Arsenal are facing the tough challenge of taking on Real Madrid in the Champions League this week for the first leg of their quarter-final clash.
The Gunners would have preferred to avoid the most successful team in the history of the competition, especially with several players injured and only two months left in the season.
Arsenal made it to the quarter-finals with an impressive 9-3 aggregate victory over PSV Eindhoven, while Real Madrid had to rely on a penalty shootout to get past Atletico Madrid.
Team News
Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, and Takehiro Tomiyasu are sidelined along with Gabriel Magalhaes, who picked up a season-ending hamstring injury against Fulham.
Riccardo Calafiori will miss the game after getting injured while on international duty, and Raheem Sterling is serving a suspension.
Midfielder Mikel Merino sustained a head injury in the recent 1-1 draw with Everton but is expected to be fit to play. Bukayo Saka is likely to be in the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the last two matches.
Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni is suspended for the first leg, while Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao are out for the season due to serious knee injuries.
Ferland Mendy, Thibaut Courtois, and Dani Ceballos all missed the 2-1 loss to Valencia but are expected to prove their fitness ahead of the trip to London.
The stats
Arsenal are undefeated in their last seven matches across all competitions, but they have only managed to win three of those games.
At the Emirates Stadium, they have suffered just one defeat in their last eight matches and have kept four clean sheets in five home fixtures during the Champions League group stage.
Real Madrid's recent 2-1 loss to Valencia was their first defeat in six matches, dealing a blow to their LaLiga title hopes.
Carlo Ancelotti's team lost three games in the group stage of the Champions League but will be confident heading into the Emirates, having already beaten Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the knockout rounds.
Prediction
Arsenal's mounting injury problems, especially the absence of Gabriel in defense, will be a significant challenge for Mikel Arteta's team.
With Arsenal managing just one clean sheet in seven games, Real Madrid are likely to exploit their defensive vulnerabilities, counting on players like Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Jr. to make an impact.
Arsenal may find some opportunities of their own, as Real Madrid have conceded in their last eight matches, with both teams scoring in seven of their previous eight games.