Arsenal are massive favourites to beat Ostersunds but Graham Potter hopes their Winter City catches them cold

  • Arsenal travel to the subarctic city of Ostersunds for their next Europa League tie
  • Englishman Graham Potter has led the side on an unlikely journey into Europe
  • He now hopes to catch Arsene Wenger's men cold with a huge upset in February
  • Potter remembers temperatures at that time of year falling as low as minus 18°C

Britain may be in the grip of a cold snap but the December chill is nothing compared with what Alexandre Lacazette, Jack Wilshere and Co will face when they travel to Sweden’s Winter City early next year.

Monday’s draw for the Europa League last 32 pitted Arsenal against Swedish Cup holders Ostersunds, who are based 300 miles north of Stockholm and were founded 19 days after Arsene Wenger’s first match in charge of the Gunners in 1996.

Along the touchline from Wenger will be Graham Potter, the English coach who has led the club to three promotions and into the Europa League knockout stages in just six years. Ostersunds’ maiden European tour has seen them remain unbeaten at home, picking off Galatasaray and Hertha Berlin.

Englishman Graham Potter will bring his Swedish side Osterunds up against Arsenal next year

Englishman Graham Potter will bring his Swedish side Osterunds up against Arsenal next year

We're going to need a bigger coat: Arsene Wenger's men will play in sub-zero temperatures

We're going to need a bigger coat: Arsene Wenger's men will play in sub-zero temperatures

THE DRAW: JAMIE REDKNAPP'S VERDICT

I am sure Arsenal will have looked at the Champions League draw and wished they were still at Europe’s top table. But this time last year they were only making up the numbers in that competition. 

Now they have a great chance to get back there by winning the Europa League. 

This tie is also a wonderful opportunity for Ostersunds’ English manager Graham Potter. He is fast becoming the next Roy Hodgson!

Winners: Arsenal 

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While Arsenal will be favourites to reach the last 16, they will have to brave harsh, wintry conditions when they visit the Jamtkraft Arena on February 15.


‘I remember having a friendly around that time of year and it was minus 18°C,’ Potter told Sportsmail. ‘There could be a lot of snow. It is not a massive advantage because nobody really likes playing football in those conditions.’

It has been a remarkable journey for the 42-year-old. A defender with Southampton, Stoke and West Bromwich during the Nineties, Potter hung up his boots aged 30 in 2005 and entered higher education, where he ran the football programmes at Leeds Metropolitan and Hull universities.

He was put in touch with Ostersunds by Graeme Jones, Potter’s former team-mate at Boston and Belgium manager Roberto Martinez’s long-term assistant. Jones and Martinez are friends with Ostersunds’ chairman Daniel Kindberg.

From playing in front of 500 supporters when Potter arrived six years ago in a city where skiing is the staple sport, Ostersunds last week took four times that number to Germany as they signed off their season with a 1-1 draw at Hertha Berlin.

While the trip to the Emirates will be the biggest in Ostersunds’ history, no stage is too daunting for Potter and his team. Each year, they participate in a cultural project chosen by Kindberg. 

Ostersunds finished second behind Athletic Bilbao in Europa League Group J this year

Ostersunds finished second behind Athletic Bilbao in Europa League Group J this year

UEFA director of competitions Giorgio Marchetti draws Ostersund against Arsenal

UEFA director of competitions Giorgio Marchetti draws Ostersund against Arsenal

GRAHAM POTTER PLAYING CAREER
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992 1993 Birmingham 25 2
1993 Wycombe (loan) 3 0
1993 1996 Stoke 45 1
1996 1997 Southampton 8 0
1997 2000 West Brom 43 0
1997 Northampton (loan) 3 0
1997 1998 Northampton (loan) 1 0
1999 Reading (loan) 4 0
2000 2003 York 114 5
2003 2004 Boston 12 0
2003 Shrewsbury (loan) 5 0
2004 2005 Macclesfield 57 8

They celebrated promotion to the top flight by putting on a modern dance performance set to music from Swan Lake and this year rapped about the Sami, the indigenous people of Scandinavia.

‘The boys understand it’s part of being at Ostersunds,’ said Potter. ‘It is real team-bonding activity.’

This will be the first time he has met Wenger, though Potter knows Arsenal analyst Ben Knapper from working in higher education. ‘All communication is shut down now!’ he said.

While the Swedish league season does not start until the end of March, Arsenal will play at least 13 times before they face Ostersunds.

‘We have given the lads four weeks,’ said Potter. ‘Then we’ll have six weeks to prepare. It has been an unbelievable year. To finish it off with drawing one of the biggest teams in world football is like an early Christmas present.’

EUROPA LEAGUE: LAST 32 DRAW 

B Dortmund v Atalanta, Nice v Lokomotiv Moscow, Copenhagen v Atletico Madrid, Spartak v A Bilbao, AEK v Dynamo Kiev, Celtic v Zenit St Petersburg, Napoli v Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade v CSKA Moscow, Lyon v Villarreal, Real Sociedad v Red Bull Salzburg, Partizan Belgrade v Plzen, Steaua Bucharest v Lazio, Ludogorets v Milan, Astana v Sporting Lisbon, Ostersunds v Arsenal, Marseille v Braga. 

 

The first legs will be played on February 15, and the second legs will be played on February 22 

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