FC Zurich vs Arsenal: 3 things to look for in Europa League opener

Arsenal begin their Europa League campaign away to FC Zurich on Thursday evening as the Gunners look to bounce back from their defeat at Old Trafford.

The Gunners and European football. Sounds good, doesn’t it? While it is not the competition the club was tantalisingly close to making last year, it is a step in the right direction.

Mikel Arteta has already stated that the Europa League will be taken very seriously by the club, and they’re the early bookie’s favourites to win the competition.

https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1567584674318360576?s=20&t=F5G9VRnZCsG06kG5n5u9Qw

Arsenal started the Premier League season with a bang, winning their opening five games before tasting defeat for the first time this season at the hands of Manchester United.

Here are three things to look for in Arsenal’s clash with FC Zurich.

Another competition on the club’s radar will undoubtedly help as another game comes around quick smart. With the Gunners entering Europe for the first time in 2019, it presents a break from domestic action and allows Arteta to rotate the squad.

1. The Response

Having lost for the first time this season, we will see what kind of mentality the squad has. Arteta was asked if the result would harm the team’s confidence, to which he replied: “That won’t happen.”

This is assertive in theory, and even though Arsenal impressed at Old Trafford, they came away with nothing. It will be interesting to see how the team responds to its first taste of adversity while away from home once more.

After what we have already seen from the Gunners in 2022/23, there is no doubt that this is a different team from previous ones, but we need to see a ruthless response against Zurich.

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