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UEFA Champions League Preview: Arsenal v FC Thun (Group B) [Tue Sep 13th, 2005]
Arsenal are in greater need than usual of an encouraging result as they embark on their eighth consecutive UEFA Champions League campaign, none of which have taken them beyond the quarter-final stage.
BACKGROUND
The Gunners have got off to a distinctly lacklustre start in the Premiership, having already lost twice and trailing leaders Chelsea by a potential unbridgeable nine points. Lack of impact in the Champions League has long been an itch that Arsene Wenger seems unable to scratch, and his squad has rarely looked so thin as it does currently.
Former captain Patrick Vieira has moved on and is making waves at Juventus, while present captain Thierry Henry is injured and will be out for at least a month. Suddenly Arsenal’s activity, or lack of it, in the transfer market this summer looks short-sighted.
Fortunate then, perhaps, that on paper at least the Gunners’ first challenge in this campaign comes from the relatively unknown Swiss runners-up, FC Thun. It is their first ever experience in European club competition, never mind the Champions League, but they have impressed in the qualifying rounds, winning their last three European matches without conceding a goal in any of them.
In qualification round 2, they shocked Dynamo Kiev, drawing with the Ukrainians 2-2 away, and beating them 1-0 at home. In qualification round 3, Thun knocked out Malmo with 1-0 and 3-0 victories.
The sides have never met before, and in fact Arsenal have met Swiss opponents only once before – Grasshoppers of Zurich back in the 1971-72 European Cup. The London club won 2-0 away and 3-0 at home.
Thun can boast only two players in their squad who have played in the Champions League before: Grégory Duruz (seven) and Nenad Savic (one), both of whom appeared for Basel.
FORM:
Arsenal have won two and lost two of their four Premiership fixtures so far. They are ninth in the table with six points.
Thun drew 0-0 away to Young Boys at the weekend and are fifth in the Swiss Super League at the moment, three points behind leaders FC Basel.
TEAM NEWS:
Arsenal: Arsene Wenger will be without striker Thierry Henry, who missed the Gunners’ 2-1 defeat at the hands of Middlesborough on Saturday with a groin injury. The Frenchman needs just two goals to become Arsenal’s all-time record scorer, and is third in the list of leading Champions League scorers with 36 goals (behind Ruud van Nistelrooy on and Raul on. He has been ordered to rest and could be out for at least four weeks.
Better news is that centre-back Sol Campbell could return from a calf injury, although goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is suspended. Manuel Almunia could be given another chance in goal while Philippe Senderos could replace Pascal Cygan in defence. Midfielder Freddie Ljungberg is likely to return after being rested for the trip to Middlesborough following his international duty for Sweden.
Thun: Captain Andres Gerber is set to return from an inflamed tendon but defender Armand Deumi is doubtful.
POSSIBLE STARTING XIs:
Arsenal: Almunia, Lauren, Campbell, Toure, Cole, Ljungberg, Fabregas, Gilberto, Pires, Bergkamp, Reyes.
Subs: Poom, Eboue, Senderos, Clichy, Famini, Hleb, van Persie.
FC Thun: To be confirmed
Graham Lister
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