Veteran Taras Stepanenko usually plays as the deepest member of Shakhtar’s midfield, though the 35-year-old really struggled in that position and failed to get to grips with his counterparts in Donetsk’s convincing 3-0 loss to Atalanta on matchday two in the Champions League.

Stepanenko committed two fouls and was dribbled past an embarrassing six times by his opponents in that loss to Atalanta and the one-paced anchorman could be just as ineffective against Arsenal. Expect the Gunners’ pace through the middle and final thirds to draw more mistimed tackles from Stepanenko on Tuesday.

Gabriel Martinelli was a real menace on the left flank in Arsenal’s excellent 2-0 win over PSG on October 1st and the Brazilian managed to get both of his efforts against the French giants on target.

Martinelli, who clocked two shots on target in each of his last two starts for the Gunners, has the right combination of pace and skill to match that output against a Shakhtar defence that conceded 22 shots against Atalanta on UCL matchday two.

La Dea’s Ademola Lookman (five shots) tormented the Ukrainians from the left on that occasion and Martinelli, who is cut from the same cloth, could be just as potent against the same opponents.

Arsenal’s threat from set-pieces has become one of the most effective weapons in their armoury and Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes is usually at the front of the queue to meet the Gunners’ pinpoint deliveries into the opponent’s penalty box.

Remarkably, only Kai Havertz (26) and Bukayo Saka (25) have had more shots at goal in the Premier League than Gabriel (12) and the 26-year-old represents top value in the 1+ shots market again against a Shakhtar backline that looked vulnerable from set-pieces situations in their last Champions League fixture against Atalanta.

PSG’s defenders had to resort to fouling Leandro Trossard in an attempt to limit the crafty Belgian’s influence at The Emirates Stadium earlier this month and the diminutive winger was fouled three times by his French opponents in North London on that occasion.

With excellent close control and quick feet, Trossard is equipped with good foul-drawing attributes and the 29-year-old, who should see plenty of the ball against a defensively-orientated Shakhtar side, is backed to be fouled at least once again here.

With his injured partner in crime Bukayo Saka unlikely to be risked, Kai Havertz will shoulder extra goal-scoring responsibility for Arsenal against Shakhtar, though the 25-year-old is playing with enough of a swagger to shoulder that burden on Tuesday evening.

Havertz is Arsenal’s leading marksman in all competitions this term with six goals and the German international broke his duck in the Champions League for the current campaign when he opened the scoring against PSG on matchday two.

The ex-Chelsea star had a total of just two attempts on goal in the Gunners’ triumph over the Parisians, though his shot tally should be comfortably higher against a subpar Shakhtar and we’re backing the languid forward to convert at least one opportunity.

Regular right back Yukhym Konoplia was left on the bench for Shakhtar’s matchday two clash with Atalanta in early October, though he was quickly drafted in at halftime to add some much-needed aggression to proceedings and promptly committed two fouls against La Dea.

The 25-year-old is likely to be restored to the starting XI by Donetsk manager Marino Pusic on Tuesday evening, so expect Konoplia’s tough tackling and no-nonsense approach to be a feature of Shakhtar’s clash with Arsenal. Konoplia will have a heavy defensive workload at The Emirates Stadium and it might be worthwhile to back the fullback to be collared for a least a couple of fouls again.

Each member of Arsenal’s starting front six could be on the receiving end against a combative Shakhtar outfit on Tuesday, though we’ve singled out Gabriel Martinelli to be fouled at least twice by his markers at an attractive price.

Martinelli, who has been fouled 1.15 times per 90 minutes in the Premier League this term, has yet to draw a foul in the Champions League this term, though the quicksilver Brazilian winger is in line to face a bristly opponent in Shakhtar’s Yukhym Konoplia and the Ukrainian international won’t hesitate to reach into his bag of dark arts to stop Martinelli in his tracks.

Thomas Partey is firmly back in favour at Arsenal and with the Ghanaian’s regular presence in midfield a factor, his teammate, Declan Rice, has been released more often to maraud forward in search of match-changing moments.

Rice has already been averaging more touches in the final third and opponent’s box than he did last season and the England international has been hitting 1.24 shots on target per 90 in the Premier League as a result.

The 25-year-old should have extra licence to join the Gunners’ attacking manoeuvres on Tuesday against a Shakhtar side that has been conceding 19.50 shots p/90 in the Champions League and Rice looks well positioned to deliver in the 1+ shots on target market here.