Arsenal and Basel both have records to protect

Arsenal FC have won all four previous encounters with Swiss opponents but FC Basel 1893 will not be short of confidence either in the first competitive meeting between the sides.

Match background

Arsenal
• The Gunners began their 19th successive group stage campaign with a 1-1 draw away to Paris Saint-Germain, scoring a late equaliser through Alexis Sánchez after trailing from the first minute. Olivier Giroud was sent off in added time, his second successive red card on matchday one.

• 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 seven of their last 15 home games in the competition proper.

• The Gunners faced FC Thun in the 2005/06 group stage, winning 2-1 at home and 1-0 away. That was the only goal they have conceded in their four tussles with Swiss opposition.

Basel
• The Swiss champions also drew their opening fixture 1-1, Renato Steffen coming to the rescue 11 minutes from time after PFC Ludogorets Razgrad had taken a surprise lead in Basel.

• This is Basel's seventh group stage campaign. Two seasons ago they lost three of their four away matches, succumbing 5-1 at Real Madrid CF on matchday one and then 1-0 at Ludogorets in the group stage.

• A 1-1 draw at Liverpool FC ensured they went through as Group B runners-up for their first appearance in the knockout rounds since 2011/12. In the round of 16 a 1-1 home draw with FC Porto was followed by a 4-0 away defeat.

• The draw at Anfield halted Basel's run of four straight victories against Premier League teams in the UEFA Champions League. They have lost just once in ten encounters with English opponents in the competition.

• Basel earned their first win in England at the 11th attempt when beating Petr Čech's Chelsea FC 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the 2013/14 group stage. Their overall record on English soil is W1 D5 L6.

Coach and player links
• Granit Xhaka started his career at Basel and landed two Swiss Super League titles before joining VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2012. He signed for Arsenal this summer.

• Granit is the younger brother of Taulant Xhaka but they play for different international teams. Granit's Switzerland overcame Taulant's Albania 1-0 in a UEFA EURO 2016 group games in Lens.  

• Mohamed Elneny came to Basel in January 2013 and won the Swiss Super League in each of his three seasons there before heading to Arsenal in January 2016.

• Elneny scored twice for al-Mokawloon in a 3-2 defeat by Omar Gaber's Zamalek in the Egyptian Premier League on 21 May 2011.

• Theo Walcott netted twice against Marek Suchý's SK Slavia Praha in Arsenal's 7-0 victory in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Olivier Giroud registered twice in France's 5-2 success over Iceland in the UEFA EURO 2016 quarter-final at the Stade de France. Birkir Bjarnason got one of Iceland's goals.

• International team-mates:
Éder Balanta & David Ospina (Columbia)
Michael Lang, Luca Zuffi, Renato Steffen & Granit Xhaka (Switzerland)
Mohamed Elneny and Omar Gaber (Egypt).

Match facts

Arsenal
• Giroud serves a one-game ban following his red card against Paris. 

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

• Sánchez (100th) and Walcott (350th) scored on milestone appearances for the Gunners in a resounding 3-0 defeat of Chelsea on Saturday. Francis Coquelin went off in the first half with a knee injury.

• Granit Xhaka scored his first goal for Arsenal in the 4-1 success at Hull City AFC on 17 September.

• Xhaka was on target again three days later as a much-changed side triumphed 4-0 at Nottingham Forest FC in the English League Cup third round. Chris Willock, 18, made his senior debut as a late substitute.

• Lucas Pérez opened his Arsenal account with a second-half double against Forest.

• Captain Per Mertesacker is not in Arsenal's group stage squad because of a knee injury.

Basel
• Basel have won 11 of their 12 matches this season, drawing the other.

• Five days after the 1-1 draw against Ludogorets, Basel prevailed 1-0 at Zug 94 in the Swiss Cup second round thanks to a goal from Daniel Høegh.

• Balanta's 93rd-minute strike away to FC Lausanne-Sport earned Basel a 2-1 win on 21 September.

• Zuffi had missed two matches due to an ankle problem prior to being an unused substitute in the 3-1 victory at FC St Gallen on Saturday.

• Marc Janko has not played since he was substituted in the first half against Ludogorets with a thigh injury.