football.london reporters pick their Arsenal starting XIs for the Champions League final against PSG
17:00, 29 May 2026
Jurrien Timber
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Jurrien Timber is pushing to start for Arsenal in the Champions League final
It's that time. The last Reporters' XI of the season and what a game we have on our hands.
The Champions League final between Arsenal and PSG has all the ingredients to be special.
You wouldn't fancy being in Mikel Arteta's shoes when picking his starting line-up though as there are a number of tough calls to make.
football.london reporters Tom Canton, Chief Arsenal Correspondent, and Ryan Taylor select the teams they would choose in Budapest if they were in the dugout.
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Tom Canton - Chief Arsenal Correspondent
If there is any chance that Jurrien Timber can play in this game, he needs to. The level the Dutchman brings to the right-back role is just significantly greater than anyone else available, despite their competency to play the position.
Elsewhere, I would go with Kai Havertz as my centre-forward. Scoring the key goal against Burnley, which won them the league, including goals against Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting CP and Manchester City recently in big moments, including a Champions League final goal of his own in 2021.
Riccardo Calafiori is my starting left-back with Piero Hincapie offering plenty, like Viktor Gyokeres, off the bench.
The toughest call was in midfield and I would continue with Myles Lewis-Skelly’s momentum alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard – my only concern is Eberechi Eze’s substitute appearances have not always been the best outside of his contribution away at Atletico Madrid.
Canton’s Arsenal XI – Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Trossard
Kai Havertz
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Kai Havertz could start the Champions League final for Arsenal
Ryan Taylor
I'm going to go against Tom here. I don't see how Jurrien Timber can start, even if he is fit, having not played a single minute since mid-March.
There's no denying he would have been a game-changer if he was definitely in top shape but it's been two-and-a-half months since he even kicked a ball in a match.
If there was any kind of doubt in his mind or his fitness levels (in terms of sharpness) were not up to scratch, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has the quality to punish that. In my view, it's just not a risk worth taking.
Instead, Arsenal must adjust and adapt and Cristhian Mosquera is facing the biggest night of his career.
He is a sound defender, a strong physical presence and I think he has it in him to disrupt the Georgian. If I were Mosquera, I would simply study Kvara on YouTube all evening before the game!
In midfield, I'm going with Myles Lewis-Skelly over Martin Zubimendi and in attack, I'm also going with Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz.
The rest of the team, in my view, picks itself. Perhaps the only other dilemma is at left-back but I would go with Riccardo Calafiori as he's finished the campaign strongly and in attacking midfield. Martin Odegaard just edges Eberechi Eze in attacking midfield, for me, also.
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Taylor's Arsenal XI – Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Trossard
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