Arsenal host Lens in the Champions League tonight knowing that a victory would see they secure a place in the next round. Mikel Arteta’s men have nine points and sit top of Group B following consecutive wins over Sevilla. They are four points clear of PSV Eindhoven and Lens who both have five and could still reach the next round.

Earlier in the campaign, Lens shocked the London side by beating them 2-1 at home though the Gunner’s performance was disjointed and sluggish that night. Expect them to be more clinical and focused at the Emirates where the French side will be looking to, at the very least, avoid defeat.

The Gunners have won their last three fixtures across all competitions and are in good form following Kai Havertz’s late winner against Brentford last time out. Can they go on are reach the Champions League knockout rounds tonight?

We’ll have coverage of the action below plus you can get the latest odds and tips for the game right here:

Arsenal host Lens in the Champions League

The Gunners will qualify for the last-16 if they win tonight

Lens defeated Arsenal 2-1 in the reverse fixture and sit third in the table behind PSV Eindhoven

Arsenal XI: Raya; Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Havertz, Odegaard; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli

Lens XI: Samba; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Frankowski, Mendy, Samed, Haidara; Sotoca, Fulgini, Wahi

13’ GOAL! - Havertz scores to put Arsenal ahead (ARS 1-0 LEN)

6’ CLOSE! - Jesus’ volley goes wide (ARS 0-0 LEN)

Arsenal FC 3 - 0 Racing Club de Lens

20:24 , Mike Jones

21 mins: Lovely finish!

Bukayo Saka receives the ball on the right wing and darts inside, shrugging off a few tackles on the way. He bulldozers his way into the penalty area then frees the ball to Gabriel Jesus.

Jesus nips onto his right foot then rolls a fine effort under the goalkeeper to double Arsenal’s lead.

20:21 , Mike Jones

18 mins: It’s now two goals in two games for Kai Havertz who seems to be settling into life at the Emirates after his move this summer. There’s a quality player there but he needs more consistency to nail down a spot in the starting line-up.

Lens move up the pitch but Havertz is fouled trying to win back the ball.

20:18 , Mike Jones

15 mins: That goal means Arsenal are four points clear at the top of Group B as it stands. They’re topping the table and heading to the knockouts as group winners.

PSV Eindhoven, following their win over Sevilla, are second with eight.

20:15 , Mike Jones

13 mins: The ball is flicked into the box from the inside right channel and Gabriel Jesus challenges for the ball. He may be offside as it drops but he manages to prod the ball into the six-yard area where Kai Havertz arrives and pokes it home.

20:13 , Mike Jones

12 mins: Close! Takehiro Tomiyasu comes forward on the right wing and brings the ball into space. He lifts a cross over to the far side of the box and picks out Kai Havertz.

The German rises above everyone else and nods it wide of the far post.

20:12 , Mike Jones

9 mins: The build-up play is patient and clinical with Arsenal picking the moments and their passes to offer the best opportunities in the box.

Lens are defending solidly. They’re moving around as a well drilled unit and keeping Arsenal at bay.

20:09 , Mike Jones

6 mins: Close! The first chance of the game comes to Arsenal. Oleksandr Zinchenko is fed the ball on the inside left channel and he flicks a cross over to the back post.

Gabriel Jesus arrives from the right and volleys a side-footed effort just wide of the near post.

20:06 , Mike Jones

3 mins: Arsenal are just feeling out their opponents. They’ve had most of the ball over the opening few minutes and have tested the backline a couple of times without being too penetrating.

20:02 , Mike Jones

Arsenal kick off the match and knock the ball back to David Raya. He’s returned in goal tonight after missing the Brentford game and gets stuck into the action with a long ball forward.

19:57 , Mike Jones

Here come the teams.

After a light show at the Emirates Stadium, the players head out onto the pitch. If they avoid defeat tonight they win finish top of the group and qualify for the next stage of the competition.

Martin Odegaard has the captain’s armband once again.

19:55 , Luke Baker

A reminder of the teams this evening. We’re only about five minutes away from kick-off now.

Arsenal XI: Raya; Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Havertz, Odegaard; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli

Lens XI: Samba; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Frankowski, Mendy, Samed, Haidara; Sotoca, Fulgini, Wahi

19:49 , Mike Jones

Arteta on finishing top of the group: “We want to be top of the group and the opportunity is there for us, against a team that causes problems, and that we’ve already experienced against them, so we have the right motivation to do that.

“We have to win at home, and we have to win the group if we can. That’s the mentality of the team, that’s for sure.”

19:43 , Luke Baker

Lens fans already out in numbers at the Emirates.

19:36 , Luke Baker

Arsenal ready to go for the game this evening.

The famous red and white 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/8SaYsJErJc

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 29, 2023

19:30 , Mike Jones

Arteta on Fabio Vieira: “He’s been having some discomfort and we tried to have alternative treatment with him, and he wasn’t improving so we’ve sent him to see a specialist and that was to get an operation done in his groin, and we did that yesterday,

“We’re expecting him to be out for weeks now. We don’t expect him to do that [be back this side of the break], so let’s see how he evolves and obviously, the operation was done yesterday so we’re going to have to wait and see, but we will take it as it comes.”

19:25 , Mike Jones

Lens’ first Champions League home game in 21 years ended in a 2-1 home win against the Gunners despite Gabriel Jesus giving the visitors a 14th-minute lead. Adrien Thomasson levelled 11 minutes later and a 69th-minute goal from Elye Wahi ultimately proved decisive.

The teams had previously met in the 1999/2000 Uefa Cup semi-finals with Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal winning 1-0 at home and 2-1 away.

19:20 , Mike Jones

Lens are level on five points with PSV Eindhoven, who ended their unbeaten return to the Champions League with a 1-0 victory in the Netherlands last time out, but do hold a three-point cushion on fourth-placed Sevilla, their Matchday 6 opponents.

19:15 , Mike Jones

Four points clear at the top of Group B, Arsenal are looking to confirm their place in the Champions League knockout rounds at home to Lens .

The Gunners have won three of their four games in this season’s Champions League after six seasons away, the sole exception a 2-1 loss at Lens on Matchday 2 – the Ligue 1 side’s first home Champions League game since 2002.

19:10 , Mike Jones

Mikel Arteta defended Aaron Ramsdale after the Arsenal goalkeeper’s error-strewn display in the 1-0 win at Brentford.

Not even Kai Havertz’s late winner, which sent the Gunners to the top of the Premier League for the first time this season, could mask a horror show from Ramsdale.

The 25-year-old was back in the spotlight on his first league appearance since September 3 with David Raya, now seemingly the club’s undisputed number one, still on loan from Brentford and ineligible to face his parent club.

Mikel Arteta hails Aaron Ramsdale despite errors in Arsenal’s win over Brentford

19:05 , Luke Baker

And here’s the Lens team to take on Arsenal this evening.

Ex-Nottingham Forest play-off hero Brice Samba captains the French side from between the sticks while highly-rated 20-year-old Elye Wahi will be their main attacking threat.

Lens XI: Samba; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Frankowski, Mendy, Samed, Haidara; Sotoca, Fulgini, Wahi

#ARSRCL, c'est dans une heure ! ⌛Voici 𝐥𝐞𝐬 1⃣1⃣ 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐭 𝐎𝐫 choisis par Franck Haise pour débuter face à @Arsenal ! 👊➡ Première titularisation en #UCL pour @MassadioHaidara.#FierDEtreLensois pic.twitter.com/MjYd8Po3Kg

— Racing Club de Lens (@RCLens) November 29, 2023

19:05 , Mike Jones

Mikel Arteta on Bukayo Saka: “I don’t know what world-class means but he’s a top, top player that’s for sure. Getting to the top is one thing.

“The way he has improved is really steady. He has got the right mentality. He has the right people around him. He wants more and that’s because there’s much more to come.”

19:00 , Mike Jones

Pre-match thoughts from Lens defender Massadio Haïdara: “It’s always nice to play against great teams in stadiums like these. But we mustn’t forget why we made the trip. We have to forget about the environment and concentrate on the match.

“As usual, we’re going to do everything we can to win. It won’t be easy because we’ll be up against a great opponent. We put in a good performance in the first game.

“The context will be different tomorrow evening, but the team will give everything. We’ll put in place what we know so that we leave London with all three points. The whole team are aware of what awaits them tomorrow and are preparing as best they can.”

18:59 , Luke Baker

The Arsenal team has landed. Tomiyasu is preferred to White at right-back, while Saka, Jesus and Martinelli make up the front three.

Fresh off his weekend winner, Kai Havertz starts with Jorginho an option from the bench, while David Raya back in goal ahead of Aaron Ramsdale.

Arsenal XI: Raya; Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Havertz, Odegaard; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.

🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️🥁 Introducing our starting XI for tonight's encounter with Lens - COME ON YOU GUNNERS! pic.twitter.com/NylnBgtvLv

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 29, 2023

18:55 , Mike Jones

Franck Haise, Lens coach: “Our ambitions are always the same. We know our opponents are stronger than us, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be able to cause them problems.

“We’ll have to raise our game in all areas to try and compete. What is certain is that if we want to be there, we will have to be there with our usual principles and strengths.”

18:49 , Mike Jones

Mikel Arteta was asked if Emile Smith Rowe and Thomas Partey would be fit to play before January and he said: "It is a possibility but it will depend on how they evolve,

"Emile has been already on the pitch doing some jogging, so I don’t know how long it’s going to take. Normally he is a quick healer, and Thomas is the same.

“We have to make sure that when they come back they are at their best as well. We don’t want to rush them, but at the same time the team needs them because at the moment we are missing some key, key players."

18:40 , Mike Jones

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice outlined why the Gunners were so impressive against Sevilla and what Lens can expect when they travel to London for this game.

“High energy, at it from the start and full gas,” he said. “We didn’t let them breathe. I think they had one shot all game. All round, just a really good performance, especially with them sitting so deep and playing in a back five, which is always hard to break down.”

18:35 , Mike Jones

Since his appointment as Arsenal boss in 2019, Mikel Arteta’s best run in Europe was reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2021.

He was asked if he still had something to prove in Europe as Arsenal manager and he replied: "For sure,

"I think it is not that we have to prove, we had to come back into Europe being the club we want to be, have that presence and the results that tell them we are back in a strong way. We haven’t done that yet and it needs to be done."

18:30 , Mike Jones

Arsenal are top but not quite yet guaranteed a last-16 spot after beating Sevilla in routine fashion last time out. A four-point lead means they are well on course though and a home win over Lens on Wednesday evening will seal the job.

PSV and Lens are both on five points, with Sevilla on two, so there’s a scrap on to nick second place. Arsenal are away to PSV on MD6, so can still wrap up matters there if they slip up against the French side.

18:25 , Mike Jones

Mikel Arteta admits he still has something to prove as a manager in European competition as he aims to lead Arsenal into the Champions League knockout stages on Wednesday night.

The Gunners host Lens at the Emirates Stadium knowing a point would secure safe passage into the last 16 while victory will seal top spot in Group B.

Arteta led Arsenal back into the Champions League after a seven-year absence but – other than a run to the semi-finals in 2020-21 – he struggled in Europa League knockout games earlier in his tenure.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta believes he still has something to prove in Europe

18:20 , Mike Jones

Lens inflicted defeat on the Gunners in their last meeting but Arsenal should secure the victory in front of their home fans. With it will also come a place in the knockout rounds.

Arsenal 2-0 Lens.

18:15 , Mike Jones

Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu, Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli

Lens XI: Samba; Gradit, Khusanov, Medina; Aguilar, El Aynaoui, Abdul Samed, Frankowski; Thomasson, Fulgini; Wahi

18:10 , Mike Jones

David Raya will be available again after he missed the game against Brentford on Saturday due to being ineligible to face his parent club.

Martin Odegaard was also fit enough to play, but Ben White could return for the Champions League clash.

Jurrien Timber, Emile Smith Rowe and Thomas Partey remain on the long-term injury list.

18:05 , Mike Jones

The Champions League match is at the Emirates Stadium in London with a kick off time of 8pm GMT.

Arsenal vs Lens will be shown live on TNT Sports 2 with coverage starting from 7pm GMT. Subscribers can stream the actions via the Discovery+ app.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

18:00 , Mike Jones

Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Champions League action. Arsenal host Lens in Group B at 8pm and could qualify for the next round if they are victorious.

The Gunners sit top of the group with nine points from their opening four fixtures and will reach the knockout rounds if the defeat the French club tonight.

Lens are the only team to take points off Mikel Arteta’s side in Europe this season having defeated them 2-1 in their home game earlier in the tournament. Currently third in the group, three points are crucial for their hopes of reaching the next stage.

We’ll have the latest updates, team news and match action throughout the evening so stick with us as we build up to kick off.