Tick. Tock.
With the Premier League title gone to Liverpool, Arsenal’s fight is now about pride and preparation. Tonight at the Emirates, Mikel Arteta’s side host Bournemouth—but the real battle looms in Paris. So, six changes beckon.
A rotated XI. But not a weakened one.
Arteta knows the cost of fatigue. The bruises from the PSG first-leg loss are fresh. And the second leg waits like a blade at the throat. So, the plan is bold: rest the irreplaceable.
Declan Rice and Mikel Merino—stalwarts in midfield—are expected to be benched. In come Thomas Partey and Jorginho, two old generals with fresh legs. Odegaard, the eternal orchestrator, stays in the middle—his mind already drifting to the Parc des Princes.
At the back, changes too. Ben White and Kieran Tierney return to full-back duty, giving Timber and Lewis-Skelly a breather. But William Saliba and Jakub Kiwior remain—the spine holds.
Up front, the gamble is bigger.
No Saka. No Martinelli.
Instead, Ethan Nwaneri is tipped to start on the right. A boy asked to play like a man. On the left, a surprise: Raheem Sterling could make a rare start. In the middle, Leandro Trossard gets the nod to lead the line.
Bournemouth, led by Andoni Iraola, won’t make it easy. They play without fear, without chains. But this is less about them—and more about Arsenal’s choice.
To rest. To rotate. To risk.
Every decision tonight is a whisper to next week.
Everything is about Paris.
Predicted XI (4-3-3):
Raya; White, Saliba, Kiwior, Tierney; Partey, Odegaard, Jorginho; Nwaneri, Trossard, Sterling