Champions League
Jan 22, 2025 8.00pm
3
0
HT : 1 0
FT Emirates Stadium
  • Declan Rice 2' goal
  • Raheem Sterling 48' yellowcard
  • Jurrien Maduro 51' yellowcard
  • Kai Havertz 66' goal
  • Martin Odegaard 90'+1' goal
  • yellowcard Arijan Ademi 38'
  • yellowcard Lukas Kacavenda 69'

Arsenal lineup vs. Dinamo Zagreb: Predicted XI for Champions League clash as Thomas Partey call made

Time to ditch the Partey experiment? Predicted Arsenal XI vs. Dinamo Zagreb

Arsenal will endeavour to prolong their perfect home record in the 2024-25 Champions League when Dinamo Zagreb visit the Emirates for Wednesday's league phase contest.

The Gunners occupy third place in the 36-team table with 13 points from a possible 18 but now have just one win to show from their last five games after Saturday's dampening 2-2 Premier League draw with Aston Villa.

William Saliba (hamstring), Ben White (knee), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), Bukayo Saka (hamstring), Gabriel Jesus (knee) and Ethan Nwaneri (muscle) all missed that game - the former's absence saw Thomas Partey start at right-back as Jurrien Timber shifted across to the centre - but Calafiori and Nwaneri could be back this week.

However, Partey was at fault for Ollie Watkins's leveller, and there is every chance that Arteta will tinker with his defensive setup once again, spelling good news for Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The latter has been bumped even further down the pecking order by Myles Lewis-Skelly, but if Calafiori is not risked from the off, Zinchenko might get the nod as Arteta rotates his resources.

It would not be a total shock to see Partey demoted entirely, allowing Jorginho to operate at the base of the midfield while Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice try to provide impetus further forward.

Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard should both reprise their roles up front, but Raheem Sterling will no doubt be eyeing a start on the right in place of Gabriel Martinelli, in spite of the latter's goal at the weekend.

Arsenal possible starting lineup: Raya; Timber, Gabriel, Kiwior, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Sterling, Havertz, Trossard

POLL
Who will win Wednesday's Champions League clash between Arsenal and Dinamo Zagreb?
Arsenal 82%
Draw 9%
Dinamo Zagreb 9%
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