In the absence of their captain, Eberechi Eze was handed a starting role to provide the creative spark in the final third. Elsewhere in the team, Bukayo Saka returned to the right wing in place of Noni Madueke, while Riccardo Calafiori reclaimed his spot at left-back, seeing Piero Hincapie drop to the substitutes' bench.
The midfield also saw a youthful look with Myles Lewis-Skelly starting in the engine room as Martin Zubimendi was granted a rest. Meanwhile, Leandro Trossard was preferred to Gabriel Martinelli on the left flank, completing a heavily-rotated attacking unit for the North London side.