Atalanta vs Arsenal Predictions

• Atalanta have won six of their last seven home matches 
• Arsenal won only one of their five Champions League away games last season, losing three times
• La Dea’s last seven matches have gone over 2.5 goals

Arsenal aiming to build on derby win

Despite numerous big-name absentees, Arsenal dug deep to beat their bitter rivals Spurs 1-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday and the momentum gained from that derby-day victory should aid them ahead of a tricky trip to Italy. 

The Gunners head to Bergamo on Thursday to take on Europa League champions Atalanta and will be highly motivated following Gabriel’s winner in the north London derby. 

Mikel Arteta’s side were without first-choice midfielders Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino for the derby but the Spaniard demonstrated his coaching pedigree by getting an elite defensive display from his depleted Gunners and that resilience should serve them well in Europe this term.

Hosts can be tough to beat in Bergamo

However, Atalanta themselves also dug deep on Sunday, coming from behind to beat Fiorentina 3-2, and they may need a repeat of that determination against an Arsenal side who have the defenders to frustrate opponents and the attackers to hurt them. 

The Gunners can be considered one of Europe’s elite having closely challenged juggernauts Manchester City for the Premier League title in consecutive seasons and given Atalanta lost their previous game 4-0 to the Serie A champions Inter Milan, some may expect them to struggle on Thursday. 

But La Dea were excellent when winning the Europa League last term, especially when beating previously unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the final, and their home form has been exceptional for a while now. 

Atalanta have won six of their last seven home games, a record which should hold them in good stead ahead of a match against a side who struggled on their European travels last term.

Lookman likely to catch the eye

The Gunners won only one of their five Champions League away games last season in a run which included defeats at Lens, Porto and Bayern Munich, suggesting this trip to Bergamo may not be as straightforward as some are expecting. 

The experience of their Europa League win will keep them motivated ahead of this clash and the smart additions of Odilon Kossounou, Juan Cuadrado and Raoul Bellanova mean they are arguably stronger defensively than last season too, so they could have enough to frustrate the Gunners. 

That is not to say Atalanta are lacking talent further forward, though, as Ademola Lookman has built on his hat-trick in the Europa League final by notching a goal and an assist in his first Serie A appearance of the season against Fiorentina on Sunday and the lively Nigerian forward could continue his fine form by netting against Arsenal.