By Danong
It has been a dull weekend with no action from Arsenal, but the Gunners are back on tonight. Mikel Arteta and his squad have flown to the Netherlands to face Dutch heavyweights PSV Eindhoven in a Champions League round of 16 clash.
Out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, and with a 13-point gap between them and Liverpool, Arsenal’s hope of making this season a success may lie in winning the Champions League.
Among the teams that reached the round of 16, PSV is not the toughest opponent the red and white could have drawn. However, the Dutch side cannot be underestimated.
Notably the winner of this bout faces a tricky quarter-final clash with either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid.
But for now, the focus is on the task at hand. Arsenal must be at their best. Arteta needs to field a capable lineup and the players need to demonstrate their desire to salvage this season.
Injuries remain a concern for the Gunners. Takehiro Tomiyasu, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli (who’s just returned to training), Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus are of course expected to miss this fixture.
However, with Raya in goal, White, Saliba, Gabriel, and Myles Lewis-Skelly in defense, Partey, Rice, and Odegaard in midfield and Nwaneri, Sterling, and Trossard in attack, the North Londoners could just leave the Philips Stadion with a healthy win.
You might be wondering why Sterling over Merino and why bench Timber for White in this game.
The last two games have shown that starting Merino as the CF isn’t the solution to the striking injury crisis. The Spaniard is an option in specific game states but should not start. He can make an impact from the bench.
On the other hand, Sterling hasn’t been great, but we need to make the best of his presence. Beyond his struggles, there’s a player there if we are to believe that class is permanent.
As for White replacing Timber, it’s time Timber gets a rest and White needs some minutes to get into the season.
A point of contention about Timber is that he doesn’t overlap enough. If he did, Nwaneri would have more space, and Odegaard would be in full flow. On his best days, Ben White overlaps even without receiving the ball, adding a threat to Arsenal’s attack.
That said, that’s my team to take on PSV. What’s yours?
As for White replacing Timber, it’s time Timber gets a rest and White needs some minutes to get into the season.
A point of contention about Timber is that he doesn’t overlap enough. If he did, Nwaneri would have more space, and Odegaard would be in full flow. On his best days, Ben White overlaps even without receiving the ball, adding a threat to Arsenal’s attack.
That said, that’s my team to take on PSV. What’s yours?
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