Arsenal v Lille: Gunners backed to make winning Champions League return at Emirates

Arsenal host Lille in their first home match of the 2026-27 Champions League campaign on Tuesday, with the meeting also the first between the two clubs. Mikel Arteta’s side began with a 1-0 win at Napoli, while Lille lost 3-2 at home to Real Betis after being reduced to 10 men.

Martin Ødegaard scored Arsenal’s winner 15 minutes from time, although the result did not reflect their dominance. They recorded 4.05 expected goals at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, their highest total in a Champions League match.

Arsenal have not lost in the Champions League league phase since a 1-0 defeat by Inter Milan in November 2024 and the victory in Naples was their 13th in a row. They have lost only two of their past 31 league-phase or group-stage matches in UEFA competitions, while scoring at least three goals in five of their past six home games at this stage.

The English champions returned to Emirates Stadium on Saturday with a 2-1 comeback win against Leeds United, ending the Whites’ unbeaten start to the Premier League season. However, Arsenal have conceded six goals in their past three matches in all competitions, having allowed only one in their opening six.

Lille’s difficult European record

Lille led twice against Real Betis in their opening Champions League match and were 2-1 ahead at half-time. Marc Bartra equalised after the break before Troy Parrott scored the winner, with Ethan Mbappe Lottin then sent off for elbowing Real Betis defender Natan in the face. Lille were behind and down to 10 men within 11 minutes of the restart.

Davide Ancelotti’s side have responded with six points from their past three Ligue 1 matches. They beat Troyes and Le Havre either side of a defeat by Nice, with Nottingham Forest loanee Dilane Bakwa scoring in Saturday’s 1-0 win over 10-man Le Havre. The result left Lille second, one point behind Monaco, who drew with Toulouse.

Lille have lost their past eight away matches against English clubs. Their last victory in England came against Aston Villa in the Intertoto Cup in 2002.

Team news and predictions

Ethan Mbappe Lottin faces a three-match suspension and will also miss Lille’s games against Galatasaray on 21 October and Bodø/Glimt on 3 November. An ankle injury will keep the 19-year-old out for three weeks.

Tiago Santos was carried off against Le Havre with a knee injury, while Romain Perraud went off with an unspecified problem. Hamza Igamane remains out with cruciate-ligament damage. Nathan Ngoy, absent on Saturday, is expected to return, while Basar Onal also missed the match.

Olivier Giroud, now 40, started Lille’s last game but is expected to make way for Ayase Ueda. Arsenal remain without Christos Tzolis and William Saliba, while Piero Hincapie suffered an ankle injury in Saturday’s recovery session. Declan Rice, Max Dowman, Ezri Konsa and Kai Havertz were all cleared to play against Leeds after missing international duty.

Arsenal’s suggested line-up is Raya; Timber, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Bruno Guimaraes, Zubimendi; Saka, Ødegaard, Eberechi Eze; Viktor Gyokeres. Lille could select Ozer; Ngoy, Nianzou, Alexsandro, Verdonk; Andre, Bentaleb; Bakwa, Haraldsson, Perrin; Ueda.

The recommended tips are Arsenal to win and fewer than 3.5 goals at 1.95, Martin Ødegaard to be decisive at 2.15, and Viktor Gyokeres to score at 1.96. Arsenal’s form is V, V, V, V, D, V in all competitions and Lille’s is N, V, D, V, D, V. Arsenal are backed to win a second successive European match.