Crisis-stricken Arsenal head to Italy on Thursday to take on Serie A side AC Milan in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie.
Arsene Wenger's men are on a dismal run of form and come into the game against the Rossoneri on the back of four consecutive defeats, losing most recently to Brighton in the Premier League.
Their hopes of achieving a Champions League finish - in the top four - have effectively been extinguished so the Europa League is now their only way of reclaiming a seat at the top table.
They come up against a Milan side that, conversely, are experiencing an upswing in fortunes, with Gennaro Gattuso finally discovering the formula for success at San Siro.
Game | AC Milan vs Arsenal |
Date | Thursday March 8 |
Time | 18:00 GMT / 13:00 ET |
Stream (US only) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel & Live Stream
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
US TV channel | Online stream |
---|---|
Fox Sports 2 | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on TV on BT Sport 2 and it can be streamed live online using the BT Sport app.
UK TV channel | Online stream |
---|---|
BT Sport 2 | BT Sport app |
Squads & Team News
Position | AC Milan players |
---|---|
Goalkeepers | Storari, G. Donnarumma, A. Donnarumma, Guarnone |
Defenders | Calabria, Conti, Romagnoli, Gomez, Zapata, Bonucci, Abate, Musacchio, Antonelli, Gabbia, Bellanova, Rodriguez |
Midfielders | Mauri, Bonaventura, Suso, Calhanoglu, Montolivo, Biglia, Pobega, Locatelli, Kessie |
Forwards | Borini, Kalinic, Silva, Forte, Cutrone |
The hosts will be without the services of Andrea Conti and Luca Antonelli, while Ignazio Abate is considered a doubt. Other than that, Gattuso has a full complement of players ready to play at San Siro.
Potential AC Milan starting XI: G. Donnarumma; Rodriguez, Bonucci, Romagnoli, Calabria; Biglia, Kessie, Bonaventura; Suso, Calhanoglu, Cutrone.
Position | Arsenal players |
---|---|
Goalkeepers | Ospina, Cech, Macey |
Defenders | Mertesacker, Koscielny, Holding, Monreal, Mustafi, Chambers, Bellerin, Mavropanos, Kolasinac |
Midfielders | Ramsey, Wilshere, Ozil, Iwobi, Cazorla, Xhaka, Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Nelson, Mkhitaryan |
Forwards | Lacazette, Welbeck, Nketiah, Willock |
Arsenal will be without Nacho Monreal in defence as the Spaniard continues to recover from a back injury, while Alexandre Lacazette and Santi Cazorla are long-term absentees. As well as that, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is ineligible.
Potential Arsenal starting XI: Ospina; Koscielny, Mustafi, Chambers; Bellerin, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Wilshere, Ramsey, Ozil; Welbeck.
Betting & Match Odds
AC Milan are favourites to win according to dabblebet, who price them at 11/10, while Arsenal are rated 23/10 to beat the Rossoneri. A draw is available at 9/4.
Match Preview
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Arsenal arrive in Milan for the Europa League last-16 game at what may be their lowest point since Wenger took the reins of the club over 20 years ago.
Not only do they have a point to prove, they are under serious pressure to go all the way in the competition but they have been handed a tough assignment in the form of Gattuso's Rossoneri.
Two months ago it would not have appeared to be as difficult a prospect, but, after enduring a slow start to his tenure, the divisive World Cup winner has seemingly cracked the code.
Milan are unbeaten in 12 matches in all competitions and, while the Gunners are on a four-game losing streak, the Italians have won their last five, beating the likes of Ludogorets and Roma.
Gattuso's men are currently thriving, with players such as Hakan Calhanoglu, Suso and Patrick Cutrone responding well to their new coach's demands.
As well as the aforementioned talent, they also boast the experience of Leonardo Bonucci, Ricardo Montolivo and Nikola Kalinic, so the Gunners cannot take anything for granted in Italy.
Indeed, the north London men are a wounded entity and, given that their season now hinges on success in the Europa League, they must dig deep for a result, particularly away from home.