The prospect of a warm-weather training camp in Dubai should be all the motivation that Arsenal need to defeat Dinamo Zagreb in Wednesday's Champions League showdown, according to Gunners expert Charles Watts.
Thanks to results going their way on Tuesday evening, Mikel Arteta's side are already assured of a spot in the playoffs at the very least but can take a huge step towards finishing in the top eight of the 36-team table by beating their Croatian foes.
Should the Gunners get the job done against Fabio Cannavaro's side, they will be virtually assured of direct qualification to the last 16 without the need for a two-legged playoff, which will take place in the second and third week of February.
As Arsenal were also eliminated from the FA Cup at the first hurdle by Manchester United, they currently have a 10-day gap in between matches against Newcastle United (February 5) and Leicester City (February 15), which could be a prime time for their customary trip to the Middle East.
Arsenal's warm-weather camp in Dubai last year was credited with their exceptional turnaround in the second half of the season, where they won 16 of their last 18 Premier League games, and Watts has refused to downplay the significance of a possible mid-season trip, telling Sports Mole: "Really important game.
"Dubai's on the line and we know how important Dubai was to Arsenal last season. If they can do this and basically guarantee themselves a top eight spot, then Dubai looks very, very realistic, which Mikel Arteta would absolutely love because he loves it over there.
Arsenal would "jump at the chance" to go to Dubai
"They're out of the FA Cup, if they don't have to play those two extra games and there is a nice little space at a time when Arsenal can use it to go away and have a warm training camp, which they would absolutely jump at the opportunity to do. So it is a really big game for quite a few reasons for Arsenal.
"You want to bounce back after what happened against Aston Villa. They're at home, they've been very strong in the Champions League at home over the last couple of seasons since returning to the competition.
"With all due respect to Zagreb, they're not the strongest of sides. We'd hope that Arsenal are going to have enough to get past them relatively comfortably. It'd be nice to have a comfortable win as well for Arsenal, not one that feels like it's on a knife edge, which most games have so far this season."
The Gunners have been near-flawless at home in the Champions League since returning to the European big time in 2023, winning seven and drawing one of their eight contests at the Emirates and keeping clean sheets in all three home successes so far this season.
Victory for Arsenal on Wednesday evening could also see them set a new European Cup/Champions League record, and Arteta is hopeful of having both Riccardo Calafiori and Ethan Nwaneri available again after injury.
However, William Saliba, Ben White, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu will play no part in the contest, limiting Arteta's ability to make changes on the right-hand side of both defence and attack.
Watts: 'The Champions League will finally get exciting'
© Imago
Nevertheless, Watts can envisage a few alterations and is excited by the prospect of some "jeopardy" in Arsenal's final two Champions League games, adding: "It'll be interesting to see who he plays.
"Does he take the opportunity to change things up a little bit? Do you bring in Jorginho? Do you give players like Kiwior a chance, which I would hope that he does. But there's a few others as well that you could potentially bring on.
"The lesser spotted Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney's still there. They're not going to make wholesale changes, but I think he will use the opportunity to make a few with that trip to Wolves on the horizon.
"It's been a bit of a slog, this Champions League. But this is the point where finally there's some jeopardy on these games, and it's actually going to get exciting. Not just for Arsenal, but for everyone. It's been a weird format, we've all taken quite a while to get used to it, and I think we'll continue to get used to it over the next couple of seasons.
"But these are certainly the games now that you look at, there's a lot riding on every single game. And a lot of teams in that top eight are playing each other over these next two games. So if Arsenal can get the three points, then they can sit back and watch what everyone else is doing against each other. And they'll be in a really, really strong position."
While Arsenal will be heavy favourites to get the job done against Dinamo Zagreb, they head into the midweek fixture having only won one of their last five matches in all competitions, a measly run that has seriously harmed their prospects of domestic silverware.
The Gunners will not be adding to their 14 FA Cup crowns this season, they will require a monumental comeback to reverse their 2-0 first-leg loss against Newcastle United in the EFL Cup semi-finals, and they are six points behind Liverpool in the Premier League table after Saturday's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
Is the Champions League Arsenal's best chance of silverware?
© Imago
As Arne Slot's men also have a game in hand, Watts thinks that the Champions League - which Arsenal are still yet to win - now represents their best chance for a trophy in the 2024-25 campaign, and he cannot see any team wanting to come up against Arteta's side in the knockout rounds.
"You look at it and think it's their best opportunity of silverware," Watts added. "They're out of the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, they're virtually out. Premier League's looking very, very unlikely. And the Champions League, if they can get themselves through to the quarter-finals, then you've got a really, really good chance.
"You'll need a little bit of luck along the way, but it is just basically knockout football over two legs. And Arsenal do defend well, aside from eight minutes against Aston Villa. I don't think any team in Europe will want to draw Arsenal in those knockout games.
"They'll be tough to beat over 180 minutes. I don't know about the priority because I don't think they're ready to wave the white flag in the Premier League just yet. But no one would remember the frustration that has been this Premier League season if Arsenal go on and win the Champions League.
"First time in the club's history, it'd be a momentous, momentous thing. A long way to go before that happens, obviously. But while that's there and they're still in the competition, there's still a chance to salvage something very, very special from this season."
Following Wednesday's visit of Dinamo Zagreb, Arsenal's last league phase game comes away to Spanish outfit Girona on January 29, two days before the draw for the knockout round playoffs is made.
Ben Knapton
