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Preview: A three goal lead should be enough to see the Gunners through
Kieran Gibbs, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud gave Arsenal a comfortable lead heading into their match on Tuesday. For the Gunners, they will need to make sure they avoid complacency against a Fenerbahce side that could could cause problems at the Emirates.
Arsene Wenger's side tends to play under a lot of pressure at home, and that pressure from the crowd tends to leave the players in a very nervous position. Fear of misplacing a pass or being on the end of the fans discontent has caused Arsenal's home matches to be a tense affair for everyone involved, except their opponents.
Knowing that Fenerbahce will come out looking to erase their first leg performance, Arsene Wenger believes his squad will be up for the match, looking to book their place in the Group Stage drawing on Thursday.
"We want to be in the Group Stage the next day," Wenger told Arsenal's official website. "That demands attitude, committement and desire to play the game with full power, like we love to do."
Both sides went into the first match fresh off opening defeats in their domestic leagues, but this time around, both clubs won their respective matches over the weekend.
Arsenal travelled to Craven Cottage to take on a Fulham side that is expected to have a positive campaign, but the Gunners were able to control the match, giving Lukas Podolski a chance to grab his first two goals of the season. The German striker found the back of the net on two occasions, giving the Gunners a chance to grab a third consecutive victory on Tuesday night at the Emirates.
In order to defeat the Turkish for a second time in a week, Arsenal will need another solid performance from Aaron Ramsey, who patroled the midfield in the first leg.
The Welsh midfielder had come under fire a number of times since returning from his horrific injury, but his confidence has allowed him to do great things in the Arsenal midfield. His ability to fill the void left by Mikel Arteta has been a big boost to an Arsenal side that is missing a defensive minded presence in the center of the park. With Ramsey in good spirits, Fenerbahce could be in for another frustrating evening.
Despite having been frustrated at home, the Turkish side will at least arrive in London with a smile, having defeated Eskisehirspor 1-0 at home, with a goal from Dirk Kuyt. The visitors benefited from a penalty kick in the 61st minute, but were unable to convert, giving the Yellow-Navy Blues their first victory in the new campaign.
They could also benefit from their first victory in the Champions League Playoff, although it will take an incredible performance to knock off Arsenal. The visitors not only need a victory, but they need four goals and a winning margin of at least three goals.
While it is obviously possible, needing to score so many goals will likely leave the Turkish side vulnerable at the back. If Arsenal is able to take advantage of their counter-attack as they did in Turkey and on Saturday against Fulham, Fenerbahce could be in for a long night in London.
Where to watch the match - live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Arsenal vs Fenerbahce live on Tuesday, August 27, 2013:
In Canada at 14:45 ET on: Sportsnet World Online, Sportsnet Ontario / East / West / Pacific
In the UK at 19:45 BST on: ITV 1, ITV HD, BBC Radio 5 Live
In the USA at 14:45 ET on: Fox Soccer 2Go, FOX Deportes, Fox Sports 1
If you are outside Canada, UK or the USA, please view the TV schedule tab on the Arsenal-Fenerbahce match page. You can also follow this UEFA Champions League playoff match with live scores on LiveSoccerTV's homepage.
