Shock and score

In their present form Arsenal shouldn't have too much to worry about when AZ Alkmaar visit the Emirates on Wednesday.

That said I do expect Arsene Wenger to make a lot of changes from the side that swept Spurs aside last weekend in the North London derby.

He knows three points will enable them to qualify from Group H so he just has to make sure he picks a side that does enough, so expect to see several fringe players.

The likes of Robin van Persie, who has had his injury problems, are so vital to Arsenal's season that it isn't worth taking the gamble and starting with them

If the Gunners really needed the result - if it was in doubt - then by all means give yourself the option of calling your best players off the bench but van Persie and Cesc Fabregas are going to be so influential in the Premier League and the Champions League games to come that I can't see Wenger starting with them.

Dominated

Arsenal should really have won in Holland when the sides met last month. Charlie Nicholas was covering the game for Soccer Special and said Arsenal were passing it around at will. It was another match - like the West Ham game - where they should have had it dead and buried, over and done with.

Instead, they didn't kill them off and ended up conceding a late David Mendes da Silva goal. But it was a game that Arsenal dominated even though they were away from home.

Under Ronald Koeman AZ are not a bad team but they are hardly setting the Eredivisie alight either. They are certainly not in Arsenal's class.

They are seventh in the league after their 1-0 away win over Groningen, which probably lines up with the relegation area in our Premier League.

Yes, Koeman has got a good CV as a manager but unfortunately for him his current team is not in the same mould as him in his playing days.

He'll know his side came up short at the DSB Stadion and as much as he'll like to go to Arsenal and win the game, he could be looking at damage limitation. I suspect he'll be hoping Arsenal don't field a full-strength side.

THOMMO'S CALL: Arsenal, if they get into full flow and get an early goal, could go on to score a few. But it will depend entirely on the team that Wenger decides to put out. Nicklas Bendtner is out for a little while and although he is not prolific by any means I imagine he may give Eduardo a start in this game.

Unirea Urziceni v Rangers

Rangers were absolute desperate as they went down 4-1 to the Romanian champions at Ibrox - and that was a game they thought they could get three points from!

They've only got one to their name after three games so far so they've got it all to do in Bucharest. These are absolutely desperate times for Rangers and desperate times, it has to be said, for Scottish football in general.

Celtic and Rangers are the bright lights of the SPL but neither is performing to a good enough level in Europe. A few years ago clubs like Unirea would not have been able to compete with the cream of the Scottish league so it shows you how far they have slipped on the radar.

There were horror goals all round when the teams met at Ibrox - and it's a sure sign things are going wrong when mistakes go against you the way they did Rangers that night.

I'll tell you something. Rangers supporters love their European trips but there won't be as many fans going over there as there would usually be - and I don't blame them! They'll be looking at this one and thinking 'my goodness, I'll save my money with Christmas around the corner.' Rangers will still get a decent following, I reckon, but nothing like they used to get.

Unirea are an up-and-coming team and they will be absolutely flying and licking their lips in anticipation of this fixture after getting their first Champions League victory.

Dan Petrescu knows the British game well. He knows you've got to be disciplined and organised; he'll make sure his players don't get carried away.

THOMMO'S CALL: Rangers have played in Romania three times and have yet to score a goal so I can't predict anything other than a defeat. I will be shocked if they do win because their confidence in Europe must be absolutely shot.