Preview: Arsenal Women vs FC Twente Women - prediction, team news, lineups

Arsenal Women will resume their Women’s Champions League campaign with a home match against FC Twente Women on Tuesday.

The Gunners are sitting in 10th spot with six points to their name, while the visitors are four points adrift in 14th position in the league phase.

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Match preview

Arsenal have struggled for consistency in their Women’s Champions League title defence, having won two and lost two of their four league phase matches.

They lost to Lyon and Bayern Munich on either side of a 2-0 victory over Benfica across the first three matchdays, before they claimed a 2-1 win in their home meeting with Real Madrid before the international.

As a result, Renee Slegers’s head into their penultimate league phase game with a two-point buffer to 13th place in the battle for a top-12 spot, while they are three points adrift of the top four.

Arsenal will head into Tuesday’s fixture in a positive mood after they returned from the international window with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Liverpool in the Women’s Super League.

Olivia Smith scored against her former club before she saw her opener cancelled out by Beata Olsson, but just as Arsenal looked set to play out a draw, Blackstenius netted an 87th-minute winner to clinch her side's fifth league win of the season.

The Gunners have now won four of their five WSL home games this season, although they are yet to win at home in Europe this season, having taken just a point from their opening two league phase games at Meadow Park. 

Twente have significant work to do if they are to reach the knockout rounds, with the Dutch champions sitting two points adrift of the top 12.

Having collected just two points from their four league phase matches, Twente head into matchday five as one of five teams yet to win in the UWCL main draw this term.

After picking up an impressive point against Chelsea, Corina Dekker's side went on to lose 2-1 to Leuven on matchday two before playing out a 1-1 draw in their away meeting with Benfica.

Unfortunately for Twente, they were comfortably beaten 4-0 in their most recent European outing against Atletico Madrid, leaving them with work to do in their final two league phase games against Arsenal and Real Madrid if they are to reach the knockout rounds. 

Twente managed to bounce back in their most recent competitive outing against Excelsior on November 23, claiming a 3-1 victory to keep them top of the Vrouwen Eredivisie.

Wednesday's visitors are unbeaten in three consecutive away games, and they will now look to take at least a point off an English side for the second time this season. 

Arsenal Women Women's Champions League form:

Arsenal Women form (all competitions):

FC Twente Women Women's Champions League form:

FC Twente Women form (all competitions):

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Team News

Arsenal remain without Manuela Zinsberger and Katie Reid, while Chloe Kelly is set to miss a second consecutive game with a knee injury.

Anneke Borbe deputised for the injured Daphne van Domselaar on Saturday, and she is now set to make her first UWCL appearance for the club.

Katie McCabe, Caitlin Foord and Blackstenius are pushing for starting spots after coming off the bench to play over half an hour against Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Twente are expected to line up with a back four of Leonie Vliek, Anna Knol, Lieske Carleer and Alieke Tuin.

Jill Roord should return to the midfield after dropping down to the bench for the league meeting with Excelsior before the international break.

Eva Oude Elberink may have to settle for a substitute role despite coming off the bench to score twice in that 3-1 league victory. 

Arsenal Women possible starting lineup:

Borbe; Fox, Wubben-Moy, Catley, McCabe; Smith, Cooney-Cross, Caldentey, Foord; Blackstenius, Russo

FC Twente Women possible starting lineup:

Lemey; Vliek, Knol, Carleer, Tuin; Groenewegen, Roord, Van Ginkel; Hults, Proost, Ravensbergen

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We say: Arsenal Women 3-0 FC Twente Women

Twente struggled in their most recent UWCL outing against Atletico Madrid, and their task does not get any easier with an away game against the reigning European champions.

We believe that Arsenal will have far too quality for the visitors and should run out comfortable winners at Meadow Park.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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