Arsenal face stern test as Tottenham Hotspurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea lay ambush
By Tanko Bauka
Mikel Arteta and his boys will have their hands full once again at the resumption of major leagues across the globe after the International break.
Arsenal, topping the English Barclays Premier League table with 25 points, four ahead of Manchester City, welcome one of their fiercest rivals in the league, Tottenham Hotspur, to the Emirates Stadium in London.
The London Derby marks the start of a challenging and demanding series of matches that the Gunners must navigate as they put their title credentials to the test.
Arsenal would play close-door neighbours Tottenham Hotspur this weekend in the domestic league, then welcome their long-time nemesis Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League before travelling to Stamford Bridge to take another dangerous opponent, Chelsea, next weekend, after which Brentford await them in another cracker to cap up the month of November.
To add salt to injury the Gunners would be without Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calofiori who picked up injuries during the international break while playing for their country and already the Gunners are without the service of Kai Havertz, Martin Odergaard, Gabriel Martenellis, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus who are not nursing various degrees of injuries.
With the numerous injuries to first-team players, the football world will be watching to see how the Gunners navigate the enormous challenge as they seek silverware this season. Chelsea travel to take on Burnley. Manchester City would have Newcastle United to contend with at Saint James Park, with Liverpool hoping to put behind them the 3-0 bashing at the hands of Manchester City as they welcome resurgent Nottingham Forest to Anfield Stadium.
Fulham welcome the ever impressive Sunderland to Craven Cottage Stadium to see if they can dent the momentum of the Stadium of Light landlord while Ruben Amorim Manchester United ambushed Everton at the Old Trafford to wrestle the three points at stake with Brighton and Hove and Brentford confronting each other at the American Express Community Stadium while AFC Bournamount entertain another resurgent team, West Ham United at the Vitality Stadium with Wolves fighting the battle of their lives waiting pretty at home to take on Crystal Palace, Leeds United welcome Aston Villa in the last match for the week.
In the Spanish La Liga, FC Barcelona, seeking to displace Real Madrid at the top of the league table, welcome Athletic Bilbao to Camp Nou, while Osasuna engage Real Sociedad, with Villarreal welcoming Mallorca.
Real Madrid cannot afford any further slip as they are on the road to take on Elche while Getafe entertain Atletico Madrid.
In the Italian Serie A, the defending Champion Napoli has a Herculean task as they prepare to welcome inconsistent Atalanta which has just parted company with their head coach due to poor results while San Siro would be on fire as the two Milan giants, Inter Milan and AC Milan face off in the Milan Derby that divide family and the city.
Udinese host Bologna while Cremonese welcome AS Roma, as Lazio battles Lecce with Cesc Fabregas, Como travels to engage Torino, while Fiorentina hosts Juventus, and Hellas Verona hosts Parma.
In the German Bundesliga, Heidenheim engages Bayern Monchenglabach with Wolfsburg targeting the three points against Bayer Leverkusen, while Borussia Dortmund hosts Stuttgart.
Bayern Munich battle SC Freiburg as Koln tackle Eintracht Frankfurt, while RB Leipzig welcome Werder Bremen, with FC St Pauli hosting Union Berlin.
Fixtures across Europe
English Barclays Premier League
Saturday
Burnley vs Chelsea
Wolves Vs Crystal Palace
Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest
Fulham vs Sunderland
Brighton Albion vs Brentford
AFC Bournemouth vs West Ham
Newcastle vs Manchester City
Leeds United vs Aston Villa
Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur
Monday
Manchester United vs Everton
Spanish La Liga
Friday
Valencia vs Lavente
Saturday
Deportivo Alaves vs Celta Vigo
FC Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao
Osasuna vs Real Sociedad
Villarreal vs Mallorca
Sunday
Real Oviedo vs Rayo Vallacano
Real Betis vs Girona
Gatafe vs Atletico Madrid
Elche vs Real Madrid
Monday
Espanyol vs Sevilla
Italian Serie A
Saturday
Udinese vs Bologna
Cagliari vs Genoa
Fiorentina vs Juventus
Napoli vs Atalanta
Sunday
Hellas Verona vs Parma
Cremonese vs AS Roma
Lazio vs Lacce
Inter Milan vs AC Milan
Monday
Torino vs Como
Sassoulo vs Pisa SC
German Bundesliga
Friday
Mainz 05 vs Hoffenheim
Saturday
Heidenheim vs Monchenglabach
FC Augsburg vs Hamburger
Wolfsburg vs Leverkusen
Borussia Dortmund vs Stuttgart
Bayern Munich vs SC Freiburg
Koln vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Sunday
RB Leipzig vs Werder Bremen
FC St Pauli vs Union Berlin
