LeeDixon

Saturday's win over Swansea was clearly nothing special but it was three welcome points and I expect this slight improvement in Arsenal's fortunes to continue in Germany on Tuesday night.

After losing 8-2, you take any win and move on and try not to focus on the negatives - there was a lot of nervousness at The Emirates on Saturday and, simply put, the performance wasn't great. But it was a win.

And there is quality in this team in all areas of the pitch. Meanwhile, in the dugout, Arsene Wenger has been here before. Our opponents on Tuesday are not exactly flying themselves and their massive crowd could get on the team's back if they aren't quick out of the blocks.

Match Odds
Per Mertesacker made his debut on Saturday and, apart from a few uneasy moments, looked good. But it will take a while for him to settle into the English game. Most importantly, he needs to switch on to the speed of the English game as soon as possible. That said, he is back on familiar territory on Tuesday night which is handy for Wenger and the team as he will be our spy in the camp.

Dortmund are 11th in the league after five games and that's not ideal. If Arsenal give them a tough time the crowd could get restless and I think that will be Wenger's aim. Keep it tight, soak up pressure and play on the break. Get that crowd of 80,000 grumbling, Arsene!

I know Wenger, and he'll go into the game trying to win. But you have got to be a realist. A draw away from home is a perfectly acceptable start to a Champions League campaign. It's not been Arsenal's finest start to a season but I think there's enough quality and experience in the team to do that, so I'm backing the stalemate at 3.45.

Under 2.5 Goals
As I say, I don't see either team adopting a gung-ho approach. Strip out the United match and Arsenal have conceded two in the Premier League so far. Obviously, another solid performance would be a bonus for the defensive unit and I am backing them to achieve that. Back Under 2.5 goals @ 1.9.

To Score
He's not a shoo-in to make the starting XI but provided he does I really fancy Theo Walcott to trouble Dortmund with his pace. If Arsenal play on the break he is the likeliest candidate to get his name on the scoresheet.

Recommended Bets
2pts Back the draw @ 3.45
2pts Back Under 2.5 goals @ 1.9
1pts Back Theo Walcott to score @ 6.0

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