Schalke vs Arsenal: Back Gunners to grab Gelsenkirchen result

Arsenal need a good display from star midfielder Santi Cazorla

There has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth since Arsenal's 2-1 defeat at Manchester United, but Kevin Hatchard thinks the Gunners can bounce back against Schalke in Germany.

Schalke vs Arsenal, Tue 19:45 BST, Live on Sky Sports 2

Match Odds: Schalke 1.910/11, Arsenal 4.57/2, the draw 3.8514/5

As he prowls the touchline in that massive winter coat of his, Arsene Wenger can often appear a frustrated and pained individual. Recently the Alsatian (he's from Alsace, I'm not suggesting he's a dog) has had plenty of reasons to be frustrated - the Gunners have lost three of their last five matches, and Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Manchester United underlined the improbability of a Premier League title bid. Even Wenger has admitted his side can't win the title, and for him that's highly unusual this early in the campaign.

Arsenal are also wobbling in the Champions League after a 2-0 home defeat to Schalke. The Gunners were outplayed on their own turf, and they struggled to cope with the quick counter-attacks employed by Huub Stevens' men. If Arsenal are to be successful in Tuesday's return match at the Veltins Arena, they must pass the ball more quickly and be much more aggressive in attack.

In recent seasons Schalke have been very strong at their Veltins Arena, but against quality sides they sometimes struggle. I'm not necessarily suggesting the Royal Blues are flat-track bullies, but a 2-2 draw with Montpellier and a 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich this season show there is potential for a positive Arsenal result. Schalke may also have some defensive jitters after the weekend's shock 3-2 defeat at Hoffenheim.

Arsenal's away record in Europe is generally poor, with just three wins in their last 13 road trips. That said, the Gunners have produced some decent results and performances on their travels this season. They dominated for long spells in a 1-1 draw at Manchester City, picked up eye-catching victories at Liverpool and West Ham, and they won their Champions League opener 2-1 at Montpellier. Santi Cazorla was instrumental in all three of those wins (he scored in two of them), and if he plays as well as he can he could be highly influential in Gelsenkirchen.

I was impressed but not surprised by Schalke's performance at the Emirates (I tipped a draw), but I think they are too short at 1.910/11. They have kept just one clean sheet in their last 14 European home games and they'll find it harder to spring their counter-attacks at home. They are sometimes defensively vulnerable against sides with high-quality offensive players, and if Wenger selects the in-form Theo Walcott in attack, his pace could cause real problems for defenders Joel Matip and Benedikt Howedes.

Layers should consider opposing Schalke at 1.910/11, but my advice is to back Arsenal +0.5 on the Asian Handicap at 2.0421/20, which pays out in the event of a draw or an Arsenal win.

Recommended Bet: Back Arsenal +0.5 on the Asian Handicap at 2.0421/20