Arsenal travel to Southampton in what is their final match of the Premier League season. It may not have ended how the Gunners would have wanted but it has left Mikel Arteta extremely determined to go again next season looking to win the title and more.
This game will allow, perhaps, for some goodbyes and rotation from Arteta, considering that a 10-goal swing in Manchester City’s favour would be needed to see the Gunners lose second spot. William Saliba and Jurrien Timber have joined Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Jesus as injured absentees.
However, Kai Havertz has since returned and made his comeback in the 1-0 win over Newcastle. With that said, football.london ’s writers give their thoughts on who they think should start the match with the Saints.
Tom Canton
Arsenal are effectively on the beach now, the goal difference to Manchester City is simply too great to be of much concern. Mikel Arteta can enjoy his time on the south coast and send off some players who we might not see again next season.
The main man in this regard is Kieran Tierney who is expected to join up with Celtic in the summer at the expiry of his contract. Jorginho is due to move to Brazil but fitness remains a concern and it might be he comes on later in the game.
Elsewhere, Ethan Nwaneri finally has the opportunity to start a game after weeks of wondering why his minutes have diminished so greatly. Mikel Merino returns from suspension and replaces the burned out Declan Rice.
Kai Havertz gets his first start since the first couple months of the year now having returned from hamstring surgery. While both Jakub Kiwior and Riccardo Calafiori will be deputising in the middle in the absence of both typical centre-half starters, a fitting end to a horrid injury-hit campaign.
Canton’s Arsenal XI vs Southampton: Raya; White, Kiwior, Calafiori, Tierney; Partey, Merino, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Nwaneri.
Joe Doyle
It hasn’t gone how Arsenal would have hoped this season, but the campaign has been by no means a write-off. The Gunners have still managed to secure second place (barring a complete collapse here) despite their attack being decimated by injuries in the second half of the season.
They’ll want to go out with a bang, and I can’t see Arteta resting or rotating too much here. David Raya will start in goal, and I think Ben White will start at right-back, with Jakub Kiwior and Riccardo Calafiori at centre-back.
While there is the temptation to start Kieran Tierney in what will be his last Arsenal game, I think Arteta will hold him back for a huge reception off the bench from the travelling fans. So Myles Lewis-Skelly starts in defence.
In midfield, it’s fairly simple. With Jorginho not fully fit, he’ll be coming off the bench if he can for a nice farewell, so it’s a starting trio of Thomas Partey, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.
In attack, I think Arteta might want to go as strong as possible, sentiment be damned. So it’s Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz.
Doyle’s Arsenal XI vs Southampton: Raya; White, Kiwior, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly; Partey, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Martinelli, Havertz.
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