Arsenal welcome Lens to the Emirates Stadium with a simple equation dictating their passage to the Champions League last 16. A point and they are through, all three and they will be guaranteed to finish as group winners. Securing a passage to the knockout rounds would be no mean feat for a team back in the competition for the first time since 2017, no matter how favorable the group.
Mikel Arteta will need no reminding though that qualification is far from a given against last season's Ligue 1 runners up. Indeed when these two met on Matchday 2, Lens emerged 2-1 victors in front of a raucous Stade Bollaert-Delelis, the peak of a much improved run of form for the French side, who have lost only once in all competitions since the Champions League began. Here is how you can watch the match and what you need to know:
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Viewing information
- Date: Wednesday, Nov. 29 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Emirates Stadium -- London
- Watch: Paramount+
- Odds: Arsenal -350; Draw +450; Lens +750
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Storylines
Arsenal: Aside from their longer term absentees, the Gunners could well be without Ben White and Fabio Vieira for Wednesday's game after both missed training on Tuesday. The absence of the former could pose a particular headache for Arteta, who might be reluctant to use Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko three times in a week at full back.
So far, however, it has not particularly mattered who has lined up in the Arsenal backline; whatever the personnel they have looked impregnable. That is particularly true in the Champions League, where the 2.1 expected goals they have allowed is a tally bettered only by Manchester City. That fearsome defense could be extremely valuable come the knockouts and Arsenal will be hoping their place in them is confirmed very soon.
Lens: Results are on the up for Franck Haise's side, who beat Clermont 3-0 on their return from the international break, a third win in four Ligue 1 matches. However, in the Champions League Lens have slowed down at a decisive moment, picking up just one point from two games against PSV Eindhoven, who they are level with on five points, four behind Arsenal but two ahead of Sevilla.
Having missed the win over Clermont, left back Deiver Machado made the squad that traveled across the Channel. The Colombian excelled in the 2-1 win over the Gunners on home turf and will be out to impress again.
Prediction
Arsenal have developed quite the habit of winning tight games and should be able to do the same on Wednesday. PICK: Arsenal 2, Lens 0
Champions League broadcast schedule
All times Eastern
| Wednesday, Nov. 29 | Time | How to watch |
|---|---|---|
Galatasaray vs. Manchester United | 12:45 p.m. | Paramount+ |
Sevilla vs. PSV | 12:45 p.m. | Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network |
UEFA Champions League Today pre-match | 2 p.m. | Paramount+, CBS Sports Network |
| The Golazo Show | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
Bayern Munich vs. Copenhagen | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
Real Madrid vs. Napoli | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
Real Sociedad vs. RB Salzbrug | 3 p.m. | Paramount+, CBS Sports Network |
Braga vs. Union Berlin | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
Arsenal vs. Lens | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
Benfica vs. Inter | 3 p.m. | Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network |
UEFA Champions League Today post-match | 5 p.m. | Paramount+. CBS Sports Network |
The Champions Club | 6 p.m. | CBS Sports Golazo Network |
Scoreline | 9 p.m. | CBS Sports Golazo Network |
