Ludogorets visit marks first for Arsenal

Arsenal FC take on Bulgarian opponents for the first time in UEFA competition looking to maintain their unbeaten start with a second win, while PFC Ludogorets Razgrad seek a belated lift-off for their Group A challenge.

Match background

Arsenal
• The Gunners began their 19th successive group stage campaign with a 1-1 draw away to Paris Saint-Germain where Olivier Giroud was sent off in added time. They then beat FC Basel 1893 at home with an early pair of Theo Walcott goals.

• In each of the last six seasons Arsenal have fallen in the round of 16, going down 5-1 on aggregate to FC Barcelona in 2015/16 (0-2 home, 1-3 away). In their group home matches last term they first lost 3-2 to Olympiacos FC before beating FC Bayern München 2-0 and GNK Dinamo Zagreb 3-0.

• The Barcelona reverse means Arsenal have lost seven and won eight of their last 16 home games in the competition proper.

Ludogorets
• Their only previous visit to England ended in a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool FC in the 2014/15 group stage, their only previous appearance at this stage.

• Dani Abalo equalised in added time (90+1) only for Steven Gerrard to pop up with the winner from the penalty spot two minutes later. Ludogorets lost all three away games in that campaign.

• The reverse fixture with Liverpool ended 2-2, a key result as the Reds failed to reach the round of 16.

• Ludogorets' second UEFA Champions League group stage campaign began with a 1-1 draw in Basel. Two weeks later they lost 3-1 at home to Paris – in both games they had taken the lead before being pegged back.

• After winning the Bulgarian title for the fifth season in a row, Ludogorets scored 15 goals in the qualifying campaign to book their return to the group stage.

• They first beat FK Mladost Podgorica 2-0 at home and 3-0 away. Against FK Crvena zvezda they followed a 2-2 draw at home with a 4-2 extra-time win away. Wanderson scored three of the goals in the away leg.

• In the play-offs a 2-0 home win over FC Viktoria Plzeň set up a 4-2 aggregate victory.

Coach and player links
• Claidiu Keșerü was a team-mate of Laurent Koscielny and Giroud at French second division side Tours FC in 2008/09.

• Igor Plastun and Lucas Pérez were team-mates at Ukrainian side FC Karpaty Lviv during 2012/13.

Match facts

Arsenal
• Olivier Giroud is available after serving a one-game ban on matchday two.

• Arsenal are ten matches unbeaten since the 4-3 loss to Liverpool on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

• The Gunners had not conceded in 409 minutes prior to Gylfi Sigurdsson's effort for Swansea City FC in Saturday's 3-2 victory for the Gunners.

• Alexis Sánchez has scored five goals in his last eight outings for Arsenal.

• Giroud suffered a recurrence of his foot problem on duty with France and is expected to be sidelined until the end of the month.

• Aaron Ramsey has not played since the opening day of the season because of a hamstring problem.

• Granit Xhaka captained Switzerland for the first time as they won 2-1 in Andorra on 10 October in the European Qualifiers. He was sent off against Swansea.

• Alex Iwobi scored his first international goal with a volley as Nigeria won 2-1 in Zambia on 9 October in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. Nacho Monreal won his first cap in three years as Spain beat Albania 2-0 the same day.

• Arsène Wenger marked 20 years as Arsenal boss on 1 October.

• Captain Per Mertesacker is not in Arsenal's group stage squad because of a knee injury. A similar problem is likely to keep Danny Welbeck out until 2017.

Ludogorets
• Natanael is a yellow card away from a one-match ban.

• The Bulgarian champions are seven matches unbeaten away from home.

• Ludogorets have kept one clean sheet in their last ten outings, conceding 13 goals in that time.

• Ludogorets have lost just one of their last 12 matches in all competitions, winning eight of them.

• Jonathan Cafú has scored five goals in his last six appearances.