Champions League Group F: Arsenal need a win as Olympiakos visit Emirates
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The Gunners were bitterly disappointing in their first Champions League group fixture, and need to significantly raise their game if they are to beat Greek outfit Olympiakos.
Odds-on at 2/5 with Coral to do so, Arsenal were evidently complacent against Dinamo Zagreb and it cost them as their hosts secured a 2-1 victory.
After a 5-2 away win over Leicester City last time out, this result should give them momentum going into a competition that Arsene Wenger needs to start taking seriously.
This particular fixture is one that each team wins at home. After six matches against each other, the statistics are balanced, with three wins apiece from the hosts.
For Wenger’s men, both Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey have dispatched against the Greek champions in recent meetings and, while the former is unavailable, the Welshman has odds of 15/8 to net anytime once more. For the visitors, Giannis Maniatis has struck against the Gunners and he is 16/1 to do so again in the same market.
Brown Ideye, meanwhile, will be familiar with Arsenal, having played against them while at West Bromwich Albion, and the striker is 10/3 to net at any point in the match.
However, Alexis Sanchez got off the mark against the Foxes hitting a hat-trick and the Chilean definitely looks back to match sharpness, following an arduous summer where he barely had any rest. Former Leicester player of the season Esteban Cambiasso is now playing for Olympiakos, and could be the key to stopping the Gunners goal machine.
Sanchez is 4/1 to break the deadlock and could well start as the lone frontman in Olivier Giroud’s absence giving more mobility to their frontline. Theo Walcott, who also netted last time out is 10/3 to open the scoring, though it is more likely he will retain his position up front with Sanchez continuing on the left.
“The more times I get the opportunity to play up front I’m going to get better and improve and learn the position,” said Walcott, who has now scored 12 goals in his last 13 starts for the Gunners after the team’s win over Leicester.
“I’ve always said I want to play up front and the manager is keeping faith in me. I want to repay that faith.”
Coral’s top tip: Ramsey anytime scorer @ 15/8
