Marseille V Arsenal Champions League Group Stage: Key Battles

Emirates side in for tough night.

Marseille v Arsenal Live Streaming

Robin van Persie v Souleymane Diawara

With Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri both departed, Van Persie is now unquestionably Arsenal’s key man. He is at once the talisman, the on-field leader and the playmaker – roles he excelled in across the board with a match-winning display against Sunderland at the weekend. Diawara is his side’s most experienced and physical defender and will be the man charged with keeping Van Persie quiet.

Alex Song v Lucho Gonzalez

Although used as an emergency centre-back at times this season, Song’s primary role in the Gunners side is to break up play in front of the back four and release more dynamic team-mates. Argentina international Gonzalez will be the man to catch his attention in Marseille. With an eye for goal and a tendency to support the attackers through the middle, Song will need to starve him of time on the ball to negate the opposition gameplan.

Carl Jenkinson v Andre Ayew

A low-key signing from Charlton in the summer, injuries at the back have forced Arsene Wenger to promote Jenkinson a little earlier than he might have liked. Stepping in for Bacary Sagna at right-back, he has shown genuine promise but also a tendency to drift. In Seclin-born forward Ayew, Marseille have a player more than capable of exposing any such weakness. Pacy and with a good scoring record, OM may choose to test Jenkinson by filtering play through Ayew.