By Danong
Tuesday night sees Arsenal facing Bayern Munich in the highly anticipated Champions League quarterfinals at the Emirates Stadium. This game is a must-watch, as it would be the perfect litmus test if this Arsenal team truly has rediscovered its competitive edge.
Bayern find themselves in a challenging situation as they grapple with the issue of inconsistency. Arsenal, on the other hand, have been in exceptional form, securing one victory after another. They have only suffered a single defeat (a 1-0 loss to FC Porto) since the winter break, triumphing in 11 out of their 13 matches during this impressive run.
Is it wise for Mikel Arteta to consider rotating his squad against this Bayern Munich side so that he has a fresh looking side for the game against Villa?
Despite Bayern Munich's recent inconsistencies, Arsenal should view them as their toughest challenge yet.
Last week, the Arsenal boss took a calculated risk by rotating his lineup against Luton. The outcome was a resounding success, with his side securing a 2-0 victory. Even if there's a big clash with Aston Villa coming up (with PL glory at stake), Arteta can't rest his best players in a must-win match like Bayern.
Reports suggest that all the Gunners, including Jurrien Timber, participated in full first-team training on Monday. Therefore, Arteta has an abundance of options when it comes to selecting who to play and who not to play.
Which raises the question: what is the most formidable Arsenal lineup the Spaniard can field Tuesday night?
The lineup Arteta fielded against Brighton is strong enough for the task at hand, but there are just two changes I'd make if I were Arteta. I would drop Oleksander Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus for Jakub Kiwior and Gabriel Martinelli.
Oleksandr Zinchenko's defensive vulnerabilities were on display against the Seagulls, as Simon Adingra had no trouble in 1v1 situations with the Ukrainian international. It was evident that Brighton had identified him as a weak link in the Gunners defence, so they targeted him.
Jakub Kiwior's performance as Arsenal's left back after the mid-season break was truly impressive. With Kiwior as a typical leftback, we witnessed Ben White embracing the inverted right-back role, which unlocked him to dazzle and may end up winning the player of the season award.
Arsenal can trust they'll have a solid defence with Kiwior at left back and White at right back, especially with the reassuring presence of William Saliba and Gabriel in central defence.
Now that Havertz is the preferred striker, Gabriel Jesus is finding game time on the wings. Despite doing everything well, he continues to struggle with efficiency.
Arteta needs an efficient attack versus Bayern. Martinelli, who's been making cameo appearances since returning from injury, ought to return to the starting lineup. The presence of the Brazilians, Kai Havertz, and Bukayo Saka in attack could spell trouble for Thomas Tuchel's defenders.
With this line-up below, Arteta could field a starting 11 that is more than capable of overpowering Bayern and put one foot in the semifinal of the Champions League.
Raya
White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior
Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard
Saka, Havertz, and Martineli
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