Our first UCL game was an excellent return to the Champions League at The Emirates. Now we face our first away leg only a short flight from Luton (as I write this Arsenal were heavily delayed at the airport), to the north of France.
Who can we expect to start this UCL week 2 match up; whilst knowing that Man City are next in the league. It is certainly a factor that will play in the mind of Mikel ahead of his team selection.
The Line-up:
A mix and match lineup of strong attack and a solid back line. Arsenal should treat this like the Bournemouth game of the last weekend. We should smash and grab this game in the first half allowing a plethora of substitutions in the 2nd half to simply game manage a win.
The last thing we want to see is Jesus, Saka and Ødegaard playing more than 60 minutes ideally Ben White getting a rest too!
David Raya is another factor. He has to start once more to maintain the consistency ahead of him starting the City game in the league. I think Mikel likes a certain degree of interchanging GK’s now. However ahead of games against title competitors, he does appear to favour a certain degree of continuation at the back.
Wingbacks: Zinchenko or White will likely be on the bench for this match, as Arsenal need to save them for more important matches. Kiwior and Tomiyasu are both good options to replace them.
Havertz may start this match if Arsenal need his physical presence. However, he is also likely to be subbed off early and saved the level of physicality to be expected in the upcoming game against Man City. His close ball control and ability to win the ball in the air will be important for Arsenal in this match.
Nketiah is the key to Arsenal’s victory against RC Lens. He needs to be clinical in front of goal, but if he’s not, he can still influence the game by being strong on the ball and holding it up to allow time and space for the wingers and midfielders to get into position.
Arsenal will dominate possession and have the most shots on target, but they need to be wary of pacy counter-attacks. If they’re clinical in the first half, they can put the game to bed and make substitutions in the second half to rest their key players.
Keys to winning:
RC Lens are in good form after a slow start to the season, so this won’t be an easy game for Arsenal. However, Mikel Arteta has a strong squad and can rotate his players without weakening the team.
I think Arteta will make four changes to the team that beat Bournemouth. In central defense, Takehiro Tomiyasu will replace William Saliba. Ben White will also need a break, so he may come off the bench in the second half, depending on the score.
Jorginho is well-suited to the pace of European football, so he can start in defensive midfield, giving Declan Rice a rest ahead of the Manchester City game. Kai Havertz had a good game against Bournemouth and scored his first goal of the season, so I think he will keep his place in the team.
Overall, I think Arsenal will have a strong enough team to beat RC Lens and maintain their momentum ahead of trickier upcoming opponents.
Conclusion:
Clearly this is a game that on paper Arsenal should win and win comfortably. However, there are always many variables, the rotation on the squad, the fact it’s a compact stadium where the home crowd will be impactful and the bigger games ahead. Mikel will have to be smart with both his lineup and in game management to allow intelligent rotation during the match.
Undoubtedly Arsenal is the stronger side, and the side with more goals in them. They should win and win comfortably.
Predictions:
POTM: Havertz
Scoreline: Lens 0 – Arsenal 3
Suggested Bet: Arsenal Win – YES
Written by Reekesh Somaroo