Arsenal are back in action this evening, as Mikel Arteta’s side look to right their wrongs in the Champions League against Sevilla.
The Gunners face a trip to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in their third fixture of Group B, and will hope to hunt down RC Lens who currently top the group after beating Arteta’s side last time out.
The loss to Lens broke Arsenal’s undefeated start to the 2023/24 campaign, with the north Londoners poised for another challenge in Europe this evening.
What is the latest Arsenal team news?
Not only will the Gunners hope to turn their form around in the Champions League, but also in general, after being held to a 2-2 draw against Chelsea in the Premier League in their most recent fixture.
It was a dull performance by the north Londoners' standards at Stamford Bridge, calling for an improved showing in Seville tonight in order to take back control in the group.
Against Chelsea, goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was absent from the squad due to the birth of his child, however, the Englishman is set to return to the fold as confirmed by Arteta during his pre-match press conference.
The 25-year-old could even find himself with a role greater than being on the bench, after David Raya’s questionable performance against the Blues raised questions over the rotation of Arsenal’s shot-stoppers.
The Spaniard recorded one error that led to a shot, as well as being criticised for his positioning for Mykhailo Mudryk’s goal that gave the hosts the lead in the second half.
Raya was described as having a “terrible time” by journalist Joe Prince-Wright during the London derby, however he wasn’t the only player from the favoured XI to have a poor outing at Stamford Bridge.
Should Martin Odegaard start against Sevilla?
Usually Arsenal’s saviour, captain Martin Odegaard was far from his best against the Blues, as highlighted by his mere 36 touches and losing possession 11 times in midfield.
Once lauded as “exceptional” by Pep Guardiola, the Norwegian maintained a pass completion rate of just 80% against the Blues, and failed to record a single shot to tell the tale of his anonymous display in west London.
In form that’s unusual for the £240k-per-week ace, Odegaard was also far from impressive against Lens last time out in the Champions League, somewhat decreasing his claim to a spot in the starting XI against Sevilla.
Against the French outfit, the midfielder was again a backseat passenger for Arsenal, recording only 49 touches and losing possession nine times, raising the question of whether rotation could inspire him to rediscover his form.
Arteta isn’t short of personnel that could thrive if he made the bold decision to drop Odegaard this evening, with the likes of Emile Smith-Rowe and Fabio Vieira queuing for the chance to showcase their skills in the starting lineup.
It would be a critically bold move for Arteta to drop his captain, however, Odegaard’s performances of late have been questionable, and most commonly the key to unlocking past form is healthy competition.
Arsenal need a win tonight, and the Spaniard has several decisions to make with reference to his squad choices after the mediocre performance against Chelsea last weekend.