Arsenal are set to face off against Girona in Spain for their final Champions League group phase match of the season. The Gunners have had an impressive European run so far, securing five victories out of seven matches.
Mikel Arteta‘s squad currently sits comfortably in the table due to their performances, with only Barcelona and undefeated Liverpool ranking higher. A draw or victory against Girona will ensure they avoid a two-legged play-off game and proceed directly to the round of 16.
Their rivals, on the other hand, cannot qualify for the next stage, having accumulated a mere three points, and are currently languishing in eighth place in La Liga domestically. As the north London outfit aims to dominate their opponents, here’s everything you need to know about Wednesday evening’s match.
What channel is Girona vs Arsenal on?
The Gunners’ final league phase match will be aired on TNT Sports 4 in the UK. Subscribers can also stream the live action on the move without a TV via discovery+, reports the Mirror.
TNT can also be obtained through providers BT, EE, Sky and Virgin Media. Customers who do so can tune in via their respective streaming services.
When does Girona vs Arsenal kick off?
Champions League action kicks off at Estadi Montilivi at 8pm GMT, or 9pm local time. This is the same for all other matches taking place on Wednesday, with British teams Aston Villa, Manchester City, Celtic and Liverpool all playing simultaneously.
The match between Aston Villa and Celtic will be aired on TNT Sports 1, while City’s game against Club Brugge will be broadcast on TNT Sports 2. Liverpool‘s away game to PSV, where they’ve chosen to rest several senior players, will be shown on TNT Sports 3.
Where can Arsenal finish?
Arsenal are third in the league phase table with 16 points, the same as Inter, who are the only team to have defeated them in Europe this season. To qualify for the round of 16 and avoid a two-legged playoff, which the teams finishing from ninth to 24th will face, they need to finish in the top eight.
However, five teams outside the top eight – Aston Villa, Monaco, Feyenoord, Lille and Brest – all have 13 points. If Arsenal lose and any of these teams win by a large margin, Arteta’s side could be knocked out of their high-ranking position. Despite the odds, Inter, Atletico Madrid, Milan, and Atalanta are all hot on Arsenal‘s trail inside the top eight also.
This could potentially push Arsenal further down the pecking order, resulting in a more challenging round of 16 tie. A victory coupled with a Barcelona draw or loss could also see the Gunners ascend to second place in the table. As it stands, Girona languish in 31st place with a mere three points, making their progression to the new play-off stage impossible.
Said two-legged play-off games are scheduled for mid-February, with the round of 16 set for early March. Advancing to this stage and bypassing the play-offs would afford Arsenal more rest periods in the upcoming weeks.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk