Napoli – Arsenal: Martin Is Back In the Øzone (0-1)

Matchday one offers Champions League spectators the chance to reevaluate their perspectives about clubs across the continent. But most will have learned little new about both teams from this fixture. Italy’s cream of the crop have it all to prove in this tournament, while Arsenal are one of the best outfits in Europe— and their captain can be the key to soaring to new heights.

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

Quarter-finalists, semi-finalists, finalists… is this the year Arsenal are finally crowned champions of the continent? The pain from another Parisian defeat will fuel the fire of Mikel Arteta, who proved he could get over the line with the club’s first Premier League title in a generation. Defensive stability still seems to be the cornerstone of the side’s setup, but at the start of this season, their wins over Manchester City, Aston Villa and Chelsea have displayed a different dimension in the final third.

The new Napoli head coach can relate to the feeling of falling at the final hurdle in the Champions League. In his heyday, Massimiliano Allegri commandeered the fabled back five of Juventus that reached the final twice, losing to Barcelona in 2015 and Real Madrid in 2017. Since then, he has returned to Juventus and AC Milan for second stints— neither of which were as successful as the first . . .