Only a few days are left before the new UEFA Champions League campaign kicks-off. Gearing up for the new edition of the UCL, Arsenal have announced their squad.
It includes their key players, David Raya, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Kai Havertz, and Raheem Sterling.
Arsenal fans are very excited about their fresh European campaign under Mikel Arteta. In the last season, they were knocked out of the Champions League by Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich. In the last few years, the Gunners have had a poor record in the Champions League.
This time, Mikel Arteta will be looking to improve his team’s performance in this European tournament. Although it is not going to be an easy task for the Gunners, they will try their best to win this trophy.
Arsenal’s squad for the UCL
In this summer transfer window, Arsenal signed some world-class players, including Raheem Sterling, Riccardo Calafiori, and Mikel Merino. All of them have been included in the first team squad for the Champions League.
In the attack, Bukayo Saka will be expected to lead the line, alongside Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard. They also have quality alternatives on the bench that include Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Martinelli, and Gabriel Jesus.
In the midfield, they have captain Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Thomas Partey, Mikel Merino, and Jorginho. Odegaard and Rice will be crucial for Arsenal’s European campaign. Odegaard is known for his creative playing style. The Norwegian can penetrate opponent defense with his visionary passing. On the other hand, Declan Rice will provide a crucial link between the attack and defense.
William Saliba will be leading the defensive line along with Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior. New signing, Riccardo Calafiori’s involvement in the first game now seems doubtful, after the Italian picked up an injury in the game against France. Mikel Arteta can employ Ben White on the right-back position, with Jurien Timber in the left-back position. Scottish left-back, Kieran Tierney, is also included in this Champions League squad. With injuries to Calafiori and Timber, Tierney might find himself getting minutes in the Champions League for the Gunners.
After the departure of Aaron Ramsdale, David Raya has become the absolute first-choice goalkeeper for the Gunners. According to Arsenal.com, Arsenal have signed former FC Barcelona goalkeeper, Neto, to be Raya’s backup.
Arsenal’s ambition
In recent years, the Gunners have emerged as the new contenders for the Premier League title. They are playing beautiful and effective football. If the Gunners can maintain their current form in the Champions League, they can certainly achieve a lot of things.
After the Community Shield win against Manchester United, Pep Guardiola was asked about Arsenal’s condition, and he said that the Gunners have maintained the same tempo just like last season. The Manchester City boss also believes that Mikel Arteta’s team is getting stronger each and every season.
On the other hand, City are also gaining momentum because they started their season with a victory against Manchester United in the FA Community Shield. They’ve also had a great start to the new Premier League campaign. They have also signed some brilliant players in the summer, including Savinho from Girona, and the return of the legendary captain, Ilkay Gündogan.
There is another team that can win the Premier League, and it is Liverpool. The Reds have shown a glimpse of their talent, with start to their new era under Arne Slot. The Reds have all three of their opening games, scoring 7 goals and conceding not even a single one. This year’s title race will be an interesting one to watch.
Recent Arsenal performances
The Gunners began their new season with a victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers. It was dominant performance by the Gunners, with Saka and Havertz, both registering a goal and an assist to their name.
After that, Arsenal faced the mighty Aston Villa away from home, which turned out to be a difficult fixture for Arteta’s team. However, the resilient Gunners managed to grab all three points from that game. Now, the fans are excited to see how Arsenal will compete with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for the title. Dropping points against Brighton was a big blow for the Gunners.
At this moment, Mikel Arteta’s team is performing up to their expectations. They have played three Premier League matches, from which they collected seven points, currently at the 4th spot in the league table.
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