Arsenal v Besiktas: Gunners won't be denied sweet 17

Arsenal have an exemplary Champions League qualifying record

Michael Lintorn expects to seal a 17th successive Champions League group-stage appearance with a clean sheet...

Arsenal v Besiktas
Wednesday, 19:45
Live on Sky Sports 5

Match Odds: Arsenal 1.422/5, Besiktas 9.417/2, The Draw 5.24/1

To most clubs, a 0-0 draw away to Besiktas would represent a positive result, especially if achieved in the absence of arguably your most commanding defender, creative attacking midfielder and devastatingly quick winger while finishing with ten men.

Arsenal lack that optimistic view as this is the first time they have been given the slightest reason to doubt that they will survive a Champions League qualifier. On the six previous occasions that they had to enter this early, they won their first leg, and then the second too for good measure.

Mounting injury problems don't help. Theo Walcott is still out and though Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil and - despite speculation that he will be sold - Lukas Podolski are all back, Aaron Ramsey is banned, Mikel Arteta is injured and there are fears that Olivier Giroud will be out for several months.

However, they have most of their defensive heavyweights available and retain the tools for a front six of Mathieu Flamini, Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alexis Sanchez, with Tomas Rosicky, Lukas Podolski, Yaya Sanogo and Joel Campbell in reserve.

In short, the Gunners shouldn't be too nervous, particularly against visitors who have lost six of their last nine European away games, all of those defeats occurring in the Europa League, with conquerors including Tromso, Stoke and Alania Vladikavkaz.

Arsenal Clean Sheet

Four of Arsenal's first-choice back five are fit - Wojciech Szczesny, Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny and Mathieu Debuchy - while new signing Calum Chambers has started all five matches since joining without disappointing. Kieran Gibbs' understudy at left back Nacho Monreal isn't quite the liability that some depict either.

Those players shut Besiktas out at the Ataturk Stadium in what was the north Londoners' tenth clean sheet in 13 Champions League qualifiers, and they should be trusted to deliver again at 2.111/10.

Under 2.5 goals

Arsenal's last six Champions League encounters all provided under 2.5 goals and those were against some of the most gifted attacking teams in the competition such as Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Bayern Munich, so it is a slight surprise that unders is the outsider in this market.

This column is already forecasting that Besiktas will bring no goals to the Emirates scoreboard, and the hosts shouldn't cause it to undergo too many transformations either, having struck twice or less in each of their most recent eight home Champions League fixtures.

Best Bet: Back Arsenal to keep a clean sheet @ 2.111/10
Other Recommended Bet: Back under 2.5 goals @ 2.166/5