Can strikers find their shooting boots? What to look out for in Arsenal v Rapid Vienna

Alexandre Lacazette

Can strikers find their shooting boots? What to expect from Arsenal v Rapid Vienna

By Adam Le Roux

Well, we’re here again. Arsenal heading into a European fixture off the back of a defeat in the Premier League has become something of a familiar sight in the past month or so.

This time it is Rapid Vienna who come to visit the Emirates on Thursday, with the Gunners looking to bounce back after Wolves came to London and got all three points last weekend.

It’s just one win in six domestic matches for Mikel Arteta and his side, with question marks starting to appear over the Spaniard’s tenure as head coach after a year in the hot seat.

Matches on the continent have proved a much happier hunting ground so far this season, with Arsenal picking up maximum points from their four Europa League group stage fixtures this season, with qualification to the knockout stages already in the bag.

The visit of the Austrian side could be seen as a welcome distraction from the gripes of the English game but with a North London Derby on the horizon, will the boss be tempted to make wholesale changes?

Shot shy strikers need to sharpen up

The numbers don’t lie. Arsenal’s lack of goals have been costing them dearly so far this season, with the misfiring frontline compounding their woes in the current campaign.

Just three teams in the Premier League have attempted fewer shots than the Gunners this season, which exemplifies just how tough they are finding it in front of goal.

Gabriel’s equaliser at the Emirates on Sunday at least put an end to a stretch of over eight hours of league football without a Premier League goal from open play, and Thursday’s match will give them a chance to sharpen their goalscoring instincts ahead of the festive period.

Alexandre Lacazette will be looking to prove himself to his boss against the Viennese outfit, after the Frenchman was left on the bench at the weekend, only getting on the field for the last ten minutes despite the one-goal deficit in the second-half.

Conversely, the Gunners have been scoring goals at will in Europe, with 12 goals from their four matches in the competition, and will be looking to make the most of what is effectively a dead rubber to rediscover some sort of form.

Will Nic continue to look slick?

Nicolas Pepe played like a man with a point to prove in the 3-0 victory against Molde in Arsenal’s last Europa League match, with the Ivorian a constant menace to the Norwegian side’s defence before eventually opening the scoring.

The mercurial winger still has some way to go to get himself back into the good books after a flurry of ineffective performances this season, culminating in his red card in the 0-0 draw with Leeds United ten days ago, but it was a sign of progress.

The 25-year-old has flitted in and out of the starting XI this season but with a domestic suspension that will last until mid-December, he has the chance to play without fear and release the shackles in Europe, with qualification already secured.

Another eye-catching performance against Rapid Vienna on Thursday would really start to convince Arsenal fans and Mikel Arteta alike that he is worthy of a recall when Southampton visit the Emirates on December 16, with the former-Lille man reacting maturely to his act of petulance in Yorkshire.

Partey’s problems are persisting

The longer Arsenal are missing Thomas Partey, the longer they will continue to get exposed in the middle of the park, leaving them vulnerable at the back.

The Ghanaian will once again not be available for selection on Thursday, as the thigh injury that forced him off at half time in the 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa continues to rule him out of action.

It is now nearly a month since the 27-year-old picked up the knock, and the Gunners’ performances have visibly dropped in that time, with just a point from their two Premier League matches since.

The former Atletico Madrid man’s presence on the pitch looked to have reinvigorated his teammates in his short stint in the first team, with a dominant display in the 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford a particular standout.

The sooner he gets back the better, and Arteta admits that although he is on the road to recovery, the £45m man is still a while away from pulling on the red and white shirt once again.

“We knew it was a significant injury. He’s done very well and he’s working very hard, he wants to be available,” the Spaniard said.

“I don’t think he will be with us in the next few games but still, we’ve been missing a lot of players.”

Photo credit: Getty Images

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