Arsenal must win against Olympiacos to keep Champions League qualification hopes alive, admits Arsene Wenger

Arsenal lost opening Champions League game against Dinamo Zagreb
The Gunners must play Bayern Munich home and away in tough group
Arsenal face Olympiacos on Tuesday night at home
And Arsene Wenger admits his team cannot afford another slip-up

Published:
12:01 GMT, 28 September 2015

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Updated:
15:46 GMT, 28 September 2015

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists tomorrow’s Champions League clash against Olympiacos is already a ‘must win’ game.

The Gunners welcome the Greek side to the Emirates Stadium as they look to bounce back from their shock defeat against Dinamo Zagreb on matchday one.

Arsenal’s next two fixtures in the competition are against Bayern Munich; placing more importance on tomorrow’s clash given the outstanding quality of Pep Guardiola’s team.

Arsene Wenger has admitted that anything but three points would be a major blow for Arsenal on Tuesday

Alexis Sanchez (left), who scored a hattrick in Arsenal’s 5-2 win over Leicester, is put through his paces

Theo Walcott takes on Mesut Ozil in training with Sanchez looking on, as Arsenal prepared for Olympiacos

Club legend Robert Pires, who joined in the training session at his former club, watches as Walcott beats Ozil

Arsene Wenger makes a point to Mesut Ozil as Arsenal geared up for the visit of the Greek champions

MARTIN SAMUEL’S VIEW

Sportsmail’s Martin Samuel says Arsenal must win against Olympiacos to keep Champions League hopes alive.

And Wenger admits, despite this clash being only the club’s second in Europe this season, it is already crucial.

Arsenal face something of a crisis in central midfield however, with club captain Mikel Arteta and Frenchman Mathieu Flamini both out of Tuesday’s game.

Francis Coquelin returned to training on Monday but Wenger said he was still yet to be certain over the midfielder’s fitness.

‘He has been back since yesterday and I will have to see how he responds to two days training, but he looks alright,’ said Wenger.

‘Both [the others] have slight muscular problems, but I think Flamini has a scan today and Arteta certainly as well.’

Wenger admitted that his side’s busy schedule, which saw them beat Tottenham and Leicester last week before playing Olympiacos and Manchester United in the seven days to come, counts against Premier League clubs.

The Gunners won at the King Power Stadium and White Hart Lane in the space of just four days, with little chance for wholesale changes to the team, which Wenger contrasted to the Greek side.

‘Olympiacos dominates their league, they are a team with a big advantage – they dominate their league easily so they can prepare for these kinds of games,’ he said.

‘They know how to compete in the Champions league – they are well organised and have some players who know the Premier League as well like Cambiasso and Kasami who both played in England. They know what the Premier League is about.

‘When you go to Leicester and see who sits on the bench at Leicester, that has changed in England.

‘It makes every game very difficult and demands a lot of mental concentration to get it right as well.

‘We want to do well in the Champions League and when you’re a big club you have to face that and deal with it.’

Wenger watches over his squad as they were put through their paces at the club’s training ground on Monday

French stars Francis Coquelin and Laurent Koscielny enjoy a laugh together during Monday’s training session

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Santi Cazorla enjoy a kick-around ahead of the crucial game on Tuesday night

Meanwhile, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain admits he can lack self-confidence at times following Wenger’s comments last week.

The Gunners manager said last week that the England star needed show more self belief.

And Oxlade-Chamberlain himself has reinforced Wenger’s view; revealing his father – ex-England star Mark Chamberlain – shares his manager’s view.

‘It’s what my dad says as well so there might be a little bit of a trend here,’ admitted the winger.

‘I’m quite critical of myself and I try to demand quite high standards of myself. Sometimes maybe that can work in a negative fashion. That’s something that I need to work on.

‘Self-belief is obviously a massive part of the game. I might need to start showing that I believe in myself a bit more around [the boss].’

Mesut Ozil, who has been in superb form for the Gunners for much of this season, strikes a ball in training

Ozil talks with Coquelin, who could return from injury for the crucial Champions League group game

German centre back Per Mertesacker walks out to train with his goalkeeper Petr Cech on Monday monring

The England star also paid tribute to the returning Coquelin, who he described as ‘an amazing player’.

Coquelin only became a regular at the club last season after a succession of loan spells, but is now a key player for the Gunners.

‘Francis has always been an amazing player,’ said Oxlade-Chamberlain.

‘When you’re at a club like Arsenal, sometimes it can be hard to find opportunities but he’s someone who has a great attitude.

‘Sometimes going out on loan can be hard for players to do but he’s gone out on loan, proved himself by playing well then came back and took his opportunity. He’s someone that I love having in the team.

‘When I think about Arsenal I think he’s a massive vocal part of our team, and he proves that week after week and in training as well.

‘Everything that he does is different to what a lot of the other boys in our team can do and I think that’s crucial to the team because he brings something different.

‘As long as he keeps doing that I’m sure he’s going to keep progressing as a player and helping this team.’