Mikel Arteta expressed his admiration for Arsenal’s latest Champions League opponents Lens, with whom he expects a “big battle” ahead of tonight’s meeting in northern France.
Arsenal fans have had to endure seven long years away from Europe’s elite club competition, but tonight’s Champions League opponents Lens last appeared in the competition all the way back in 2002/03.
Gunners fans of a certain age will be familiar with the club, having met them home and away in the 1998/99 group stage where Arsenal were forced to wear a one-off navy kit, of which there are believed to be some 16 in existence and now sell for thousands.
Having yo-yoed between France’s top two divisions since, they managed to compete against ultra-rich PSG for the Ligue 1 title last season on a very limited budget.
Lens manager Franck Haise’s signature 4-2-3-1, which promotes high-pressing whilst also being able to absorb large amounts of pressure, led to them finishing the 2022/23 season as Ligue 1’s best defence, conceding just 29 goals in 38 games along with 15 clean sheets.
RELATED: Lens Vs Arsenal Predictions, Betting Tips, Bet Builder Tips, Odds And Preview
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be well aware of the dangerous low block Lens could employ to stunt his side’s free flowing attack, particularly on home soil where they dropped five points and conceded just 13 goals in 19 games.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League meeting in the Hauts-de-France region, the Spaniard could not hide his bemusement at Lens’ current league standing, where they sit 15th.
In his pre-match press conference, he said said: “This season, they’ve been very unlucky with some results and I don’t know why they don’t have more points.
“I was really impressed by what they did last year. It’s incredible to be one point away from the title and finish second. I was also impressed by the way in which they did it, and by their home form.”
Despite going winless in their first five games, the Blood and Gold have bounced back with consecutive victories against Toulouse and Strasbourg, and Mikel Arteta is well aware of the threat they can pose.
“We expect a big battle on Tuesday. We’re fully aware of that. We explained that to the players and we know it’s a big test,” he added.
Related Content
- Lens Vs Arsenal: Who Was The Last Arsenal Goal Scorer Against Lens
- ChatGPT Predicts Arsenal To Be Held To A Surprise Stalemate By Lens In The Champions League
- Lens Vs Arsenal Predicted Line-Ups, Team News And Injury Update
- Football Betting Tips 2023 – Latest Picks & Football Tips
- Football Predictions October 2023
- Football Accumulator Tips 2023 – Latest Acca Betting Tips
- Best Correct Score Tipsters on Telegram & Social Media 2023
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
