Arsenal will kickstart their 2019/20 campaign Europa League campaign when they face Eintracht Frankfurt at the Commerzbank Arena tonight. The Gunners will be low on confidence, coming on the back of a disappointing 2-2 draw with Watford in their last game.
And they will need to be careful when approaching Frankfurt, who were the semi-finalists of last season’s Europa League. In this article, we will talk about three Frankfurt players Arsenal will need to be aware of tomorrow afternoon.
Filip Kostic
Filip Kostic has become a key component of the Eintracht Frankfurt side since joining from Hamburger SV. His tenacity and ability to storm forward from the left flank could cause problems for the Arsenal defence, especially with the inexperienced Ainsley Maitland-Niles playing as a right-back.
Kostic is known for whipping in dangerous crosses into the box, feeding the two central strikers. Additionally, his aggression means he is quite useful in pressing and can win back possession for his team. Therefore, the Gunners should look to occupy the Serbian as much as they can by using Nicolas Pepe on the right flank.
Allowing Kostic to get forward, otherwise, will peg back Arsenal and make them vulnerable to conceding goals like they did against Watford.
Daichi Kamada
Daichi Kamada is the creator-in-chief for Eintracht Frankfurt, having made his breakthrough this summer. The Japanese is quite skilled in possession and will be expected to provide the creative essence in the final third. Furthermore, he also has a knack for scoring goals – something Arsenal will need to be careful of.
The defensive duo of David Luiz and Sokratis has looked susceptible against creative players, notably failing to cope with the threat of Gerard Deulofeu in the last game. Kamada, in that regard, provides a similar threat and the Gunners must find way a way to silence the Frankfurt star if they are to salvage anything from this game.
Andre Silva
Andre Silva endured a rough start to his Bundesliga career as Eintracht Frankfurt lost to FC Augsburg. But, the Portuguese international will seek to redeem himself against Arsenal this time around. He is a complete striker who can get back and link-up with teammates.
Also, the ex-Sevilla star can provide a physical presence in the final third. But most importantly, his aggressive style of play is ideally suited to Adi Hutter’s counter-attacking philosophy. That means he is likely to play a crucial role in Frankfurt’s first line of press. He will be looking to put pressure on the two centre-halves, both of who have looked uncomfortable playing out from the back in the last game.
