martin odegaard arsenal
Following a disappointing 1-1 draw against Fulham in the Premier League, Arsenal are set to welcome AS Monaco at the Emirates Stadium in the Champions League tonight.
The Gunners have accumulated the same number of points as the French side in this competition after playing five matches. So, both teams will be desperate to earn all three points from this fixture to increase their chance of clinching the top eight position.
The North London club have been inconsistent thus far this season and they will have to return to their best as quickly as possible to achieve their lofty ambitions of winning major competitions such as the Premier League or the Champions League at the end of this campaign.
They also started in a similar manner last term and eventually fell short in the Premier League title race.
Team news
The Gunners are expected to be without several of their key players for this game with Ben Whites, Gabriel Magalhaes, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Riccardo Calafiori being among them.
Predicted line-up
Mikel Arteta is unlikely to make many changes to his starting eleven from last weekend’s game against Fulham. So, David Raya is set to continue in goal for the hosts and in front of him, Jakub Kiwior and William Saliba should be the centre-back partnership.
Jurrien Timber may start in the left-back position, while Thomas Partey should be on the opposite side amid the injury absence of several fullback options.
So, if Partey commences in defence then Declan Rice could be deployed in the deep-lying playmaker position and Mikel Merino might start alongside the Englishman with Martin Odegaard in his preferred attacking midfield position. In that case, Jorginho should be among the substitutes alongside Ethan Nwaneri.
Bukayo Saka is expected to start in the right flank, while Gabriel Martinelli may return to the starting eleven after featuring off the bench last time out. So, Leandro Trossard could be involved as a substitute.
Kai Havertz should be in the centre-forward position, therefore, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling would have to settle for a place on the bench.
Expected Arsenal line-up vs Monaco
Raya; Partey, Saliba, Kiwior, Timber; Rice, Merino, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
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