Smith Rowe starts,Nwaneri get His first EPL start, Jurrien Timber is back’: predicted Arsenal XI to Face Sheffield tomorrow as Arteta Men set for another entertaining victory away from home
Having watched their rivals in the Premier League title race over this weekend, Arsenal finally get their chance to return to action against Sheffield United on Monday night. The Gunners suffered playing last during last season’s title race, but Mikel Arteta is insisting it’s nothing to worry about this time around.
“We’ve done two or three different scenarios,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “It’s what we have right now. We’ll know all the results. But it’s irrelevant. What we want to do is go to Sheffield, perform the way we’ve been performing and win the match. The rest we cannot control.”
Arsenal will be strong favourites to keep the pressure on at the top of the Premier League table given their hosts’ woeful form. Still though, Arteta will know he has to get his team selection just right. Luckily for him football.london ‘s Gunners writers are on hand to offer some help by deciding who they would pick below.
Tom Canton – Football writer
Arsenal know that they must win and continue to win well as they rack up their goal difference with a string of big victories. Five goals was on the menu when the Blades came to the Emirates Stadium and Arsenal supporters will be hoping for a repeat and perhaps a line-up which reflects that.
Although Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko are said to be in contention, the back four should remain the same in front of David Raya. Ben White has been inverting really well whilst Jakub Kiwior continues to perform excellently at left-back with the ever-impressive Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba partnership flourishing.
The midfield is where the slight shift from Jorginho’s presence is changed – which might seem harsh, but managing his minutes and utilising him in the games we’ve seen with Newcastle and Liverpool appear the best avenue. That said, I’m still not a fan of Kai Havertz playing in the midfield and therefore I’ve handed Fabio Vieira his first start of 2024 having made the last three matchday squads and would like to see him get some minutes alongside Martin Odegaard.
Havertz therefore continues as the centre-forward following his goal and assist against the Magpies. The in-form Bukayo Saka flanks with Gabriel Martinelli on the left.
Canton’s Arsenal XI vs Sheffield United: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Rice, Odegaard, Vieira, Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
Kaya Kaynak – Chief Arsenal correspondent
It still looks like this game will be too soon for Takehiro Tomiyasu or Oleksandr Zinchenko and with bigger tests on the horizon I see no reason to risk them. That means the back four stays unchanged for me.
In midfield, though, I think you can do some rotating. Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard are ever presents but alongside them this feels like the perfect chance to give Emile Smith Rowe a run out. The England international has been getting closer and closer off the bench recently and will fancy his chances of a first goal since 2022 at Bramall Lane.
Up front, it’s unchanged for me. Kai Havertz looked really good in the No.9 role against Newcastle and with an equally physical Sheffield United defence he could be just as impressive. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli meanwhile will thrive off the spaces that Chris Wilder’s side tend to give up.
In an ideal world this game will go just as well as Arsenal’s recent matches away from home. That could provide the chance to reintegrate some injured players like Thomas Partey, Gabriel Jesus and Fabio Vieira.
Kaynak’s Arsenal XI vs Sheffield United: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Rice, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
