Three Premier League clubs were in Champions League action on Tuesday night.
In our midweek Scout Notes, we’ll take a look at how these teams got on, the main talking points and the implications for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Gameweek 11 and beyond.
We start, in this article, with Arsenal.
The graphics you see in this piece come from our partnership with Statsbomb – and you too can get their data for the Premier League, the Champions League and beyond with a Chief Scout membership!
RESULTS
| Team | Opponent | Result | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Slavia Prague (a) | 3-0 win | Saka pen, Merino x2 | Gabriel, Trossard, Rice |
SELECTION/ROTATION
| Team | Changes from GW10’s starting XI | Players who kept their places (mins played) | Mins for other notable players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 4 | Raya (90), Timber (73), Gabriel (90), Saliba (90), Rice (81), Saka (90), Trossard (73) | Hincapié (83), Nwaneri (65), Nørgaard (90), Merino (90), Eze (25), Lewis-Skelly (17), White (17); Dowman (17), Harriman-Annous (9) |
EZE + CALAFIORI RESTED, SAKA PEN + TWO-GOAL MERINO UP TOP
Arsenal did not rotate quite as much as some may have expected, as Mikel Arteta opted to take no risks against a Slavia Prague side unbeaten at home since December 2024. He had limited options anyway with Viktor Gjökeres (£9.0m) injured and Martin Zubimendi (£5.5m) suspended.
In came Piero Hincapié (£5.4m) for Riccardo Calafiori (£5.8m) in defence, and Christian Nørgaard and Ethan Nwaneri (both £5.2m) for Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze (£7.6m) in midfield. Mikel Merino (£5.9m) was, like last season, once again entrusted with the emergency striker role in Gyokeres’ absence.
Merino did not disappoint, scoring two target-man goals (a close-range shot and a header) from assists by Leandro Trossard (£6.9m) and Declan Rice (£6.8m).
“It’s a joy to have him, I always say the same thing. It’s his versatility on the pitch, the things that he can do, it’s his mindset, it’s his leadership, it’s the way he is as a person. Today we are missing a lot of attacking players and we have to find different solutions, he comes in the Champions League and scores two goals.”
– Mikel Arteta on Mikel Merino
Bukayo Saka (£10.1m) had scored a penalty awarded by VAR for a handball. Should Gyokeres remain out for Gameweek 11, as seems likely, we can expect a) Merino to start up front at Sunderland and b) Saka to be on spot-kicks.
Calafiori has been an ever-present in the league, but has been rested for the last three Champions League matches, with Arteta seemingly managing the fitness of the Italy international. He came off after 72 minutes in Gameweek 10, his seventh substitution of the season.
Calafiori remains first choice for Premier League matches for now but Hincapié, who was also preferred to Myles Lewis-Skelly (£5.2m), is an emerging threat, especially when it’ll be league fixtures being played in midweek rather than cup games.
Above: Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures. The weeks in which there are three Premier League games are highlighted in red.
“Very happy, he can play in those two positions, as a centre-back or full-back. Today, the way we had to set up and the situation that we have to imagine with the ball. I think he was really good, really strong, really efficient and really good, because now he’s got some minutes in the last week with two games and the last minutes against Burnley. So, we’re getting him up to speed.”
– Mikel Arteta on Piero Hincapié playing from the start
EIGHT STRAIGHT CLEAN SHEETS
This was Arsenal’s 10th win on the bounce in all competitions and their eighth straight clean sheet. Not since 1903 have they managed that latter feat. Slavia didn’t record a single shot over 0.1 xG, so this was another great advert for a defence that many of us have already doubled up on. For the fourth time in five games, the Gunners didn’t allow a single effort on target.
Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.6m), as ever, was a threat. It was his header that forced the handball for Saka’s penalty, while he nearly scored with a half-volley from outside the area early on!
William Saliba (£6.0m), the Arsenal defender with the least appeal in FPL (thanks to a paucity of goal threat, assist potential and DefCon points), had his own turn in the attacking spotlight last night, inverting into midfield – not that it led to any shots or chances created.
“That was related about the way they press, and the way the nine makes the press and the way where we could find certain advantages and time, because if not, everything is absolutely man-to-man. And it’s a really difficult game to play constantly, especially after the direct play. And we could have done better; it’s something we haven’t had time to train really. So, to have more solutions and to try things, and to especially put players in their qualities with a bit more time on the ball. It’s something that I wanted to try.” – Mikel Arteta on William Saliba’s inversions into midfield
RICE EXHIBITS ASSIST POTENTIAL AGAIN
Further forward, Rice is also furthering his cause for inclusion in our FPL squads. The England midfielder has produced either a goal or an assist in four of the last five Premier League matches.
Arsenal’s leading chance creator in the English top flight, he also led the way for key passes last night:
Three of Rice’s assists were of the open-play variety, too, showing he’s not just a one-trick set-piece pony.
After Saturday’s two (missed) big chances, there were further encouraging numbers for Saka owners:
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