Molde vs. Arsenal – Europa League, November 26, 2020

Molde took a shock lead against Arsenal when the two sides met three weeks ago, but a commanding second-half performance from the Gunners eventually saw the English side win 4-1

With three wins from three matches, Arsenal boasts a 100% record in the Europa League. However, after picking up six points from a possible nine, Erling Moe’s side will also be confident of qualifying for the knockout stages.

If you’re interested in wagering on Thursday’s clash, make sure you check out my Molde vs. Arsenal prediction and betting pick below.

The leading online betting sites clearly think that Arsenal (1.68) should win this one, and while it is difficult to argue with their viewpoint, I can see Molde (4.50) causing the Gunners a few problems.

Mikel Arteta’s side has been far from convincing in recent weeks, while Molde has only lost one of their previous ten matches in all competitions.

It’s fair to say that Erling Moe’s men were the architects of their own downfall when they visited the Emirates Stadium earlier in the month.

Molde put in a solid first-half display, with Martin Ellingsen giving his side the lead. But two own goals either side of half-time swung the game in Arsenal’s favor, before Nicolas Pepe and Joe Willock put the game beyond Molde’s reach.

Still, I think the Norwegians can take confidence from the fact that they managed to fend off the Gunners for so long in the reverse fixture. Moe’s men will believe they can cause an upset this time around, especially with home advantage on their side.

Molde moved to within two points of Eliteserien leaders Bodo/Glimt at the weekend, with a Leke James double contributing to a 3-0 victory over Stabaek. If James and co. can carry their domestic form onto the European stage on Thursday, they could cause their opponents some problems.

? "Being happy with a draw doesn't resonate with me. Even with 10 men, I still want to win. I don't want to approach the game with a mindset that means we have an excuse not to win this game."@HectorBellerin | #LEEARS

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 22, 2020

As expected, Arsenal has made light work of the Europa League this term. Arteta’s men have beaten every team in Group B to put themselves on the verge of qualifying for the Round of 32, scoring nine goals while conceding just two along the way.

But the Gunners’ domestic campaign is already in real danger of falling apart.

Arsenal has only managed to win one of their last five Premier League games, with defeats to Manchester City, Leicester, and Aston Villa coming in recent weeks. Last time out, Leeds held the Londoners to a goalless draw, leaving Arteta’s side 12th in the EPL standings.

Scoring goals has been the Gunners’ main issue this season. They have only managed to hit the target nine times in the Premier League, while only three teams in the division have netted fewer goals in 2020/21.

We all know that Arsenal is capable of cruising through the Europa League group stage, but with the team’s morale low at the moment, anything could happen on Thursday.

I think Molde will be confident of preventing the Gunners from winning in Norway. Sure, Moe’s men suffered a heavy defeat in the reverse fixture. But if they can replicate their first-half performance throughout the 90 minutes, they could heap more misery on off-form Arsenal.

Given Arsenal’s recent run of poor results, I would like the odds for the away win to be a bit higher here. For that reason, I believe the draw is the best option for this matchup.