Napoli vs Arsenal Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2026-27 UEFA Champions League | League Phase
by Alex Lawes ·
English champions Arsenal and last season’s UEFA Champions League runners’ up kick off their league phase campaign with a trip to Naples to face Napoli this week.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV & online: UK – TNT Sports & HBO Max / USA – Paramount+
Napoli preview: Pressure on already
Former Juventus and AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri replaced Antonio Conte at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona this summer and after a tough end to last season with Milan, the pressure may well already be on Allegri this season.
After a solid 2-0 defeat of likely strugglers Genoa in their opener, Napoli then succumbed to a 2-1 loss at home to Como before being beaten 3-2 by defending Serie A champions Internazionale at the weekend, despite having a 2-0 lead in the second half.
Arsenal preview: Strong start
Unlike Napoli, Arsenal are well settled and appear to have already got into their groove from last year with an intention to become more proactive this time around as they seek to win multiple trophies this season, having already won the Community Shield.
After their 3-0 defeat of Manchester City in the Community Shield in Cardiff, Arsenal have gone on to win three from three in the Premier League – coming from behind to defeat Chelsea by two goals to one at the Emirates the other day.
Napoli team news: No McTominay
Scott McTominay has required surgery for a mild arrythmia and so is unavailable for a while with key defender Alessandro Buongiorno suffering a knee injury in pre-season also sidelined for the Partenopei.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Marin, Spinazzola; Anguissa, Lobotka, De Bruyne; Politano, Hojlund, Alisson
Unavailable: Buongiorno (Injured), Marianucci (Injured), McTominay (Illness), Giovane (Injured)
Questionable:
Arsenal team news: Defensive doubts
Cristhian Mosquera remains a doubt for this one after missing out against Chelsea with Ezri Konsa coming in for his full debut, while Jurrien Timber is also working his way back to full fitness.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Odegaard, Tzolis; Havertz
Unavailable: Saliba (Injured)
Questionable: Mosquera (Injured), Timber (Injured)
Napoli vs Arsenal prediction
Massimiliano Allegri’s style of football is hardly electric, nor has it even been even when it was at its best about a decade ago. He has only become more entrenched in his desire to frustrate the opposition and that ‘winning isn’t the most important thing but the only thing that matters’. Arsenal follow a similar mantra under Mikel Arteta but with a lot more effectiveness and The Gunners should be sided with in a likely low-scoring encounter down in Naples on Wednesday.
Napoli vs Arsenal Tip: Double chance – Arsenal to win or draw & under 3.5 goals
