Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta is set to make 6 changes before the London derby. Arsenal are in huge trouble, as their manager has confirmed that their six key players will miss out on the match. The Premier League table toppers are set to face Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea in the EFL Cup semifinals. Arsenal have ruled out Piero Hincapie, Cristhian Mosquera, Max Dowman, and Riccardo Calafiori for the London derby. Also William Saliba and Leonardo Trossard are doubtful for the game against Chelsea. It would be interesting to see how the manager takes care of the situation before their upcoming fixture.
Rosenior rotated heavily against Charlton, and the likes of Cole Palmer and Reece James weren’t even in the matchday squad (in line with the advice from the medical team). That sort of workload management has come under scrutiny in the wake of Enzo Maresca’s departure, but it’s hard to argue against the positive results we’ve seen from this careful approach, especially with the injury-prone likes of Wesley Fofana or the aforementioned James. All that said, the team have confirmed that the only players unavailable for this game are Levi Colwill and Roméo Lavia (Dário Essugo was back on the bench midweek), while Moisés Caicedo serves another suspension, this time for yellow card accumulation strictly in this competition (two in two games). Marc Cucurella is available again after serving his one-match suspension midweek. Since we last met, Arsenal has lost just one game and has won eight of their last nine. They did need penalties to advance from the quarterfinals at the expense of Crystal Palace in one of those eight wins. The Gunners will be without defenders Riccardo Calafiori, Cristhian Mosquera, and Piero Hincapié. While another defender, William Saliba, is facing a later fitness test, alongside annoying forward Leandro Trossard.
Solutions for Arteta after he confirmed six changes before the game
Kepa has been the Gunners’ Cup gk after his summer arrival from the Blues. The Spaniard played a big role in the club progressing to the League Cup semi-final with a vital save in the penalty shoot-out win against Crystal Palace last month. He is likely to continue between the sticks ahead of David Raya. Christian Norgaard, who played as a makeshift center-back last weekend, should drop to the bench. Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly are assured to start from the right and left-back positions, respectively. In midfield, the team expect a complete overhaul, with Mikel Merino, Ethan Nwaneri, and Eberechi Eze making way. Martin Zubimendi should return to his customary number six role for the London giants. Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard will return to central midfield. Further forward, we predict a couple of changes with Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus dropping to the substitutes’ bench. Madueke grabbed a couple of assists from corners on Sunday but missed a glorious opportunity to score from the penalty spot. Saka looks set to replace his fellow country man on the right wing tonight.
Fan’s reaction
The Arsenal fans are a bit nervous about their upcoming match against their rivals Chelsea. After the confirmation given by the coach that six players will miss the game, the fans believe it’s going to be a tough day for them. Many fans believe William Saliba’s presence in the game is a must, as he is the heart of their backline. Social media has erupted upon hearing the press conference of Mikel Arteta.
Author’s insight
From the author’s point of view, the missing of six players will make a huge gap in their squad. It’s always a tough game when it’s Arsenal vs. Chelsea.
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