Arsenal and Manchester City were in Champions League action in midweek.
Here we take a look at how they got on, the main talking points and the implications for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Gameweek 7 and beyond.
RESULTS
| Team | Opponent | Result | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Olympiakos (h) | 2-0 win | Martinelli, Saka | Gyokeres, Odegaard |
| Manchester City | Monaco (a) | 2-2 draw | Haaland x2 | Gvardiol, O’Reilly |
SELECTION/ROTATION
| Team | No. of starting XI changes made from GW6 | Players who kept their places (mins played) | Mins for other players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 6 | Raya (90), Gabriel (75), Zubimendi (90), Trossard (73), Gyokeres (90) | White (58), Saliba (90), Lewis-Skelly (90), Odegaard (90), Merino (58), Martinellli (73), Rice (32), Timber (32), Saka (17), Eze (17), Mosquera (15) |
| Manchester City | 3 | Donnarumma (90), Gvardiol (90), Dias (90), O’Reilly (90), Doku (61), Reijnders (90), Foden (90), Haaland (90) | Stones (73), Rodri (61), Bernardo (90), Gonzalez (29), Savinho (29), Nunes (17) |
ARTETA ON ROTATION
Mikel Arteta made wholesale changes to the side that beat Newcastle, although the inclusion of William Saliba (£6.0m) and Martin Ødegaard (£7.9m) represented returns from recent injury of first-team regulars. Notable absences were Declan Rice(£6.5m), Jurrien Timber (£5.8m), Bukayo Saka (£9.8m), Ebereche Eze (£7.5m) and Riccardo Calafiori (£5.7m), although only the Italian defender failed to get on.
It is noticeable that, having built a much larger squad with such strength in depth, Mikel Arteta is more happy to rotate his players than he was last season. Now the Arsenal coach has no qualms about resting the likes of Saka, Rice and Timber, who were such mainstays of the first team last season.
“Today we decided to change six players, I think it was, because I want everybody to really be involved and feel part of it, and it was great and we had the feeling as well that physically we were dropping because we played a really intense match in Newcastle a few days ago. The ones that came in, again, they lifted the level and they helped us to win the game, and that’s great.”
– Mikel Arteta on rotation
It is clear that Arteta does not want to see his players going down with the sort of long-term injuries that scuppered their title tilt last season. He wants everyone fit for the long term, which is great news for Arsenal fans – but not so much for FPL managers, who might well be sweating a little more over line-up announcements going forward.
At least the above names are nicely rested for Gameweek 7.
MARVELLOUS MARTIN ODEGAARD
One player who will regularly appear in those XIs is Ødegaard. Having been kept out for most of the season by a recurrent shoulder injury, it has been a frustrating time for the Arsenal captain but his cameo against Newcastle in Gameweek 6 and his 90 minutes on Wednesday against Olympiacos were outstanding. He played a number of incisive passes that cut through the heart of the Greek champions and on an other day might have had three assists, rather than one. He also had a golden double-chance to score, but was denied first by a superb save and then a last-gasp intervention from a covering defender.
“He’s got all the licence in the world to go forward, Martin, and to play with that freedom and to play with that level of threat especially, not only with the passes, but the way he was taking the ball, carrying the ball, making runs, and arriving in really dangerous areas.
“I think he put three people through today to score a goal, he should have scored a goal as well, so great to have him back, he played some very good minutes in Newcastle to help us to win the game, and I think today he was phenomenal.
– Mikel Arteta on Martin Ødegaard
At the death, an assist for substitute Saka’s goal was the least Ødegaard deserved.
ARTETA BACKS GYOKERES
Other positives for Arsenal was a second successive Champions League goal for Gabriel Martinelli (£6.9m), who pounced from close range after Viktor Gyökeres (£9.0m) had hit the post when the summer signing might have squared it. Indeed the Brazilian was completely open in front of goal when Ødegaard put Gyökeres through on another occasion but again the Swede only had eyes for goal.
Gyökeres gave the Greek defenders a torrid evening with his physicality and repeat runs behind the last man. He may not have scored but the goals are surely coming against easier opponents across the next few weeks – especially as he is not particularly interested in collecting assists.
“What I sense is that he’s doing better and better things every game, and today he was denied a few times on one of the blocks, and then he hit the post, but I think overall his performance was exceptional. Again, his work was really good, and yeah, we want him to be scoring goals, but if he doesn’t do that, at least to do everything as he’s doing for the team, because he’s helping the team a lot.”
– Mikel Arteta on Viktor Gyökeres
Saka and Eze both looked bright when they came on for the last 17 minutes or so, and surely start this weekend.
RAYA STELLAR, GABRIEL CONCERN
Arsenal continue to look solid in defence, too, with Gabriel (£6.2m) and Saliba reuniting in the middle, and David Raya (£5.6m) ensuring they kept a clean sheet with a clutch of saves, one of them a world class effort to claw Daniel Podence’s shot out of the top corner. The Spaniard remains a worthy option as a set-and-forget goalkeeper.
The only negative on the night was the enforced substitution of Arsenal’s Gameweek 6 match-winner Gabriel, who was replaced by Cristhian Mosquera (£5.4m) on 75 minutes. Arteta played it down afterwards but will he be risked on Saturday after missing so much of last season?
”I think he’s going to be OK. He felt something, I think it was a kick, I’m not sure, in the first half, and he was a bit uncomfortable, and towards the second half he was there. He could carry on, but we decided not to take any risks because he’s played a lot of games, he’s coming from a long-term injury as well, and we need to look after him.”
– Mikel Arteta on Gabriel knock
HAALAND AT IT AGAIN
Pep Guardiola was not nearly so liberal with his squad selection for Manchester City’s trip to Monaco. The Spaniard changed only three players, bringing in John Stones (£5.5m), Rodri (£6.4m) and Bernardo Silva (£6.4m) in place of Nico Gonzalez (£5.9m), Savinho (£6.9m) and Matheus Nunes (£5.3m).
Erling Haaland (£14.4m) did Erling Haaland things, scoring two superb goals to leave those Fantasy managers who still don’t have him question their sanity. That’s three goals in two Champions League matches to go with his eight goals in six Premier League matches, and his six goals in two international matches for Norway. Or 17 goals in 10 matches in all competitions.
In truth Haaland might have had a hat-trick and, despite his goals, complained that City had not deserved to win.
“We did something unnecessarily in the second half. We didn’t play good enough, we didn’t deserve to win. We needed more energy. We needed to get at them more like in the first half, we dominated them much more. They [scored the only goal] in the second half and I don’t think it’s good enough.”
– Erling Haaland on City’s performance
REIJNDERS AND FODEN THREATEN
In truth City should have been out of sight in this match. Both Phil Foden (£8.1m) and Tijjani Reijnders (£5.6m) hit the bar, while Reijnders sent two further shots wide and Nico O’Reilly (£4.9m) forced a save from the keeper in the first half.
Reijnders remains incredible value for his budget price, as he is effectively playing as a second striker and is an ever-present in the team, while Foden has also emerged from the shadows and, while more expensive, looks back to his vibrant best.
“The game was in many ways very good and step by step we will be better with many things and we will be better. We created some great chances. We found especially Phil in the first half and many players played really, really good and we created the chances and they defend so deep so tight that it wasn’t expected for the way they play. But in the end we have to defend set-pieces better.
Pep Guardiola on Phil Foden
The defenders, though, are proving less convincing. City have kept only three clean sheets in nine matches in all competitions (against Wolves, Man Utd and Huddersfield), so FPL managers playing their Wildcards might think twice about bringing in Gianluigi Donnarumma (£5.6m), Joško Gvardiol (£5.8m) or Ruben Dias (£5.5m).
Gvardiol and Nico O’Reilly (£4.9m) produced two fantastic assists, at least.
“In the second half we didn’t win those long balls and we were a little but too open in the middle. That is the only thing I would say we could have done better. But we hit the post, the bar, those actions that we have in the last pass for the last action – it was really good.”
– Pep Guardiola on City’s performance
RODRI CONCERNS
One of the reasons for City’s ongoing defensive issues is the fitness of Rodri (£6.4m), who missed most of last season with an ACL injury. Last year’s Ballon d’Or winner is still being eased back to full fitness and was stood down from the Burnley match in Gameweek 6 due to a knee issue. There was alarm when he was withdrawn in the second half in Monaco, but Guardiola insisted it was nothing serious.
“Now he is not injured but the week before was so demanding with United, Napoli and especially Arsenal and right now he’s not able to play three games in a week at a top level – top intensity, demanding opponents. My feeling right now is he is not ready because he needs time.
“This type of injury, it is minimum one year and after that you must be patient. Nico [Gonzalez] made an incredible game last game and is improving day by day and [Mateo] Kova[cic] will be quite similar. Tijjani [Reijnders] can play there, and see what happens.”
– Pep Guardiola on Rodri fitness
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