Arsenal vs. Shakhtar Donetsk: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Arsenal will host Shakhtar Donetsk in Tuesday night's Champions League match, hoping to prevent a repeat of their disappointing Premier League loss.

The Gunners have accumulated four points in the first two games of the revamped season, while their Ukrainian rivals are now outside the league phase's coveted top 24 spots.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

On Saturday night, Arsenal debuted their new third shirt at the Vitality Stadium, which featured blue instead of red. However, the Gunners still saw red on the South Coast as William Saliba became the third player for Arsenal to undergo the walk of shame this season.

Nothing went right for a devastated Arsenal on that fateful evening. The Frenchman was sent off for a last-man foul and then came a goal from Ryan Christie after a superb corner routine and a confident penalty from Justin Kluivert. Gabriel Martinelli, who had been increasingly careless, also had a chance to score before Christie's opener.

Arsenal wasted a golden opportunity to temporarily lead the Premier League rankings with their disappointing 2-0 loss on the South Coast. Still, they will have a chance to get back on track next weekend when they face championship rivals Liverpool in a heavyweight matchup.

On the second day of the UCL, Arteta's team earned a 2-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain, building on their fortunate goalless draw with Atalanta BC. In the first half, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka scored, taking advantage of two mistakes made by the goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Arsenal are currently thirteenth in the League Phase rankings. They haven't lost a non-knockout home game in the Champions League since September 2015 and can maintain three consecutive clean sheets for the first time since November 2007.

In Arsenal's first Champions League match, they almost avoided defeating Atalanta (with help from David Raya's heroics in goal), yet in Shakhtar's final European encounter, they could not beat the holders of the Europa League.

Like Bayer Leverkusen, Marino Pusic's team lost 3-0 to an Ademola Lookman clinic. The ex-Fulham player scored first and assisted Berat Djimsiti's goal, and Raoul Bellanova added the final touch early in the second half.

In the 2024–25 Champions League, two clubs—Shakhtar and Atalanta—have yet to score a goal after their lackluster first-match tie with Bologna. Red Bull Salzburg and BSC Young Boys are the other two teams.

But since their previous loss in Europe, Pusic's squad has won their past two games in the Ukrainian top division. On Friday, they defeated Kolos Kovalivka 1-0 (thanks to an own goal by Ilir Krasniqi), continuing a winning streak that began with a 5-1 thrashing of LNZ Cherkasy.

The crazy start to 2024–25 has left Shakhtar in fourth place in the Ukrainian Premier League, and they've lost both of their matches against Arsenal, the most recent being a 5–1 thrashing in 2010 (with a consolation goal from ex–Gunner Eduardo).

Arsenal x Shakthar Donetsk Team News

The 23-year-old assist king Bukayo Saka was benched over the weekend and is still a significant question mark for Shakhtar's visit, despite early optimism that his hamstring injury would heal in time for the match against Bournemouth.

A number of players will certainly not be playing against Liverpool, including Jurrien Timber (who had an outstanding game against PSG), Martin Odegaard (ankle), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), and Kieran Tierney (hamstring). Odegaard has the slimmest chance of returning for the match.

Even though Saliba was fired over the weekend, it won't affect his availability for the Champions League. Arteta will probably rest a few players before their match against Liverpool; Thomas Partey is one of those players.

Shakhtar should have a roster that is nearly complete when they go to the Emirates. The only ailment that may slow them down is fourth-string goalkeeper Tymur Puzankov's lengthy rehabilitation from an ACL tear.

The 22-year-old Georgiy Sudakov, the crown jewel of Shakhtar, has had an outstanding start to the domestic season so far, with seven goals and two assists in nine top-flight outings. On Tuesday night, he will be directing the team's efforts against a player who is said to be an admirer of his.

The 23-year-old Danylo Sikan might be an excellent choice to start instead of Aguinaldo up front for Shakhtar. Sikan has three goals and assists in his team's previous seven Champions League away games.

Our Predictions

Arsenal to score over 2.5 goals @ 1.47 on Sky247.ng

Arsenal fans will be disappointed to see that Shakhtar Donetsk has the fewest shots (10) and goal attempts (one) in the current Champions League season. It's safe to say that Pusic's team will again struggle in the final third.

Even with a shuffled starting lineup, Arsenal should be fine dispatching Shakhtar, provided their lack of discipline doesn't rear its ugly head again. The Gunners' lack of Saka and Odegaard is a significant creative deficit.

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