Arsenal vs Qarabag 14/12/18

14 December 2018

One of the favorites to lift the Europa League title will take on Qarabag in the final Europa League group stage fixture, as Arsenal prepare to welcome the Azerbaijani side to the Emirates Stadium.

As the only unbeaten team in Group E, the Gunners have already secured their place in the round of 16, having clinched four wins and played out one draw in their opening five Europa League clashes. Apart from a 4-2 win over Vorskla Poltava on the opening matchday, Unai Emery’s men have managed to keep a clean sheet in their remaining four European matches, which puts them on a par with Chelsea. The Premier League heavyweights come into this meeting following a narrow 1-0 triumph over Huddersfield Town in the domestic championship, as they look to extend an outstanding 21-game unbeaten run across all competitions.

Meanwhile, a dead-last Qarabag already lost all chances of advancing to the knockout stage, as they share the last place with Vorskla, who also lost four out of five opening Europa League games. The only win the reigning Azerbaijani champions achieved in their ninth Europa League appearance came against the Ukrainian team on the road. Their defensive frailties have seen them allowing a minimum of two goals in three out of their five matches so far, including six they’ve conceded against Sporting Lisbon last time out. On the other hand, with just two goals notched ahead of this round, the Horsemen hold the joint-worst attacking record in Europe’s second-tier competition.

Provisional line-up – Arsenal:

Gk: Cech Defense: Jenkinson – Medley – Maitland-Niles – Lichtsteiner Midfield: Elneny – Guendouzi – Mkhitaryan Attack: Smith-Rowe – Aubameyang – Willock

Provisional line-up – Qarabag:

Gk: Halldorson Defense: Rzezniczak – Sadygov – Guerrier – Medvedev Midfield: Michel – Garayev –Slavchev Attack: Zoubir – Madatov – Abdullayev