Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of Arsenal's Europa League last-32 first-leg clash with Benfica from the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. European football has proven to be a haven from the chaos this season for the Gunners, with Mikel Arteta's team reaching the knockout stages with a 100 per cent record. Benfica will represent much sterner opposition than their group-stage rivals, however.

Good start from Arsenal here, with Dani Ceballos having a speculative effort at goal.

KICK OFF! We are under way in Rome.

So where are Arsenal at? It has been one step forward, two steps back for the Gunners this season. Last weekend's win over Leeds was arguably as one of their best performances this season, but progress comes with consistency. A good performance tonight will go a long way to winning over the doubters.

Job done by Manchester United tonight.

The Gunners may well be up against it tonight. Benfica have won the first leg of their last nine Europa League knockout ties when it's been at home and won 14 of their last 17 first leg matches in the knockout phase overall (L3).

The midfield axis Arsenal have been looking for?

A European debut for the club.

HEAD TO HEAD: Benfica and Arsenal met in the last 16 of the 1991/92 European Cup, with Benfica winning 4-2 on aggregate (1-1 home, 3-1 away); these are the only two meetings between the teams. Arsenal have faced five different Portuguese opponents in European competition and beaten them all (Sporting CP, FC Porto, Sporting Braga and Vitória Guimarães) apart from Benfica (D1 L1).

WHERE ARE WE?

GUNNERS UNCHANGED, TAARABT STARTS: In a show of how seriously he is taking the tournament, Mikel Arteta has named the same starting XI that beat Leeds at the weekend. That means Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who reportedly breached Covid-19 regulations this week, captains the side. As expected, some old foes line up against Arsenal this evening with former Man City defender Nicolas Otamendi and ex-Spurs man Jan Vertonghen lining up at the back. Adel Taarabt is another former Premier League name, having played for Tottenham, QPR and Fulham.

TEAM NEWS - BENFICA: Leite, Verissimo, Otamendi, Vertonghen, Goncalves, Taarabt, Weigl, Pizzi, Grimaldo, Waldschmidt, Nunez... Subs: Svilar, Vlachodimos, Gilberto, Everton, Gabriel, Cervi, Seferovic, Silva, Pedrinho, Tavares, Ferreira. /// ARSENAL: Leno, Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Cedric, Ceballos, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang... Subs: Ryan, Hein, Tierney, Lacazette, Willian, Holding, Pepe, Chambers, Mari, Elneny, Nketiah, Martinelli.

The teams are in...