Mikel Arteta has named two changes for tonight’s Champions League game against Atletico Madrid at Emirates Stadium, with Gabriel Martinelli and Myles Lewis-Skelly getting the nod to start.
The boss has tweaked the starting XI that beat Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage on Saturday, which secured us a fifth-straight win in all competitions as we look to maintain our 100% start to our European campaign against the team from the Spanish capital.
That means Saturday’s goalscorer Leandro Trossard drops to the bench with the in-form Martinelli operating on the left flank, supported by Bukayo Saka on the right and Viktor Gyokeres is named up top.
A midfield trio of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Ebere Eze continue to gain minutes together, while Lewis-Skelly comes in for Riccardo Calafiori at left-back for his first start since the win against Olympiacos on matchday 2 at the start of October.
Meanwhile, Piero Hincapie is named on the bench for the first time since he made his debut in our opening Champions League game at Athletic Club after overcoming his groin problem.
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Diego Simeone meanwhile has made two changes to his side from Saturday’s 1-0 victory against Osasuna, with Atletico’s all-time leading scorer Antoine Griezmann dropped to the bench, with former Crystal Palace Alexander Sorloth selected in his place to lead the line, alongside ex-Manchester City Julian Alvarez who has netted seven goals already this term.
The other switch sees Simeone’s son Giuliano preferred to Alex Baena in attacking midfield, while left wing-back Nico Gonzalez, who suffered a head injury in the first half of the weekend’s game, is fit to start.
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Line-up
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Saka, Martinelli, Gyokeres.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Setford, White, Calafiori, Mosquera, Hincapie, Norgaard, Merino, Nwaneri, Trossard.
Atletico: Oblak, Llorente, Le Normand, Hancko, Gimenez, Gonzalez, Koke, Barrios, Simeone, Sorloth, Alvarez.
Subs: Musso, Pubill, Molina, Ruggeri, Lenglet, Galan, Gallagher, Baena, Almada, Martin, Raspodori, Griezmann.
Ahead of kick-off, get prepared with all the need-to-know stats, TV coverage, a guide to Atleti’s tactics and much more in our must-read match preview.
Read more Preview: Arsenal v Atletico Madrid
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