PSV kicks off the group stage of the UEFA Champions League Wednesday night with a visit to the Emirates Stadium. There it meets in Arsenal a team that was in pole position for the English national championship for a long time last year. An overview of the first opponent in the pool.
This year, coach Mikel Arteta once again has a selection that will put the reigning national champions Manchester City to the test. In the first five games of the season, the Gunners won four times. Among others, Erik ten Hag's Manchester United had to acknowledge their superiority in the Londoners. (3-1).
Goalkeeper
Aaron Ramsdale has been considered the regular goalkeeper for a while, but that may have changed. Against Everton, David Raya received the confidence of the coach. With a clean sheet in his first game, it is suddenly uncertain who will be under the crossbar on Wednesday night.
Defense
Coach Mikel Arteta usually opts for a 4-3-3 formation - although in reality it works out very differently. For there are no "traditional" wing defenders lined up. On the left, the Spaniard deploys a central defender with Ben White. On the other side, former PSV player Oleksandr Zinchenko is a regular clique. In possession, one of the two often shifts to midfield. Then central defenders Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba form a three-man defense with the remaining back.
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Midfield
With Kai Havertz and Declan Rice, Arsenal invested heavily in the midfield this summer. The defensive-minded Rice in particular made a soft landing. Granit Xhaka's replacement invariably gets the confidence of Mikel Arteta. One line forward, Arsenal began the season on the right with captain Martin Ødegaard and on the left with German Havertz. It very much remains to be seen whether Havertz will start in the starting lineup against PSV. In his first five games, he was not once involved in a goal. Against Everton, Fábio Vieira was therefore preferred.
Attack
Up front, you will find proof that Arsenal has a good youth academy. In the striker, 24-year-old Eddie Nketiah keeps Gabriel Jesus on the bench for now. Chances are that Arteta will opt for more experience in the UEFA Champions League and the choice will still fall on Jesus. On the right flank, at least, he does not have to hesitate. With Bukayo Saka, the coach has one of the greatest talents in world football. That the youthful left forward Gabriel Martinelli is not a product of Hale End Academy does not make him less of a threat. Still, it remains to be seen whether the Brazilian will play Wednesday night. He fell out with an injury this weekend. His replacement, Leandro Trossard, did score the winning goal, by the way.
Form
On Sunday, Arsenal took on Everton at Liverpool. With former PSV player Jarrad Branthwaite in the ranks, the 'Toffees' had to give way. Substitute Leandro Trossard scored the only and thus winning goal of the match in the 69th minute. The Belgian scored from an indirect free kick, which came to him after a number of pass combinations.
Everton 1-0 win | Manchester United 3-1 win | Fulham 2-2 draw | Crystal Palace 1-0 win | Nottingham Forest 2-1 win.
