The Champions League at the Emirates is back and expectations are high from Arsenal who have made a solid start to their new season.
Mikel Arteta’s side face Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven in the opening group game on Wednesday (20 September), and the Gunners will look to get off to a flyer.
They are heading into this game on the back of a 1-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park, and confidence among players is running high at the moment.
Team news
Arsenal are sweating over the fitness of Gabriel Martinelli ahead of their Group B opener.
The Brazilian picked up a hamstring injury against the Toffees, and it’s hard to see him getting fit within such a short time. The Gunners are already missing Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber, and Mohamed Elneny, and it seems Martinelli could be out for a while.
Leandro Trossard – who scored the winner at Goodison – is a natural replacement for Martinelli, and the Belgian has earned his way into the starting line-up.
David Raya was outstanding in the previous game, but Arteta could look to rotate his goalkeepers. Raya didn’t put a foot wrong on Sunday, but Ramsdale is likely to return in midweek.
Kai Havertz has really struggled to make an impact since moving from London rivals Chelsea on a big-money deal this summer. He is likely to be benched again with Fabio Vieira impressing alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.
The backline should remain the same but there could be some changes upfront. Gabriel Jesus is fully fit and should get the nod ahead of struggling Eddie Nketiah. So, Ramsdale, Jesus, and Trossard are expected to come in for Raya, Nketiah and Martinelli.
Here’s the predicted starting XI (4-3-3): Raya, Saliba, White, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Odegaard, Vieira, Rice, Saka, Jesus, Trossard.
