Arsenal has had a difficult week, having to play three tough away games in 8 days. They arrived at Spurs without their dream midfield (Rice-Merino-Odegaard) and had to show defensive grit and wait for their opportunity, which they did, winning 1-0.
Three days later, they faced an away encounter in the Champions League as they headed to Italy to take on Serie A side Atalanta. The Atalanta match was mentally and physically exhausting, but the North Londoners remained strong and made certain not to lose if they couldn’t win.
Well, three days later, the Gunners faced Manchester City. They were intending to take the game to the defending champions, but a red card late in the first half left the Gunners with 10 men in the second half. They were physically and mentally weary after “parking the bus” in that intense second half in the 2-2 draw versus Manchester City.
On Wednesday, Arsenal will play Bolton; although we’d like Arsenal to win the league cup, Mikel Arteta would be prudent to rotate his squad and rest his key players. The expectation is for Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri to play important roles against Bolton.
Hopefully, Lewis Skelly and Nwaneri can get more than 60 minutes of play and show the football world what the hype around them is all about.
Raheem Sterling might possibly make his full Arsenal debut against Bolton, which would be an ideal opportunity for him to demonstrate his abilities. Ideally, William Saliba, Gabriel, Thomas Partey, Bukayo Saka, and Kai Havertz should all play zero minutes against Bolton, allowing them to rest and be ready to go again Saturday afternoon versus Leicester.
So, which team would I like to see Wednesday night? Raya should start in goal, as Neto is cup-tied. Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, Jakub Kiwior, and Myles Lewis Skelly will likely start on defence.
In midfield, I expect Jorginho, Declan Rice, and Ethan Nwaneri to start. I expect Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli to lead the attack. Even with some key players rested, Arsenal should have a formidable team to take on Bolton.
Sam P
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