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Alex Song at one time or another.

It looks as though Emmanuel Frimpong's full graduation up to the first team has come sooner than expected, and Henri Lansbury may soon follow. Tomas Rosicky is sure to be drawn in from the periphery to play a much more active role this season.

Whatever plans Wenger had for life after Cesc and Samir, this match has become the time to set his stall out and give us all a first glimpse of the new Arsenal.

2. Know Your Enemy

It is vital that Wenger makes sure his players are knowledgeable of their opponents.

There may be several young and inexperienced players in the Gunners' squad who perhaps would not have otherwise expected to be involved in the trip to northern Italy.

Defender Ignasi Miquel, midfielder Henri Lansbury and forward Ryo Myaichi were all on the bench for the Liverpool game, having not been involved in the first leg with Udinese, while Emmanuel Frimpong and Carl Jenkinson were both second-half substitutes.

Udinese may have lost Alexis Sanchez to Barcelona and Gokhan Inler to Napoli this summer, but they are about a lot more than just veteran striker Antonio di Natale.

Each and every one of Arsenal's players who could be involved on Wednesday needs to know who the danger men are.

He may be playing the second leg at home, but Udinese manager Francesco Guidolin may not be able to deviate too much from the 4-1-4-1 due to the injury of striker Antonio Floro Flores.

But wingers Pablo Armero and Mauricio Isla will both pose a threat, while Kwakdwo Asamoah will represent a tough barrier to break through in order to try and pierce their vulnerable defence (save for goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, of course).

3. Select Robin Van Persie's Supporting Cast with Care

Throughout all of the drama surrounding the club in the last few days, one major boost for Arsenal has been overshadowed: Robin van Persie is available again after being suspended for the first leg.

The new Arsenal captain can be a devastating forward and is more than capable of winning this tie for his team.

But to maximise his effect on proceedings, Wenger must choose who supports the Dutch striker best.

Andrei Arshavin may be wearing the patience of Arsenal fans thin, as he continues struggling to replicate the blistering early form he showed when he joined the Gunners, but he still had a quietly-productive season last term.

He scored six league goals and created another 11, and then of course there was the goal which gave his team a one-goal advantage to take to Barcelona in their epic Champions League clash.

But the Russian's unique attributes may not be best suited to what will be a tight, tense affair in Italy.

For every piece of skill to unlock a defence, there are usually as many if not more extravagant excesses which see a promising move stall or break down altogether.

That is not necessarily his fault—the very nature of the type of player he is requires a certain understanding of risk versus reward.

With Theo Walcott's pace proving Arsenal's best weapon in the first leg, it seems logical that a team defending a first-leg lead away from home should plump for a more balanced midfield.

Therefore, Wenger may consider Rosicky the better choice above his Russian teammate.

The Czech may be knocking on for 31 years old, and had much of the pace he had when he arrived in England robbed from him through injury, but he developed into an efficient ball player, able to retain possession and help dictate the pace.

That experience and cool head could prove crucial as Arsenal seek to regroup following a spell of pressure from their hosts.

Or, if he feels confident in a midfield trio of Ramsey, Frimpong and Song to do that job well enough for him, then he could unleash Gervinho alongside Van Persie in a bid put the tie out of sight as soon as possible rather than allow his team to be held hostage.

The Ivorian has a point to prove after his petulance cost him a red card on his Premier League debut, and he can certainly be a handful if he is judged to have had enough time in training to click with his new teammates in a match with so much riding on it.

And, whether Arsenal are looking to hang on or fight back as the clock ticks down, the judicious deployment of Nicklas Bendtner and/or Marouane Chamakh could prove key. No, really.

4. Make Sure His Players Have No Fear

This may seem an obvious thing for a manager to do, and that's because it is.

The gravity of the situation Arsenal find themselves in cannot be underplayed.

If they had not spent the best part of year hemorrhaging star players, repeatedly capitulating to lesser opposition and generally giving the watching world the impression of being an unsteady ship, then perhaps a year out of the Champions League would not be such a disaster, both in financial and footballing terms.

But with several transfer targets opting to stay put or move elsewhere—most recently Juan Mata, who has been poached by Chelsea when the Gunners seemingly had first dibs on him—it is clear that the club's status as an elite club is in serious jeopardy.

Therefore, Wenger has to make sure his players are not overawed by the task in front of them, especially the younger ones.

The Gunners have been a fixture in the Champions League for well over a decade.

Arsenal have won all nine legs of their five Champions League Qualifying matches to date, including the reverse fixture with Udinese, conceding only two goals in the process.

The young players need to be reminded of that pedigree, and that Wenger would not have recruited them if he did believe they were fit to carry on that mantle.

He must let them know that they are Arsenal players, and they are so for a reason.

5. Forget About Sunday's Trip to Old Trafford

After such a tumultuous week, it would be easy to let the pressure get to even the most ardent member of Wenger's squad.

In a cruel quirk of the fixture, Arsenal are in the middle of a run of games that has already taken on Liverpool, and next up for them upon their return to England is a trip to face the champions on Sunday.

The players must have the blinkers on when they go out to face Udinese, thinking only of that match and not anything else that could affect them on the field.

Still, if their minds are prone to wander, the memory of last season's win over United, even as the Red Devils were romping to the title and the Gunners' campaign was falling apart, should be what is recalled first.

There is a whole season ahead of Arsenal for them to worry about domestic matters.

Tonight must be about preserving their status among the elite and nothing else.