BBC SPORT
Arsenal v Ajax
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Group B
Date: Wed 7 December
Venue: Highbury
Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Coverage on BBC Radio Five Live and BBC Sport website
Having already sealed top spot in Group B, Arsene Wenger has the luxury of
resting key players for Wednesday's Champions League encounter with Ajax.
Among those being rested are Freddie Ljungberg, Robert Pires, Sol Campbell,
Jens Lehmann and Dennis Bergkamp.
Thierry Henry starts and Alexander Hleb returns after two months' absence
but Pascal Cygan is doubtful.
Wenger's squad features several youngsters, including Sebastian Larsson and
Quincy Owusu-Abeyie.
Arsenal (from): Almunia, Poom, Eboue, Lauren, Toure, Senderos, Cygan,
Larsson, Gilbert, Djourou, Flamini, Fabregas, Hleb, van Persie, Reyes,
Henry, Owusu-Abeyie, Lupoli.
STATS
# Arsenal have already qualified for the last 16 of this season's Champions
League, as winners of Group B.
# Ajax are certain of finishing as runners-up, and have therefore also
through to the knock out stages.
Definitions of terms used:-
Champions League (CL) - only group phase matches and beyond of this
competition which began in 1992/1993.
Champions Cup/Champions League - all matches played since it began in
1955/1956 including qualification matches.
European matches - all matches played in the major European tournaments
(Fairs Cup, Uefa Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, Champions Cup, Champions League).
Uefa Super Cups, Intertoto Cups and the old Intercontinental Cup competition
are excluded.
Head-to-Head
# Ajax and Arsenal have met each other in seven European matches. The last
meeting was on 27 September this year when Arsenal won Ajax 2-1 in Amsterdam
after goals by Ljungberg, Pires (Arsenal) and Rosenberg (Ajax).
# Their first match-up was in 1969/70, when Arsenal prevailed 3-1 on
aggregate in the semi-finals of the Fairs Cup.
# Two seasons later in 1971/72, Ajax returned the compliment by eliminating
the Gunners from the Champions Cup quarter-finals. In 2002/03, the clubs
drew with each other 1-1 and 0-0 in two second group phase matches.
# Arsenal have played five European home matches against Dutch clubs and
have won two, drawn two and lost one. Their only defeat came on 22 March
1972 when Ajax won 1-0 at Highbury in the Champions Cup quarter-finals.
# In history, Arsenal have played 11 European matches against Dutch clubs
and lost only three, winning four and drawing four.
# Their 1-0 home loss against Ajax 35 years ago is also Arsenal's last loss
against a Dutch club.
# Ajax have played eight European away matches against English clubs and
have won only once, drawing three and losing four.
# Overall, Ajax have won six, drawn five and lost six of the 17 European
matches against English clubs.
# Ajax's last victory against an English club was 1-0 against Nottingham
Forest in the semi-finals of the Champions Cup in 1979/80.
# Ajax have not won in their last five European matches against English
clubs.
# The Londoners have not lost in their last seven European matches against
Dutch clubs.
# Current Arsenal forward Dennis Bergkamp began his career with Ajax.
Earlier Marc Overmars also played for both clubs.
European history
# Arsenal's best result in the Champions League is reaching the
quarter-finals (2000/01 and 2003/04). The Londoners are making their eighth
appearance in the CL main competition.
# Arsenal's European trophies are the 1969/70 Fairs Cup and the 1993/94 Cup
Winners' Cup.
# Ajax's best result in the Champions League is winning the crown in 1995 by
beating AC Milan in the final (1-0). Before that, Ajax won three Champions
Cups (1971, '72 and '73), a Cup Winners' Cup (1987) and the Uefa Cup (1992).
# Ajax (1972, '95) have also won the Intercontinental Cup twice, and the
European Super Cup three times (1972, '73 and '95).
# The Dutch club are taking part in the Champions League for the eighth
time.
Current European form
# Arsenal have won their last six Champions League matches.
# Arsene Wenger's side have not lost in their last six Champions League home
matches, having won their last four.
# Ajax have won their last three Champions League matches.
# The club from the Netherlands have not lost in their last three European
away matches.
Player and disciplinary info
# Kolo Habib Toure (Arsenal) will be suspended upon receiving another yellow
card.
# Arsenal's most experienced players in the Champions League are Thierry
Henry (71) and Robert Pires (67).
# Fredrik Ljungberg (54) and Lauren (52) are the only other players in the
Arsenal squad with 50+ CL appearances.
# Sweden's Ljungberg, Cameroon's Lauren and Ivory Coast's Toure (29) also
lead their countrymen in CL appearances.
# With 62 appearances and 32 goals for Arsenal in the Champions League,
Henry is Gunners' record holder for both categories.
# The Frenchman's 39 CL career goals rank him fourth on the all-time list,
trailing Raul (51), Van Nistelrooy (43) and Shevchenko (40).
# Ajax's most experienced player in the Champions League is Tomas Galasek
who has played 29 (24 with Ajax) career CL matches.
# Hatem Trabelsi's 24 matches in the Champions League make him the most
experienced Tunisian player ever in the competition.
# Ajax's record appearance maker in the Champions League is Jari Litmanen
with 42 matches. Litmanen is also the club's top scorer with 20 goals.
# Nigel de Jong and Yannis Anastasiou are Ajax's active top scorers in the
Champions League with three goals in the 2005/06 campaign.
Other miscellaneous facts
# If Arsenal score, they will equal a Champions League record set nearly six
years ago by Bayern Munich who scored in 22 consecutive matches in the
competition.
# If Arsenal go on to break the Champions League record, their next aim will
be the record for European competition which is held by fellow London club,
West Ham, who scored in their first 27 European matches between 1964 and
1980 before finally failing in a 1-0 defeat at Politehnica Timisoara in
November 1980.
# Arsenal lost 2-0 at Bolton on Saturday and have dropped to fifth place in
the Premiership, 14 points behind leaders Chelsea.
# Ajax won 4-1 at home to RKC Waalwijk on Sunday, with goals from Hedwiges
Maduro, Wesley Sneijder, Markus Rosenberg and Ryan Babel.
# Ajax are currently eighth in the Dutch Eredivisie, 14 points behind
leaders PSV.
Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/europe/4494924.stm
Published: 2005/12/06 15:11:29 GMT
C BBC MMV
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