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Marseille vs Arsenal: Gunners' biggest European hurdle so far

Marseille and Arsenal have both started slowly domestically this season, but the Champions League has provided a welcome distraction, with the duo looking to be the teams to beat in Group B.

Tonight, they face off at the Stade Velodrome, and there’s a lot on the line. With a win, Marseille will be at the halfway point of group action with their destiny fully in their control, but an Arsenal win would see the Gunners move into the driver’s seat for the time being. Even though Arsenal are the bigger household name, football betting tips should favor the hosts, given how the Gunners have been faring away from the comfort of the Emirates Stadium and the fact that Marseille have posted clean sheets in seven of their last eight Champions League matches.

After Saturday’s hard-fought 2-1 home win over Sunderland, the Gunners have moved into the top half of the Premier League table, but they’re 12 points behind leaders Manchester City and six points behind fourth-placed Newcastle after only eight matches.

Arsenal’s recent surge has all been down to their home form, as they’ve won each of their last three home matches. However, their away form, their big-game acumen, and their defense are all still large question marks, and all of those things could work against them tonight.

Arsenal’s lone away win in all competitions this season is a 2-1 win at Udinese in the second leg of their Champions League playoff round tie against the Italian side, and they’ll have to rise to the occasion in a similar fashion tonight if they’re to overtake Marseille for top spot.

That will require a much better defensive effort than we’ve come accustomed to seeing from Arsenal away from home, and it will require the kind of composure and confidence that hasn’t been there in these situations. Saturday’s win against Sunderland could well provide a boost in those areas. Sure, it was a home win, and it was against a side that should have been dispatched well before Robin van Persie’s 83rd-minute winner. But there’s a lot to be said for being able to deliver in a tense situation like they did on Saturday, and it could carry over into tonight’s match.

Confidence is a must, but overconfidence must be avoided, even though Marseille, at least from a results standpoint, appear to be a shadow of the team that we’ve seen over the last several seasons. Marseille have returned to the upper echelon of Ligue 1 in recent seasons, stringing together five consecutive top-three finishes and winning the title two seasons ago.

But Didier Deschamps’ side has a hill to climb to keep that impressive run going, thanks to a surprisingly poor start. Marseille have only one win in ten league matches thus far, and they currently sit in 15th with only nine points, 14 behind leaders PSG and only one point clear of the drop zone.

They’ve already exceeded that win total in the Champions League group stage, picking up wins at Olympiakos and at home against Borussia Dortmund in their first two matches to take an early hold on top spot in Group B. With six points, they’re two ahead of Arsenal, and more importantly, they’re five clear of third-placed Dortmund going into the German side’s winnable double dip against Olympiakos.

Their Champions League success has kept Deschamps safely away from the firing line, but consecutive defeats to Arsenal could put him firmly on the hot seat, especially if Dortmund take maximum points against Olympiakos.

Talent is certainly not the issue for Marseille, especially in attack, and if they bring their Champions League form into tonight’s match, Arsenal could be in for a tough time. Those who follow Arsenal transfer rumors closely are familiar with Loic Remy, Lucho Gonzalez, Andre Ayew, and Mathieu Valbuena, and that quartet will need to be contained for the Gunners to have their best chance at success.

A win would be ideal for Arsenal, as they would have to be fancied to close out top spot in the group from here on, and it’d also make Arsene Wenger’s first Marseille visit in almost two decades a triumphant one. But this could well be Arsenal’s toughest match of the group stage, even more so than the opening trip to Dortmund, given how well Marseille are capable of playing when they‘re at their best. Though it’s rarely been seen this season, you’d have to expect to see their best tonight, and in turn, Arsenal must produce their rarely-seen best in order to pick up at least a draw and keep themselves well-positioned to win the group.

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