Uefa Europa League
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UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - 2020/21 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Aviva Stadium - Dublin Thursday 10 December 2020 18.55CET (17.55 local time) Dundalk FC Group B - Matchday 6 Arsenal FC Last updated 12/05/2021 11:16CET Previous meetings 2 Match background 3 Team facts 5 Squad list 7 Fixtures and results 10 Match-by-match lineups 13 Match officials 15 Legend 17 1 Dundalk FC - Arsenal FC Thursday 10 December 2020 - 18.55CET (17.55 local time) Match press kit Aviva Stadium, Dublin Previous meetings Head to Head UEFA Europa League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Nketiah 42, Willock 29/10/2020 GS Arsenal FC - Dundalk FC 3-0 London 44, Pépé 46 Home Away Final Total Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA Dundalk FC 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 3 Arsenal FC 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 Dundalk FC - Record versus clubs from opponents' country European Champions Clubs' Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 1-0 28/09/1982 R1 Liverpool FC - Dundalk FC Liverpool Whelan 81 agg: 5-1 Flanagan 89; Whelan 14/09/1982 R1 Dundalk FC - Liverpool FC 1-4 Dundalk 7, 26, Rush 32, Hodgson 61 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Tottenham Hotspur - Dundalk 1-0 04/11/1981 R2 London Crooks 63 FC agg: 2-1 Fairclough 81; Crooks 21/10/1981 R2 Dundalk FC - Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Dundalk 62 Arsenal FC - Record versus clubs from opponents' country Arsenal FC have not played against a club from their opponents' country Home Away Final Total Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA Dundalk FC 2 0 1 1 3 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 5 0 1 4 2 10 Arsenal FC 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 2 Dundalk FC - Arsenal FC Thursday 10 December 2020 - 18.55CET (17.55 local time) Match press kit Aviva Stadium, Dublin Match background Fourth plays first as Dundalk strive to avoid a Group B whitewash in their final European fixture of the season at home to an Arsenal side who, already through to the knockout phase as section winners, will be equally keen to complete their group campaign with maximum points. • While Arsenal posted their fifth successive Group B victory – and fourth in a row by a three-goal margin – in defeating Rapid Wien 4-1 in London last time out, Alexandre Lacazette's 20th UEFA Europa League goal opening the scoring, Dundalk went down 3-1 at Molde, thereby equalling a competition record with their ninth consecutive group stage defeat. Previous meetings • Arsenal were 3-0 victors against Dundalk on Matchday 2 in their first UEFA encounter with opponents from the Republic of Ireland, Eddie Nketiah, Joe Willock and Nicolas Pépé scoring the goals in a four-minute burst either side of half-time. • This is Dundalk's first official match at home to an English club since they lost 1-4 against Liverpool in the first leg of the 1982/82 European Cup first round (1-5 on aggregate). The previous season they had drawn 1-1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the European Cup Winners' Cup second round first leg, before losing the return 1-0 in north London. Form guide Dundalk • Dundalk retained the League of Ireland title in 2019, making it five triumphs in six years and 14 overall. Finalists also in the FAI Cup, which they lost on penalties to league runners-up Shamrock Rovers after a 1-1 draw, their 2019/20 European campaign ended in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round against Slovan Bratislava (0-1 a, 1-3 h). They had been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League a round earlier by Qarabağ (1-1 h, 0-3 a). • Beaten 3-0 at Slovenian champions Celje in their UEFA Champions League first qualifying round tie this term, Dundalk came through three subsequent UEFA Europa League qualifiers – 1-0 at Inter d'Escaldes, 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw away to Sheriff, and 3-1 at home to KÍ – to book their second appearance in the competition's group stage following a 2016/17 campaign in which they registered four points to finish bottom of a section including Zenit, AZ Alkmaar and Maccabi Tel-Aviv. • Dundalk have lost their last nine UEFA Europa League group fixtures, matching that competition record for consecutive defeats previously held alone by Slovan Bratislava. They have won just two of their last 11 European home matches (D4 L5). Arsenal • Eighth in the 2019/20 Premier League, Arsenal ensured a 25th consecutive season in Europe by winning the FA Cup under new manager Mikel Arteta – the club's record 14th triumph in the competition – with a 2-1 victory over London rivals Chelsea in the final. Their third successive UEFA Europa League campaign ended in the round of 32 with an extra-time away goals defeat by Olympiacos (1-0 a, 1-2 h). • UEFA Champions League ever-presents for 19 seasons in a row from 1998/99 to 2016/17, Arsenal reached the UEFA Europa League semi-finals at the first attempt in 2017/18, losing to eventual winners Atlético de Madrid, before going one step further and making it to the 2018/19 final, where they were defeated 4-1 by Chelsea in Baku. They have been group winners on all four UEFA Europa League appearances – an unprecedented feat. • The 1999/2000 UEFA Cup runners-up are unbeaten in eight European away games (W6 D2) since Rennes beat them 3-1 in the 2018/19 UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg. Their overall away record in the UEFA Europa League is W13 D3 L4; in the group stage it is W8 D2 L1, the only defeat coming at Köln (0-1) in 2017/18. Links and trivia • Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney's next appearance in UEFA club competition will be his 50th. • Dundalk's Jordan Flores, a scorer at Molde on Matchday 5, is English and played in his homeland for Wigan as well as having loan spells with Blackpool, Chesterfield and Fylde. • Also born in England but now representing Nigeria, Nathan Oduwa started his career with Arsenal's north London rivals Tottenham before playing on loan for three other English sides – Luton, Colchester and Peterborough. • Several other Dundalk players have spent time with English clubs – Andy Boyle (Preston, Doncaster loan), Patrick Hoban (Bristol City, Oxford, Stevenage loan, Grimsby loan, Mansfield), Sean Murray (Watford, Wigan loan, Swindon, Colchester), Cameron Dummigan (Burnley, Oldham), Patrick McEleney (Oldham) and Aaron McCarey (Wolves, Telford loan, Walsall loan, York loan, Portsmouth loan, Bury loan). • Arsenal's Reiss Nelson celebrates his 21st birthday on Matchday 6, while Dundalk coach Shane Keegan turns 39 on 3 Dundalk FC - Arsenal FC Thursday 10 December 2020 - 18.55CET (17.55 local time) Match press kit Aviva Stadium, Dublin the same day. • Arsenal's win on Matchday 5 was their 28th in the UEFA Europa League, group stage to final, the most in the competition by an English club – three more than local rivals Tottenham, who have played an additional 11 matches. • If the Gunners win in Dublin, they will join ten other sides that have won all six games in a UEFA Europa League group – including Tottenham (2013/14). • Arsenal's tally of 16 Group B goals is the highest number ever registered by an English club in a UEFA Europa League section – one more than Tottenham's tally in 2013/14. • Dundalk finished third in the 2020 Premier Division to qualify for next season's UEFA Europa League qualifying phase. They were 22 points adrift of champions Shamrock Rovers when the abbreviated 18-match league concluded on 9 November. 4 Dundalk FC - Arsenal FC Thursday 10 December 2020 - 18.55CET (17.55 local time) Match press kit Aviva Stadium, Dublin Team facts Dundalk FC Formed: 1903 Nickname: Lilywhites UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • None Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) League title: 14 (2019) FAI Cup: 11 (2018) Ten-year record (UEFA Europa League unless indicated otherwise) 2019/20: third qualifying round (having transferred from UEFA Champions League second qualifying round) 2018/19: second qualifying round 2017/18: UEFA Champions League second qualifying round 2016/17: group stage (having transferred from UEFA Champions League play-offs) 2015/16: UEFA Champions League second qualifying round 2014/15: second qualifying round 2013/14: did not take part in UEFA competition 2012/13: did not take part in UEFA competition 2011/12: did not take part in UEFA competition 2010/11: second qualifying round Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 4-0: Dundalk v Fram Reykjavík 30/09/81, European Cup Winners' Cup first round second leg • Biggest away win 0-2 twice, most recently v Jeunesse Esch 01/07/14, UEFA Europa League first qualifying round first leg • Heaviest home defeat 0-5: Dundalk v Crvena zvezda 07/09/88, European Cup first round first leg • Heaviest away defeat 8-1: Vasas v Dundalk 11/10/67, European Cup first round second leg UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League • Biggest home win 3-1: Dundalk v Jeunesse Esch 10/07/14, first qualifying round second leg • Biggest away win 0-2: Jeunesse Esch v Dundalk (see above) • Heaviest home defeat 0-4: Dundalk v Varaždin 29/08/02, qualifying round second leg • Heaviest away defeat 6-0: Levski Sofia v Dundalk 15/07/10, second qualifying round first leg Arsenal FC Formed: 1886 Nickname: The Gunners UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • UEFA Champions League: (2006) • UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League: (2000), (2019) • UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1): (1980), 1994, (1995) 5 Dundalk FC - Arsenal FC Thursday 10 December 2020 - 18.55CET (17.55 local time) Match press kit Aviva Stadium, Dublin • UEFA Super Cup: (1994) Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) League title: 13 (2004) FA Cup: 14 (2020) League Cup: 2 (1993) Ten-year European record (UEFA Europa League unless indicated