Arsenal takes on Fenerbahce in a crucial Champions League playoff draw Wednesday.
The stakes of this match are at their all-time high for the English club. The team is not only facing on of the 2012-13 Europa League quarterfinalists, but also needs to save face after an embarrassing start to the 2013-14 season.
In the home opener against Aston Villa, Arsenal ran out to a 1-0 lead but wound up losing 3-1 in a match that it was expected to win. The loss created a tremendous amount of media and fan criticism and forced coach Arsene Wenger to issue an apology for the lousy display.
"I want our fans to be happy and proud of their team and when we lost at home, I just have to be sorry," Wenger said, according to ESPN. "We didn't manage to do it today, but we have to bounce back and make them happy in the next game.
"We are trying to buy players and if we find the right players we will do it. I am not the only one working on that [at this club]. It's not my money, it's the money of the club and we are ready to spend it on the right players. I also believe we could have won the match with the players we had on the pitch today, but it didn't happen."
The embarrassment did not end there, however. The team promptly made a bid for Newcastle's Yohan Cabaye that was rejected and drew criticism from Newcastle's staff.
A loss or draw in the opening leg could potentially spell the end for Wenger, a fate already invoked by Arsenal legend Tony Adams.
Arsenal's opponents Fenerbahce have issues of their own that must be sorted out. According to ESPN, "Fenerbahce were initially handed a two-year suspension by UEFA in June for their involvement in domestic match-fixing, but that ruling was overturned on a temporary basis by CAS... The club's appeal will be heard on Aug. 20, when Arsenal travel to Istanbul, and on Aug. 21, before a verdict is announced on Aug. 28 -- the day after the second leg of the tie."
Prediction: Arsenal pulls off a 1-0 win.
Start Time: 2:45 p.m. EST
TV: Fox Soccer Channel