NEW FRONT THREE: MADUEKE, GYOKERES SET TO SHINE IN UCL ROTATION GAME.
After their unbeaten run ended, Arsenal will rotate heavily for the Club Brugge UCL clash. Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri are tipped to start as key players rest.
Arsenal heads to Club Brugge for Wednesday's Champions League game after their 18-game unbeaten run ended with a tough 2-1 loss to Aston Villa last weekend.
Now, the team's focus is on the Champions League, where they're set to play Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadium.
With the busy schedule lately, manager Mikel Arteta will likely make at least six changes to the starting lineup.
Players like Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and Bukayo Saka could get a rest on the bench.
Arsenal currently leads its Champions League group with 15 points, three ahead of the other teams.
This game is a good chance for Arteta to switch things up and keep important players fresh for what’s ahead.
Here are changes Mikel Arteta might make:
Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back
Riccardo Calafiori is out for Saturday’s game against Wolverhampton Wanderers due to his fifth yellow card.
Myles Lewis-Skelly is likely to step in for Calafiori at left-back this weekend. We think he’ll also start against Club Brugge, as he’s been in the starting lineup for three of the last four European matches.
Reports say Calafiori was seen leaving Villa Park with a limp. Because of this, he might only come on as a substitute against Club Brugge if needed.
Christian Norgaard and & Ethan Nwaneri in midfield
Declan Rice was a defensive machine against Villa, making 21 important plays. He looked tired after the defeat and needed a break.
He’s been a regular for Arsenal in every competition and for England too. This seems like the right time to give him a game off.
Likewise, Martin Zubimendi and Martin Odegaard could also use some rest. Odegaard just came back from his third injury this season, so he might start on the bench.
Christian Norgaard could take Zubimendi's spot in the number six role. Mikel Merino might move to central midfield, with Ethan Nwaneri playing as the attacking midfielder.
New-look front three
The front three could look different against the Belgian side. Saka might start on the bench, giving Noni Madueke a chance on the right wing.
The former Chelsea player scored his first Arsenal goal in the 3-1 win over Bayern Munich.
Viktor Gyokeres is in line to start for the first time in over a month after three substitute appearances. He’s eager to impress, especially since Merino has been the preferred choice upfront recently.
Eberechi Eze had a tough game on Saturday, and his poor defending played a part in Villa’s first goal. He was taken off at halftime along with Merino.
Eze could also start on the bench on Wednesday as part of the rotation. Gabriel Martinelli could get the nod on the left wing over Leandro Trossard, who doesn’t seem to be fully fit.
Despite being a substitute, Trossard was taken off in the 86th minute because of a calf issue.
It’s unlikely the 31-year-old will be risked from the start against Club Brugge. Martinelli has been impressive in the Champions League this season, scoring in each of his four games.
Elsewhere, David Raya, Ben White, Jurrien Timber, and Piero Hincapie are likely to keep their places in the lineup.
Gabriel Magalhaes, Cristhian Mosquera, and Kai Havertz are out with injuries until next year. It’s also uncertain if William Saliba will be ready to return on Wednesday night.
MARTIN ODEGAARD RALLIES ARSENAL SQUAD AMID FEARS OF PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE "COLLAPSE"
Martin Odegaard says Arsenal’s title race is wide open. Read why Wayne Rooney is defending the players against fan boos.
_1776690554.webp)
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard isn’t backing down. Even after Manchester City edged out the Gunners 2-1 at the Etihad, he says the Premier League title race is still wide open.
That loss stung; it leaves Arsenal on the verge of losing the top spot they’ve held for over 200 days. If City beat Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday, Arsenal’s stretch at the summit ends, with just five games left in the season.
But the story isn’t over yet. Even if City pulls level on points, Odegaard wants his teammates focused on one thing: bouncing back with a win against Newcastle at the Emirates this Saturday.
“We have to keep going,” Odegaard said after the match. “This was always going to go to the wire, so we have to stick together, keep working, and look to the next game. We’ll move on, bounce back, and right now, it’s all still to play for. Honestly, this is the fun part of the season; we can’t wait for the next game.”
It’s been a tough stretch for Arsenal. Sunday’s loss marked the fourth defeat in a row across domestic competitions, starting with City beating them in the Carabao Cup final, a surprising FA Cup defeat to Southampton, and a crushing home loss to Bournemouth.
The cracks are showing, and some supporters have started to worry Arsenal are “bottling” their title charge. The Emirates felt tense after the Bournemouth game, the crowd frustrated enough to boo as the players left the pitch.
But there’s not much time to dwell on it. While City are juggling their FA Cup semi-final this weekend, Arsenal host a shaky Newcastle side. It’s a golden chance to reset and claw back some momentum.
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney has stepped in with a message for Arsenal fans: now’s the time to rally. Speaking on the BBC’s The Wayne Rooney Show, he didn’t mince words. “Arsenal fans need to be better. I saw them boo the team. Look, Arsenal have been brilliant all season. They’re having a bad run, but fan support means everything to those players.”
He gets it: getting booed after a tough run cuts deep. “Arsenal’s players have worked so hard to be in this position. If you want to win the league, the fans have to help. They’re desperate to win, but they have a part to play.”
GABRIEL JESUS CLASHES WITH HECKLING CITY FANS DURING HIGH-TENSION 2-1 DEFEAT
Gabriel Jesus reminds Man City fans of his 11 trophies during a heated spat at the Etihad. Is the pressure hitting Arsenal?
Gabriel Jesus got into it with a Man City fan on Sunday, and the whole thing boiled over during Arsenal’s tense Premier League match at the Etihad. Jesus, now 29, didn’t even make it off the bench. Mikel Arteta chose to bring on Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, and Viktor Gyökeres instead as Arsenal fell 2-1. So Jesus just kept himself busy warming up on the sideline.
He spent five years at City, from 2017 to 2022, before heading to Arsenal. But that history didn’t buy him any love from the crowd. During his warmup, with cameras rolling for a social media clip titled “I love watching Arsenal cry,” a City supporter behind him started heckling, shouting, “Judas, what’s the score?”
Jesus snapped. He turned, walked right up to the fan, pointed at himself, then at the pitch, and shot back: “I have won 11 titles here.” The fan wasn’t impressed. “Yeah, but who are you now? Who are you now?” Jesus responded with a mocking hand gesture.
If you go back, Jesus joined City from Palmeiras when he was just 19. Over five and a half years, he scored 95 goals in 236 games. That run saw City win four league titles, four EFL Cups, an FA Cup, and two Community Shields. He was a big part of all that.
In 2022, he decided he wanted more starts, so he moved to Arsenal for £45 million. He began well in North London, but things haven’t gone smoothly since he’s struggled with injuries, including a major knee issue he only got back from in December, and he’s started just two league matches since. So far, he’s scored 31 goals in 120 appearances for Arsenal, but he’s still waiting for his first piece of silverware with them.
And after Sunday’s loss, Arsenal saw their lead at the top shrink to just three points. Man City also have a game in hand; they can grab the top spot if they beat Burnley on Wednesday.
Must Read
_1775160212.webp)