Arsenal begin another Champions League campaign on Wednesday night with a difficult trip to Naples.
The Gunners reached the final last season before losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties. They now return with another shot at European glory.
Napoli have had a less convincing start. Massimiliano Allegri’s side beat Genoa 2-0 but then lost to Como and Inter, throwing away a two-goal lead at San Siro on Saturday.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have won all three of their Premier League games. They also came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at the weekend.
The Maradona should be lively. Arsenal will need to be ready for it.
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What are the best picks for Napoli vs Arsenal?
Arsenal to win
Arsenal get our nod in the match-winner market.
This is not an easy away game. Napoli have plenty of attacking quality and the Maradona can make European nights very uncomfortable for visiting teams.
However, Arsenal have made a superb start to the season.
Mikel Arteta’s side have won all three Premier League games and followed up a 1-0 win at Aston Villa by beating Chelsea 2-1 on Sunday.
They also have plenty of recent Champions League experience.
Arsenal won all eight of their league-phase games last season before reaching the final. They have also won seven of their last 10 matches against Italian opposition.
Napoli’s recent form is a concern.
They lost 2-1 at home to Como before surrendering a 2-0 lead against Inter and losing 3-2.
Arsenal should be able to take advantage.
Arsenal over 4.5 corners
We are going in a different direction for the second pick. We all know how much Arsenal love set pieces after all.
Arsenal should see plenty of the ball in Naples, and that could lead to plenty of pressure around the Napoli box.
Arteta’s side have several ways of creating chances. Bukayo Saka can cause problems from the right, while Arsenal’s overlapping full-backs can also force Napoli to defend deep.
That should give Arsenal opportunities to win corners.
Napoli are unlikely to sit back for the entire game, but Arsenal should still spend long spells on the front foot.
If the visitors are chasing the game or trying to protect a lead late on, those corners could keep coming.
We don’t need Arsenal to score a hatful.
We just need them to keep putting Napoli under pressure.
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Kai Havertz to score anytime
Havertz is becoming rather difficult to leave out of these previews.
The German scored Arsenal’s equaliser against Chelsea before producing the clever dummy that allowed Ødegaard to score the winner.
He now has three goals in all competitions this season.
That form could make him particularly important in Naples.
Arsenal may not have everything their own way, so Havertz’s movement between the lines could be key.
He has also shown that he does not need five chances to make an impact.
Napoli have conceded five goals across their last two games, so Havertz should have opportunities.
We are backing him to take one.
Where can I watch Napoli vs Arsenal?
Napoli vs Arsenal takes place on Wednesday, September 9 at 8pm BST at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
UK viewers can watch the game live on TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports Ultimate and HBO Max.
What have the managers said?
Mikel Arteta
Arteta was delighted with Arsenal’s response after falling behind against Chelsea.
“It was an exceptional performance.”
The Arsenal boss praised his team’s reaction, highlighting their conviction, determination and quality.
He also believes there is more to come from his side this season.
“It’s an indication for us of how capable we are to perform at an even higher level than last season.”
Arsenal certainly have the chance to prove that in Naples.
Massimiliano Allegri
Allegri was understandably frustrated after Napoli threw away their lead against Inter.
“It’s a painful defeat because we were 2-0 up and had other opportunities to score.”
The Napoli boss also warned that his side must cut out the mistakes.
“We must be more careful because we conceded two goals that we could have avoided.”
That will be particularly important against an Arsenal side that punished Chelsea after going behind.
What is Napoli’s predicted team?
(4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Rafa Marín, Spinazzola; Anguissa, Lobotka, De Bruyne; Politano, Højlund, Alisson Santos.
Injured: Alessandro Buongiorno, Luca Marianucci, Scott McTominay, Giovane.
De Bruyne is expected to make his first start of the season after coming off the bench in each of their three Serie A games so far.
What is Arsenal’s predicted team?
(4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Ødegaard, Tzolis; Havertz.
Injured: William Saliba.
Doubts: Cristhian Mosquera, Jurriën Timber.
Saliba remains out, while Mosquera and Timber are both doubts after recent fitness issues. Arsenal have no suspended players for the game.
Score prediction: Napoli 0-2 Arsenal
Napoli will make this difficult.
The Maradona should be rocking and Arsenal will have to deal with a team that can cause problems in attack.
However, Arsenal are in better form and have looked more settled at both ends of the pitch.
The Gunners might have to work for it, but their quality should eventually tell.
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