Predicted Arsenal lineup and XI vs Brentford as Mikel Arteta makes Real Madrid decision

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Arsenal host Brentford at the Emirates in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

The Gunners sit eleven points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool with seven games remaining, and thus, Mikel Arteta’s team are firmly focused on the Champions League.

Real Madrid were dismantled by Arsenal in N5 on Tuesday night, giving the North Londoners a huge lead heading to the Bernabeu next week.

Arteta will likely have that game in mind when he picks his team for the clash with the Bees, with several players expected to be rested.

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Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Brentford

Arsenal Insider revealed that Arsenal will make several changes for the Brentford game and that Arteta may even hand out some debuts for the clash.

The league title is gone and Europe’s elite competition takes priority, meaning the Spaniard won’t want to risk any key players against Thomas Frank’s outfit.

David Raya is one who will likely remain in the side, while you’d expect William Saliba and Jakub Kiwior to continue their partnership at the heart of the Gunners’ defence, as the pair grow used to playing with each other.

Full-back is certainly an area where players could be rested, with Jurrien Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly earning well-deserved breaks on the sidelines.

Ben White and Kieran Tierney could come in for the duo, with Jorginho replacing Thomas Partey at the base of the midfield.

Oleksandr Zinchenko could be set to start in midfield, while at least one of Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino or Declan Rice will likely have to start.

Odegaard was rested against Everton, while the other two both played that game, perhaps meaning the Norwegian will play from the beginning in this one.

As for the front-three, it’s likely Arteta will revert to the trio that started at Goodison Park, with Leandro Trossard, Ethan Nwaneri and Raheem Sterling coming in.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Brentford: Raya, White, Saliba, Kiwior, Tierney, Jorginho, Zinchenko, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Trossard, Sterling.

Mikel Arteta should start Oleksandr Zinchenko in midfield against Brentford

Merino played 90 minutes in midweek and has been racking up minutes recently, as has Rice.

They both need a rest ahead of the Bernabeu, as does Partey, meaning Arteta has to source a makeshift midfielder to come in against Brentford.

Zinchenko impressed in midfield against PSV last month, and he’s certainly the obvious candidate.

Extremely gifted technically, the Ukrainian’s defensive weaknesses aren’t as exposed in the middle of the park, while he’ll be able to add creative passing and ball progression.

Not a solution you’d want to see in big games where you need more imposing physicality, but a trio of Jorginho, Odegaard and Zinchenko could stifle Brentford merely by keeping the ball for 90 minutes.