It is not yet win or bust for Arsenal in the Champions League, but Mikel Arteta knows the importance of a victory here in Spain on Tuesday.
The Gunners are looking to bounce back against Sevilla after losing at Lens in their last Group B fixture three weeks ago.
Many in the Arsenal squad are playing in the Champions League for the first time and that chastening night in France was a lesson in how tough winning away in this competition is.
Arteta’s side have shown themselves to be quick learners under the Spaniard and they will need to be to get their European campaign back on track.
Arsenal are second in their group after two games, one point behind Lens, but another defeat on Tuesday would leave them with work to do to reach the knockout stage.
The Gunners have been excellent on the road in the Premier League under Arteta and had the best away record in the top-flight last season. That has continued this term, with Arsenal unbeaten in their first four League games away from the Emirates Stadium.
The challenge now is to replicate that form in the Champions League. Tuesday will be a true test to see what Arsenal learned from Lens.
Sevilla may be struggling in LaLiga, where they are 13th, and sacked head coach Jose Luis Mendilibar earlier this month, but they boast an impressive European pedigree.
“The opponents are really good [in the Champions League] and to win away from home is always difficult, but to win away from home in Europe, you see a shift in all the top teams that they are not the same results,” said Arteta.
Sevilla vs Arsenal
Three key talking points
Raya under pressure to perform
Mikel Arteta is adamant David Raya is not feeling the pressure of playing for a big club, but the spotlight is on him after a few shaky displays.
The goalkeeper was lobbed by Mykhailo Mudryk’s cross at Chelsea on Saturday and fans chanted the name of Aaron Ramsdale. With Ramsdale waiting in the wings, Calls for Ramsdale to play will grow if Raya, above, struggles again.
Ramos determined to roll back the years
After rejoining his boyhood club, Sergio Ramos wants to finish his career with a flourish. Now 37, Ramos is still full of fight and has experience to go with his physical style.
Never one to shy away from confrontation, Ramos was accused of elbowing Jude Bellingham at the weekend. The centre-back will look to get close to Gabriel Jesus and impose himself from the off.
Martinelli out to shine on Champions League debut
Injury has disrupted Gabriel Martinelli’s start to the season, but he is now fit and firing and hopes to make his Champions League debut on Tuesday.
Martinelli is an important weapon for Arteta, offering Arsenal a directness that is different to their other wingers. He will look to rotate positions with Jesus in an attempt to confuse Sevilla’s defence and create space.
“Margins become critical and the emotional state of the team in certain moments goes through difficult ones, so that’s absolutely key.
“There were a few [lessons] from that game [in Lens], especially that in the Champions League you cannot give anything away. Both boxes are tremendously important to have control of the game, and there are going to be moments that can get away very quickly.
"You have to understand why this is happening and how the game went away from us.”
If Arteta wants control on Tuesday then Arsenal’s midfield will be key.
Odegaard is the player who makes Arsenal tick in attack and, if he is out of tune, then so is the team
Much of the discussion around the team at the moment is centred around whether Aaron Ramsdale or David Raya should play in goal, with the latter expected to keep his place after Arteta defended him on Monday night following a shaky performance against Chelsea on Saturday.
But the midfield is also a key area for debate. In 13 games this season, Arteta has used five different combinations in midfield. The most popular has been Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard, with the trio starting together seven times.
The manager has used that set-up in both Champions League matches this season and it may well be what he turns to on Tuesday. Jorginho has started the past two games alongside Rice and Odegaard, but the latter has struggled.
Odegaard was poor against Chelsea and he cuts an isolated figure when playing with Jorginho and Rice, who like to sit deeper.
In contrast, when Havertz plays and replicates the advanced role Granit Xhaka did last season, Odegaard has shone. The Arsenal captain has scored three goals this season and all of those have come when he has played alongside Havertz and Rice.
Arteta is clearly still working out his best midfield following the departure of Xhaka over the summer, but getting the most of Odegaard is the key to it.
The Norwegian has the ability to open up opposition defences. He is the player who makes Arsenal tick in attack and, if he is out of tune, then so is the team.
