Atalanta vs Arsenal: Wright tips Lookman to upset Gunners in UCL opener

Despite this being only Lookman’s second UEFA Champions League appearance Ian Wright believes the Atalanta winger could pose a significant threat to the Gunners in their UCL opener on Thursday.

Ian Wright, a Arsenal FC legend and TV pundit, has tipped Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman to be a major threat to the Gunners when both sides clash in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) on Thursday, September 19.

After grabbing a brace for Nigeria in the September international break, Lookman marked his return to club football with an assist and goal to help Atalanta to a 3-2 league victory over Florentina on Sunday, September 15.

Reacting to the winger’s form ahead of the UCL clash, Wright said on his Wrighty’s House podcast, “Oh gosh, did you see his first assist, the way he flicked it? It’s beautiful football. But we’ve got Ben White on that side, if Lookman’s going to be on that wing.”

Wright also praised the former Everton winger’s development and predicted a bigger move for the Super Eagles’s star in light of his current performances.

“I’m pleased for him,” the Arsenal icon said. “His journey, where he’s gone, what he’s doing now, you could see a big move, you could see a move for him.

“I’d love him to stay there, he’s been so good at Atalanta. The way he’s worked up, all the way from Charlton to where he is now. You’d believe that Atalanta is not his final destination in his mind.”

“I’m pleased for him. His journey—from Charlton to where he is now—you can see a big move coming for him. I’d love him to stay at Atalanta because he’s been brilliant, but I don’t think he sees it as his final destination.”

The upcoming match against Arsenal will mark Lookman’s second appearance in the UCL, after his debut with RB Leipzig in the 2019/2020 season.

The 26-year-old is in pole position to succeed compatriot Victor Osimhen as the CAF Player of the Year, following an impressive 2023/24 campaign, capped by a record-setting Man of the Match performance where he scored a hattrick that helped Atalanta win the UEFA Europa League.