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.
WHAT IS THE "AURA" MIKEL ARTETA SEES IN BUKAYO SAKA’S RECENT PERFORMANCES?
"He shifts momentum." Read Mikel Arteta’s full analysis of Bukayo Saka’s importance ahead of the crucial West Ham showdown.
Mikel Arteta sees something special in Bukayo Saka’s presence on the pitch, an “aura” that he believes could drive Arsenal toward a Premier League title, just three games away from ending a 22-year wait.
During Saka’s recent absence with an Achilles injury, Arsenal managed only a single win in five matches. His return, however, seemed to breathe new life into the squad. Saka set up Viktor Gyokeres for the opener before scoring himself in a solid 3-0 victory over Fulham last weekend.
More crucially, Saka netted the decisive goal that helped Arsenal secure a 2-1 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid, booking their first Champions League final appearance since 2006.
Since making his debut for the Gunners seven years ago, the England international now carries the hopes of pushing Arsenal for vital points, starting with a key clash against relegation-threatened West Ham at the London Stadium, followed by matches against Burnley at home and Crystal Palace away on the season’s final day.
When asked about Saka’s importance, Arteta highlighted the growing role he plays not just within the team but also in how opponents see him. There’s a clear presence, a certain quality that sets him apart. According to Arteta, Saka can shift a game’s momentum at any time, and instilling that kind of respect or even fear in the opposition is invaluable.
Arteta also touched on managing Saka’s comeback after injury, emphasising the idea of channelling fresh energy and motivation into his performance rather than rushing him back too soon. He described it as a privilege to have a player like Saka, someone who embodies core values and principles, both on and off the pitch. Beyond the football, there’s a human connection that makes working with him rewarding. What Saka showed, especially in the recent Champions League semifinal, was nothing short of remarkable.
Alongside Saka, Declan Rice has also become a pivotal figure since his £100 million move from West Ham last year. Now 27, Rice will make his 59th appearance of the season when Arsenal faces his former club on Sunday. His impact has been significant, earning him runner-up in the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award behind Bruno Fernandes.
Arteta praised Rice as a key leader and a major force for the team, underlining the powerful role he plays as Arsenal chase success this season.
WHY DID JURRIEN TIMBER’S "SIMPLE" INJURY TURN INTO A SEASON-ENDING MEDICAL MYSTERY?
After reaching the Champions League final, Arsenal face a fitness race for key stars ahead of their clash with West Ham.
Mikel Arteta has admitted that both Mikel Merino and Jurrien Timber are running out of time to get fit before the season ends – a tough setback for Arsenal right now.
Both have been out for weeks, dealing with foot and ankle injuries. The hope was always that they’d be back for the final stretch, giving Arsenal a boost when it matters most. This week, Merino at least made it back onto the training pitch, but Arteta has confirmed neither he nor Timber will be involved in Sunday’s big match against West Ham.
Arteta said he has no new injury problems elsewhere, but for Merino or Timber to play before the end of the season, their recoveries would have to be almost perfect. Timber’s situation in particular has turned out to be more complicated than they first thought.
“That’s probably been the hardest part for everyone. For me, for the player,” Arteta said. “We really didn’t think it would take this long, and he’s still not ready.”
Meanwhile, things are going well for Arsenal on the pitch. They’ve pulled five points clear at the top of the Premier League, and they just beat Atletico Madrid, booking a spot in their first Champions League final in two decades.
There’s still a twist, though. Manchester City play Brentford first this weekend, and they still have a game in hand. Even so, if Arsenal win their last three matches, the title is theirs.
Next up is West Ham, who are fighting to avoid relegation and could easily trip Arsenal up. Arteta knows his team can’t afford any slip-ups. “After the Atletico win, I was completely caught up in the emotion. You could feel what it meant to everyone fans and the staff. But straight after, my focus went to West Ham,” he said.
“We talked as a team about how we’ve earned the chance to be in the final, and we have time to get ready, but right now, all our focus and all the details need to go into West Ham.”
