Arsenal will travel to Norway this Thursday to face Bodø/Glimt in the fourth group game of the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League season.
Venue: Aspmyra Stadion (Bodø)
Key Statistics
Bodø/Glimt have won their last 14 European home games.
They have scored 45 goals in their last 14 European games, conceding just five goals.
Only Molde have beaten the hosts at home in over a year.
Arsenal have won ten of their last eleven games (L1).
The Gunners have scored within the first 30 minutes in their last five wins.
They have not lost any of their last ten Europa League away encounters at this stage (W8, D2).
They have won their last four UEL games, scoring 2+ goals in the process.
Bodø/Glimt’s Hugo Vetlesen has registered seven goal contributions across his last six competitive appearances, and all of his last five came during the second half.
Head to head
Arsenal won the only head-to-head meeting between both sides.
Latest performances in all competitions
Bodø/Glimt: W-L-W-D-W
Arsenal: W-W-W-W-W
Bodø/Glimt
Bodø/Glimt will look to win their second UEFA Europa League game of the season when they host Group A favourites Arsenal this Thursday.
The hosts opened their UEL account with a 1-1 win over PSV, followed by a 2-1 win over FC Zurich. But they suffered their first defeat for the season in this tournament when they were beaten 3-0 by Arsenal last time out.
And so, they have a chance to avenge that last week’s defeat away to Arsenal and keep alive their hopes of making it to the knockout phase of this season’s UEFA Europa League when they welcome the Gunners to their impregnable home ground–Aspmyra Stadion.
The Norwegian side have a dominant home record in Europe, winning each of their last 14 European home games with an impressive combined goal difference (GF42, GA5). They come into this tie on the back of a 4-1 win over Sandefjord–their second consecutive 4-1 win at home in the domestic league.
Those wins would have handed them a timely confidence boost, as they attempt to finish in the top two positions in the table. They start this round two points behind their opponents and PSV (W1, D1, L1), despite having played a game more. So they will need a positive result from this game if they want to emulate last season’s Europa Conference League run which went all the way to the quarter-finals.
Possible Bodø/Glimt starting line-up
Nikita Haikin; Alfons Sampsted, Brede Moe, Marius Lode, Brice Wembangomo;, Ulrik Saltnes, Hugo Vetlesen, Patrick Berg; Amahl Pellegrino, Runar Espejord, William Pellegrino.
Injured: Gaute Vetti
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Arsenal
Arsenal continued their impeccable winning run last weekend as they beat last season’s Premier League runners-up Liverpool.
In an entertaining game at the Emirates Stadium, a first-minute goal by Gabriel Martinelli set the tone for Mikel Arteta’s side, with further strikers by Bukayo Saka sealing the win despite the best efforts of Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez.
The win was their fifth consecutive win and took them back to the top of the Premier League table, one point ahead of closest challengers Manchester City.
The Gunners must feel like they’re in unstoppable form heading into this tie, having won ten of their opening 11 competitive matches (L1) this season. Meanwhile, each of the last five wins in that streak saw Arteta’s side score first and inside the opening 30 minutes, so don’t be shocked to see them fly out the traps again here.
While the hosts have a proud home record to protect, Arsenal have a good away one of their own in the group stages of this competition that they will be keen to extend. The North London side have not lost any of their last ten competition away encounters at this stage (W8, D2), winning the last four in that run and scoring 2+ goals in the process.
Possible Arsenal starting line-up
Aaron Ramsdale; Takehiro Tomiyasu, Rob Holding, Gabriel, Kieran Tierney; Granit Xhaka, Albert Sambi-Lokonga; Reiss Nelson, Pablo Vieira, Gabriel Martinelli; Eddie Nketiah.
Injured: Emile Smith Rowe, Mohamed Elneny, Oleksandr Zinchenko
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Prediction
Bodø/Glimt 1-0 Arsenal
