What Arsenal must do in their final two games to secure a top eight Champions League spot
Arsenal know the UEFA Champions League is their last route to a trophy after a torrid 2024/25 season marked by inconsistencies.
Coach Mikel Arteta has borne the brunt of the understandable fan anger, with many turning against his much-lauded set-up and tendency to overuse his trusted generals.
They also seem to be aggrieved by his transfer decisions, which have left them handicapped in a crucial part of the season.
The Gunners find themselves six points off Liverpool at the summit of the Premier League table with just over half of the games played.
While the gap might not look insurmountable, Liverpool still have a game in hand and continue to look imperious.
Arsenal already have one leg out of the EFL Cup after losing the first of their two ties against Newcastle United at the Emirates.
The Gunners were outfought and outgunned, looking bereft of ideas against a Newcastle side happy to stack two blocks of five players in front of their goalkeeper, daring their opponents to break them down.
They’ll need a significantly improved performance to get past Manchester United when they take on the Red Devils in the third round of the FA Cup.
Arsenal’s record in the FA Cup since winning the title in 2020 has been nothing short of abysmal, and they’d be aspiring for a deep run in the tournament this time around.
However, United are standing in their path. Despite their recent form, Ruben Amorim’s side certainly have the firepower to ensure Arsenal’s horrendous FA Cup record continues, so the Gunners can take nothing for granted.
Arteta’s side is at a crucial juncture, needing to seal two wins from two games to ensure automatic qualification to the knockout phase of the Champions League, hoping to salvage silverware at the end of this dark tunnel.
They take on Dinamo Zagreb – a game where fans buying Arsenal vs Dinamo Zagreb tickets from Seatsnet.com will be keen to see a win – before facing Girona.
The Gunners will back themselves to secure maximum results against the pair, but their recent run of form suggests they should not be overconfident.
Arsenal vs Dinamo Zagreb Preview
On January 22, Arsenal welcome Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb for a blockbuster showdown, looking to consolidate their third-place standing on the log.
Arsenal stuttered against Atalanta and lost to Inter Milan, but wins over AS Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Sporting CP, and Shakhtar Donetsk allowed them to surge up the table.
Now, they face a fight to hold on to that automatic qualification slot when Dinamo Zagreb roll into town.
The 33-time Croatian champions are teetering on the edge of a play-off spot on the Champions League log in 24th place.
A loss to Arsenal might leave them staring at an exit, and they need to play out of their skin to get a result against the desperate Gunners.
Dinamo will be ready to test Arsenal’s mettle when they travel to the Emirates.
They have managed to hang on to this play-off spot and will not relinquish it so easily against an Arsenal side that has been toothless over their past three games.
Arsenal have managed just two goals from their last three games despite racking up over 8.1 xG. Their wastefulness in front of goal is embodied in German forward Havertz.
He was guilty of missing big chances against Newcastle and Man Utd. Unfortunately, Arteta has no other option with Gabriel Jesus back on the doctor’s table.
Arsenal are also clearly missing talisman Bukayo Saka to provide the spark in attack, leaving them blunt up top.
However, Arsenal remain far stronger and will take some confidence from their record against the Croatian champions.
In their four Champions League meetings, Arsenal have won three times, with Dinamo Zagreb claiming one shock victory in September 2015. Dinamo’s record against English clubs also makes for grim reading.
They have lost 12 out of 19 meetings (W4, D3). Their already difficult challenge is made even harder by their poor run of form.
At the time of writing, they just managed successive victories for the first time since early November but will be hoping to make a statement in London.
Arsenal vs Girona Preview
A trip to Catalonia to take on 30th-placed Girona (at the time of writing) is next for Arsenal on January 29.
Girona qualified for European competition for the first time in their history last term, but it has not been smooth sailing for the La Liga side.
After getting decimated in the transfer market, losing Eric Garcia, Aleix Garcia, Savinho and Artem Dovbyk, they have struggled to balance their domestic and European ambitions.
They were fledgling towards the foot of the league table at the beginning of the season, but coach Michel has masterminded a turnaround, helping the team find some stability. They have battled up to eighth place on the log.
However, Girona have taken numerous beatings in the Champions League. They opened their campaign with back-to-back losses to Paris Saint-Germain and Feyenoord before managing a win over Slovan Bratislava.
Since then, they have failed to pick up even a single point against Sturm Graz, PSV Eindhoven, and Liverpool. A trip to AC Milan awaits them next before the Arsenal visit.
They are also desperate for points to remain in this competition and will have a mountain to climb when they lock horns with the Premier League giants.
Arsenal cannot afford any form of complacency against the La Liga outfit.
They must bring their A-game to the Estadi Montilivi. It is their first visit to the stadium, and with so much on the line, so much is expected of the Gunners.
Arsenal will hope to get some attacking signings through the door to bolster their bid to continue pushing forward in the Champions League.
They could use additions on the flanks and at centre-forward, although it is hard to get the best players to move in January.
With or without new signings, the Premier League side should have more than enough in the tank to take down a Girona side with only one win in Europe this term.
