Newcastle United secured a creditable (but ultimately futile) 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
Arsenal meanwhile rounded off a perfect UEFA Champions League league phase with a 3-2 win over Kairat Almaty.
Here are the key FPL takeaways from both matches.
RESULTSTEAMOPPOSITIONRESULTGOALSASSISTSArsenalKairat Almaty (h)3-2 winGyokeres, Havertz, MartinelliHavertz, White, GyokeresNewcastle UnitedParis Saint-Germain (a)1-1 drawWillockBurnSELECTION / ROTATIONTEAMCHANGES FROM GAMEWEEK 23PLAYERS WHO KEPT
THEIR PLACES (+ MINS)OTHER
PLAYERS (+ MINS)Arsenal11–Arrizabalaga (90), White (90), Mosquera (90), Lewis-Skelly (90), Eze (90), Madueke (90), Norgaard (89), Martinelli (77), Gyokeres (77), Calafiori (45), Havertz (45), Odegaard (45), Hincapie (45), Jesus (13), Bailey-Joseph (13), Ibrahim (1)Newcastle United5Pope (90), Miley (90), Thiaw (90), Botman (90), Hall (90), Tonali (90)Burn (90), Ramsey (90), Woltemade (79), Willock (68), Elanga (67), Gordon (23), Barnes (22), Wissa (11)BRUNO GUIMARAES FITNESS LATEST
The flag is off Bruno Guimaraes (£7.2m) after he returned to the Newcastle squad on Wednesday.
However, the Brazilian remained unused on the Magpies’ bench in Paris.
Eddie Howe provided us with updates on the Brazilian midfielder before and after the draw in Paris.
“We had a conversation. I think he himself thought that it is possibly best for him to not start. We can’t risk him if he is not 100% fit.” – Eddie Howe, speaking to TNT Sports and quoted by the Evening Chronicle, on Bruno Guimaraes
“We will see. We’ll give him every chance again. I think he wanted to be here and help the players anyway. We felt it was wise not to risk him. He’s such an important player, we need him for the remaining games ahead.” – Eddie Howe, speaking after full-time to CBS Sports, on Bruno Guimaraes’ chances of starting in Gameweek 24
BARNES, WISSA + GORDON BENCHED – GOOD FOR GAMEWEEK 24?
We’ve come to expect a bit of rotation from Howe but it was still a surprising line-up in France, with Joe Willock (£5.0m) and Anthony Elanga (£6.5m) chosen to flank Nick Woltemade (£7.1m). Jacob Ramsey (£5.3m) also started in a central midfield two.
The sporadically used Willock and Ramsey responded with fine displays, the former nodding in a set play to level the game at 1-1.
“[Willock has] been waiting for opportunities and today I thought was the right time with his legs and his ability to get us up the pitch to play him, and I thought he did really well. And JJ for me, Jacob Ramsey, that’s his best game for us. I thought he was very, very good with the ball, very good defensively as well, which is a must here. So, yeah, he could be really pleased with himself.” – Eddie Howe
Despite the positive performances from the much-changed frontline, we’re still probably going to see Anthony Gordon (£7.3m), Harvey Barnes (£6.1m) and Yoane Wissa (£7.3m) back in the attack at Anfield on Saturday. All three were benched in Paris, coming on in the second half.
Gordon and Barnes looked lively, twice combining to create very good chances for the latter.
Howe hinted at further rotation in Gameweek 24, indeed.
“I think we do have a good squad and I think when you’re playing three times in six days against the level of opposition that we are, we cannot have fatigued players entering the pitch against those opponent. So, we made changes today that we felt we needed to make and we possibly make more for Liverpool because the same applies.” – Eddie Howe
Even if Gordon et al do return to the starting XI on Saturday, expect rotation for weeks to come. Newcastle’s need to go through the Champions League play-offs means they’re now officially the busiest club in the Premier League until March, playing every midweek from now until Gameweek 29 (and potentially beyond).
Above: Newcastle’s schedule over the coming weeks, shown in comparison to other selected clubs (via @Legomane_FPL)
BACK THREE BACK?
Might we see Newcastle in a 3-4-3 on Saturday?
The fit-again Dan Burn (£5.0m) returned to the line-up for the first time in December, operating as part of the back three – and delivering the Player of the Match award.
Newcastle did very well against the reigning champions, not conceding too many clear-cut chances after PSG’s early missed penalty and subsequent goal.
“It’s a system we’ve played loads of times and we’ve played played in Marseille, we’ve played in other games this season.
“We just have loads of different ways, formation-wise, we can play, but the principles don’t change. And today was it was a good execution of that. I thought the transitions as we went on, I thought you saw our pace coming into the game.” – Eddie Howe
“Dan never ceases to amaze us. Yes, he was able to run during that time [he was out]. So, he was able to keep his fitness, which is, I think, a key thing, of course. So, his running ability he was confident in, but it’s his lack of training time, really, and all the things that come with that, the match awareness, your positioning, your touch with the ball; I thought he was top class.” – Eddie Howe on Dan Burn
It’s a set-up we could potentially see Howe employ again at Anfield this weekend. Alternatively, Burn could provide relief for Lewis Hall (£5.3m), who has strung together five successive 90-minute showings in the space of 16 days. Don’t be surprised to see the giant Geordie start at left-back in either Gameweek 24 or the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final next week.
ARSENAL’S GAMEWEEK 23 STARTING XI RESTED
There aren’t too many takeaways from Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Kairat.
For kick-off, this was a bona fide dead rubber, with the Gunners already qualified and their visitors eliminated.
Not only that, but Mikel Arteta also changed his entire starting XI, handing welcome rests to the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.9m) and Bukayo Saka (£10.0m). Neither made it off the bench.
Declan Rice (£7.4m) was suspended, too, so he had the night off entirely.
The side sent out to face the Kazakh minnows will bear little resemblance to the one Arteta names at Elland Road on Saturday, then.
There were chances for some of the second string to stake their claims but it was difficult to argue that many did. Noni Madueke (£6.8m), so often Saka owners’ bete noire, again lacked end product despite producing some fancy footwork. Viktor Gyokeres (£8.7m), ousted by Gabriel Jesus (£6.4m) in Gameweek 23, had a rollercoaster evening, scoring early but then missing some sitters. Even his assist came from a tap-in he almost screwed wide, with Gabriel Martinelli (£6.7m) following in to make sure at the back post. Another point-blank-range chance went out for a throw-in.
CALAFIORI RETURNS + HAVERTZ STARTS
Martinelli was good but arguably the pick of the ‘B team’ was Kai Havertz (£7.3m), starting his first match in almost a year. He scored Arsenal’s second and supplied the assist for Gyokeres’ early strike, but it’ll likely be a little while before he troubles the Premier League XI. He was taken off at half-time here in a pre-planned change, with Arteta keen to handle him carefully after so long out.
“He can play in [all positions] I think – right, left, attacking midfielder or nine. It doesn’t change much for him, depending on the position, the relationships we have around him, and the players that are available as well. We’ll make those decisions. The good thing is that he’s fit, he’s available and he’s going to give us so much.
“He’s fine, that’s what we planned, 45 minutes [before being substituted]. We wanted to start him as well so he could do all the processes before that in the best possible way, and from now on, we have to make a decision whether he starts or not in these competitions.” – Mikel Arteta
Also returning to the starting XI for the first time in 2026 was Riccardo Calafiori (£5.6m).
He had a less stellar evening, gifting Kairat an early penalty, looking a little rusty and eventually coming off at half-time with Havertz.
There were no post-match quotes on William Saliba (£6.0m) and Jurrien Timber (£6.3m), who missed out with “niggles”. Over to Arteta on Friday for his enlightening pre-match presser…
