Arsenal v. CSKA Moscow - Analysis of my predictions

Gut Feeling: CSKA Moscow have only scored twice in their three previous Champions League games, yet they sit on top of the group with 7 points, courtesy of two one-nil victories at home and a goalless draw at Porto. I concede that they are a tough, hard working outfit but I cannot see them holding Arsenal at bay tonight. The Gunners will have something to prove after dropping 2 points on Saturday and I see an impressive victory on the cards.

CSKA led a charmed life last night and I cannot explain how they kept a clean sheet in a game in which they were so completely and utterly dominated.

What Arsenal Need: To convert a higher percentage of goal scoring chances and to avoid conceding early on in the match.

Arsenal had some 24 shots on goal and could still not find the net. They kept a clean sheet, but Lehmann was never really stretched.

Things To Watch Out For: It will be interesting to see how Arsenal approach the match. I feel that they will go for the jugular from the whistle, but they will need to remain patient if the breakthrough doesn't come early.

They did go for the jugular but spent all night trying to find it... and they never did. The frustration grew as the goal didn't look like coming but on another day this match could have been won by five or six.

Hopes For The Match: Arsenal need to be more efficient in front of goal. With one goal scored from 29 shots on Saturday it would be difficult not to improve in that area.

Arsenal were impotent once again, despite creating 25 shots on goal. Open goals were missed, headers flashed by posts and the side netting was stung, but no-one got the job done.

My team selection for this game:

Henry

Rosicky, Gilberto, Fabregas, Hleb, van Persie

Clichy, Gallas, Toure, Hoyte

Lehmann

Subs: Almunia, Senderos, Djourou, Flamini, Song, Aliadiere, Walcott

The team selection was accurate.

If Clichy and Hoyte are not healthy enough to play tonight the back four will look like this:

Gallas, Djourou, Toure, Flamini

Long-term issues: Arsenal need to kill off matches that are there to be killed off.

This match should have been killed off after twenty minutes but Arsenal conspired to keep it level to the end and in a nervous last few minutes CSKA nearly stole three undeserved points.

The following players are still out injured.
Emmanuel Eboue (knee), Emmanuel Adebayor (thigh), Lauren (knee), Abou Diaby (ankle), Julio Baptista (hamstring) and Freddie Ljungberg (calf).

With so many injuries there is little depth on the bench, which manifested itself as Walcott, Aliadiere and Flamini as second-half substitutes. Wenger needs the injured players back soon to put pressure on those that are not performing.

Prediction: Arsenal 2 CSKA Moscow 0
Score: Arsenal 0 CSKA Moscow 0