Arsenal are falling further and further behind in the race for the Premier League title, but at least their position in the Champions League is secure. Dinamo Zagreb have already sprung a few surprises and have a real chance to qualify if they win at least one more match.
The Gunners have recorded some solid wins in the Champions League and are currently in third position behind Barcelona and Liverpool. Victories over PSG, Sporting and Monaco got them to this position, and their only misstep so far was a minimal loss to Inter.
However, Arsenal are definitely not in a good period and the injury problems are only increasing. The absence of Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka have created significant difficulties for them, and now they lost William Saliba in the game against Aston Villa. On the home stage, Arsenal have only recorded one win in their last five games, and that was in the city derby against Tottenham.
The Croatian league is on winter break and Dinamo Zagreb haven't played an official game for nearly a month. This might reflect positively on the team because their form in recent months has been terrible, to say the least. The Croatian team recorded only three wins in their last 10 matches in all tournaments, but it should be noted that one of them was just in the Champions League against Slovan Bratislava.
It should be noted that Dinamo did quite well in the first six rounds of the competition, recording a win against Salzburg as well. In their last game, they reached a goalless draw with Celtic at home.
How the bookies view it: Overwhelming home advantage
It was quite clear that the home team would be a significant favourite, and at the moment their odds are almost minimal. You can pick Arsenal at 3/20, while Dinamo Zagreb are getting a sizeable 16/1. A draw remains a possibility, albeit a small one, and is available at 8/1.
Recent head-to-head: Zagreb have won in the past
Arsenal and Dinamo Zagreb have met in two editions of the Champions League in the past, with their most recent matches dating back to the 2015/16 season. Interestingly, back then, Dinamo Zagreb recorded a 2-1 win at home before losing 3-0 in the return leg.
Players to watch: Martinelli gets another opportunity to shine
The injury situation makes Arsenal's task a little more difficult, as several of their goalscorers will not take part in the game. At this stage, they have to rely on Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli.
On the other side, 25-year-old Sandro Kulenovic is recording a great season in the Champions League, with five goals in seven games already. He is also the leading scorer in away games in the tournament with his three goals.
Probable line-ups
Arsenal: Raya, Lewis-Skelly, Magalhaes, Timber, Partey, Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard, Trossard, Havertz, Martinelli
Dinamo Zagreb: Zagorac, Moharrami, Theophile-Catherine, Torrente, Pierre-Gabriel, Rog, Kacavenda, Pjaca, Stojkovic, Mbuku, Kulenovic
Anything else catch the eye?
Arsenal are one of the few teams who have not conceded a single goal as hosts. However, it should also be noted that they are far from the highest-scoring home side in the competition.
The choice here is quite difficult because the odds are not very high. We would like to believe that Dinamo Zagreb can score, but we think that Arsenal will not make a mistake and betting on a clean sheet might be the best option at the moment.
This UEFA Champions League match between Arsenal and Dinamo Zagreb will be played on Jan 22, 2025 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Arsenal vs Dinamo Zagreb prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
