Premier League leaders Arsenal mark their return to non-competitive action on Thursday afternoon, as Lyon lie in wait for their opening Dubai Super Cup match at the Al Maktoum Stadium.
Premier League leaders Arsenal mark their return to non-competitive action on Thursday afternoon, as Lyon lie in wait for their opening Dubai Super Cup match at the Al Maktoum Stadium.
Arsenal has an odd of 2.25(bet ₹100 and wins ₹225 if Arsenal wins). Bet Now
If this match ends with a draw then the odd is 3.75(bet ₹100 and win ₹375 if the match draws). Bet Now
Lyon has an odd of 2.75(bet ₹100 and wins ₹275 if Lyon wins). Bet Now
Match: Arsenal vs Lyon
Date: December 07, 2022
Time: 09:00 PM (IST)
Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium
Match Prediction-Aston Villa vs Brighton Betting Tips and Match Prediction
Barring an early EFL Cup exit to Brighton & Hove Albion, defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford and a somewhat disappointing draw away at Southampton, the start to the 2022-23 season has been a better one than many Arsenal fans could have ever envisaged. Mikel Arteta’s side are guaranteed to be top of the table at Christmas for the first time since the 2007-08 season as they hold a five-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City, whom they were due to meet prior to the World Cup break before the death of Queen Elizabeth II threw the footballing calendar into disarray.
A straightforward 2-0 success over Wolverhampton Wanderers came in the same weekend that Man City were stunned 2-1 by Brentford at the Etihad, allowing Arteta to steer his current team out of sight over his former employers, but all eyes will be on whether they can maintain a title charge in the New Year. News of a serious injury to Gabriel Jesus has already led some Arsenal fans to concede defeat in the title race – similar to the 2007-08 season, when the Gunners fell off the pace after Eduardo da Silva’s horrific leg break – but victory over West Ham United on Boxing Day could go a long way to holding their place at the summit.
Hein; Cedric, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Elneny, Lokonga; Nelson, Odegaard, Marquinhos; Nketiah
Amid his perennial struggles to force his way into the France setup – even one that has been decimated by injuries – former Arsenal captain Alexandre Lacazette is set for a swift reunion with the team he served for five years, but his impressive form back in his homeland has left some questioning where that ruthlessness was during his final days in red and white. Having immediately been handed the captain’s armband upon his return to Les Gones, Lacazette has rediscovered the form that caught the eye of Arsenal in the first place.
Just before the World Cup break, former Arsenal striker Lacazette and current Gunners loanee Nicolas Pepe both scored from the spot as Lyon and Nice played out a 1-1 draw, one which leaves Les Gones eighth in the table with 21 points from their opening 15 games, and they ran out 5-3 winners over OH Leuven in a friendly at the start of the month. Blanc therefore has plenty of work to do if he is to steer Lyon back into Europe, with Les Gones seven points adrift of the European spots and 10 behind third-placed Rennes, and they are no strangers to friendly wins over Arsenal, who lost to the French side 2-1 in the Emirates Cup following a brace from Moussa Dembele.
Lopes; Gusto, Diomande, Lukeba, Henrique; Tolisso, Mendes, Aouar; Cherki, Lacazette, Tete
Both managers will no doubt take this opportunity to test out some of their up-and-coming starlets and will not read too much into the result, but Lyon have far more of their regular first-teamers available compared to Arsenal. Arteta has witnessed his second-string players struggle to replicate the feats of their superiors all season long, and as a result, we expect Les Gones to take the spoils in this one.
Arsenal 2-1 Lyon, predicted by us.