worries Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is confident his north London club can secure their progression into the UEFA Champions League when they host Turkish side Besiktas at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. The Gunners walked away from the first leg encounter in Istanbul with a goalless draw, heading into the second leg encounter, a home fixture for the English Premier League side, needing only the slimmest of wins to ensure passage to the group stage. On paper, this should be an easy encounter for Arsenal. The FA Cup champions have won 12 out of their 13 Champions League play-off games. However, recent occurrences have Arsenal fans worried. The Gunners have lost 27-year-old striker Olivier Giroud to injury, with reports suggesting the Frenchman will not return to the field until early next year. Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta will also miss the game after picking up an ankle injury during the clash at Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadı. And despite being without influential goalscoring midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who was on the receiving end of a red card in the previous leg, the first for the Welshman in his professional career, Le Prof remains positive over his sides chances of making the Champions League group stage for the 17th consecutive year.
Posted on: Wed, 27 Aug 2014 10:06:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015