Arsenal travel to the Netherlands to take on PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Gunners are vying for a place in the last eight of Europe’s elite competition, with the second leg set to be held at the Emirates next week.
Having fallen 13 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, the pressure is on Mikel Arteta’s team to progress deep into the Champions League.
Arsenal’s record against Dutch teams isn’t good, and thus Arteta will be taking the clash with the Eredivisie outfit extremely seriously.
The North Lononers will still be without Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka for this game, although Ethan Nwaneri is expected to be fit and available after coming off against Nottingham Forest with an injury.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs PSV
Alongside Saka and Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are still out, while Takehiro Tomiyasu also won’t feature.
This means that Arteta will once again have to deploy a makeshift front line.
David Raya will start in between the sticks, while William Saliba, Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Magalhaes pick themselves in Arsenal’s back four.
Ben White isn’t fit enough to start yet and will likely continue to be slowly integrated back into the team after his lengthy injury lay-off.
At left-back, Riccardo Calafiori produced a mixed performance in an unorthodox role against Forest, and could be in line to fulfil a similar role in Eindhoven.
However, Arteta will likely opt to recall Myles Lewis-Skelly to the starting eleven after the teenager received a much-needed rest with his suspension for the Forest encounter.
Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice will retain their places in midfield, most likely alongside Thomas Partey.
While many fans would like the club to allow the ageing Ghanaian to leave N5 when his contract expires, Arsenal are considering offering Partey a new deal, and this clearly indicates where the player stands in Arteta’s thoughs.
In the forward line, the Spaniard has a difficult decision to make.
Raheem Sterling continues to frustrate when he is granted minutes, while Mikel Merino has’t kicked on from scoring twice at Leicester in the centre-forward position.
Arteta appears intent on using Sterling as infrequently as possible, so expect Merino to start down the middle again, with Nwaneri and Leandro Trossard either side of him.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs PSV: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Merino, Trossard.
Mikel Arteta should start Mikel Merino in midfield against PSV
Merino has struggled as a striker in recent games, and thus Arteta should accept that the experiment isn’t working and mix things up.
The Arsenal boss doesn’t have to use Sterling on the left, and could instead use Calafiori as a winger if he really wants to.
Arsenal’s record with Trossard as a striker is impressive, and the Gunners should revert to this more natural option.
Merino will be able to fill the space Trossard vacates in the box with late runs, starting deeper on the pitch rather than having to provide a focal point in the box.
The Belgian doesn’t provide the box presence Arsenal want from their number nine, but this hasn’t been an issue when he’s played up front as Arteta has packed the team with runners to get in behind him.
It’s not an ideal solution, but it’s worth experimenting with.
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