For the first time in 14 years, we lock horns with Shakhtar Donetsk, and much has changed for the Ukrainian side on and off the pitch since our last meeting in 2010.
They have become a powerhouse in their homeland, tasting regular league and cup success during a period of domination. That has been achieved despite the ongoing war with Russia in their region, which has seen them rehomed many times and forced to play their European games across the border.
Ahead of the game, here is all you need to know about our opponents:
The history
Shakhtar began life as Stakhanovets in 1936, and 10 years later became Shakhtyor. They flitted between the top two tiers of the Soviet leagues until top-flight promotion in 1954 saw them spend all but one year amongst the country’s elite.
The 1960s saw them win successive USSR Cups, while the next decade would see them become regular challengers for the championship but without success. Two more USSR Cups arrived in the 1980s, before Ukraine became independent in 1991. Initial success arrived in cup competitions, but the new millennium saw a first Champions League berth in 2000.
Two years later, they finally tasted league success as part of a domestic double, and would win three more titles before the end of the decade. 2009 was their golden year as they clinched the UEFA Cup by beating Werder Bremen 2-1 after extra time, and subsequently, they established themselves as the country’s dominant force, lifting 11 of the last 14 league titles, leaving them one title shy of Dynamo Kyiv’s record haul of 16.
The stadium
Following their formation in the 1930s, Shakhtar played at Shakhtar Stadium until 2004 when they moved to the RSC Olimpiyskiy before the 52,000-capacity Donbas Arena opened in 2009 ahead of Euro 2012. However, following the outbreak of war in the region in 2014, Shakhtar were forced to abandon their home after it suffered damage.
They first moved to Lviv and then Kharkiv before returning home to the Olimpiyskiy for a few seasons. However, this season has seen them return to Lviv, 600 miles from home. Following Russia’s invasion in 2022, their European matches were played in Warsaw, but have since moved to the Veltins Arena, home of German side Schalke.
The manager
Marino Pusic has been Shakhtar's boss for just under a year. A modest playing career in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, his coaching breakthrough came at FC Twente where he twice held caretaker positions. Despite being at the helm when they were relegated in 2018/19, he was handed the role permanently and won them promotion a year later.
He became Arne Slot’s assistant at both AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord, whom he helped win the Eredisie in 2022/23. A few months later, he was poached by Shakhtar, and ended his first season at the helm by clinching the Ukrainian Premier League title.
Last season
After manager Igor Jovicevic moved to Al Raed in Saudi Arabia, Patrick van Leeuwen was named manager but lasted just 12 matches before Pusic was parachuted in, with Shakhtar sitting third in the table. 15 straight wins from December onwards would see them retain the league title, two points ahead of Dynamo Kyiv.
They also beat Vorskla Poltava to clinch a record-breaking 14th Ukrainian Cup, and won three of their six matches in the Champions League which included a 1-0 triumph against Barcelona. That was enough for a third-place finish and saw them drop into the Europa League, but Marseille knocked them out in the play-off round.
The squad
The bright spark in Shakhtar’s team is 22-year-old midfielder Heorhiy Sudakov [above], who hit double figures last term, and has almost beaten last season’s tally this time around.
The youngster was one of six Shakhtar players in Ukraine’s Euro 2024 squad alongside winger Oleksandr Zubkov, right-back Yukhym Konoplya, central defenders Valeriy Bondar and Mykola Matviyenko and veteran defensive midfielder Taras Stepanenko, who has played over 400 times for the club.
Danylo Sikan finished top scorer last season with 16 goals, while Dmytro Riznyk is their first-choice goalkeeper. Midfielder Marlon Gomes represented Brazil at the Olympics earlier this year, while striker Lassina Traore is a Burkina Faso international.
The season so far
Another slow start sees Shakhtar sitting in fourth place in the table, having suffered two defeats in their opening nine games. They’re the top scorers in the division having netted 25 times in those games, including a 5-0 win on the opening day against Vorskla Poltava, and a 5-1 win over LNZ Cherkasy at the start of the month that saw Sudakov score four times.
Their Champions League campaign began with a 0-0 draw at Bologna with Sudakov missing a penalty, but a 3-0 reverse against Atalanta followed a fortnight later in Gelsenkirchen. Their most recent match saw them beat Kolos 1-0 on Friday night.
The previous meetings
We have faced Shakhtar four times in our history, all in the Champions League. The first was back in the Ukrainian’s first season in the competition back in 2000/01 and they took a 2-0 lead before we battled back to win 3-2 courtesy of a Sylvain Wiltord penalty and a rare Martin Keown brace. With qualification already assured, we lost 3-0 in the return.
10 years later, we recorded a thumping 5-1 win at Emirates Stadium when Alex Song, Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere and Marouane Chamakh all got on the scoresheet, but we again fell to defeat in Donetsk when former Gunner Eduardo netted the winner in a 2-1 defeat.
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