With the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Gameweek 33 deadline just a few days away, we cast our Scout Notes eyes over Arsenal’s goalless stalemate with Sporting CP in the Champions League on Wednesday.

A cagey affair on the pitch with plenty of talk surrounding those who missed out – find the key FPL talking points below!

MATCH FACTS

• Result: Arsenal 0-0 Sporting CP
• Starting XI: Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke (Dowman 63), Eze (Jesus 79), Martinelli (Trossard 79); Gyokeres (Havertz 56).
• Changes from Gameweek 32: 3 (White, Lewis-Skelly + Havertz out; Mosquera, Hincapie + Eze in)

YET ANOTHER LOW-XG AFFAIR

Arsenal, who came into Wednesday’s match having lost three of their last four outings in all competitions, started on top with more possession, but were perhaps fortunate not to fall behind in the first half, particularly when Geny Catamo struck the post.

In the second half, substitute Leandro Trossard (£6.5m) went closest for the Gunners when he hit the upright late on via a header from a corner.

Ultimately, Mikel Arteta’s side tested visiting goalkeeper Rui Silva with just one of their 15 shots in another cagey contest at the Emirates. At the other end, the hosts restricted Sporting to one shot on target from eight total attempts.

It was another game of low xG, an all-too-familiar outcome with the Gunners. Another good advert for Arsenal’s defensive assets, another flunked audition from the attackers.

SAKA + TIMBER MISS OUT AGAIN

Bukayo Saka (£9.8m) missed out again for Arsenal.

Having failed to feature at all since the international break, we at least learned from Mikel Arteta earlier in the week that it was an “Achilles issue” that has been bothering Saka “for a while”.

The 24-year-old was not in Wednesday’s matchday squad.

Neither was Jurrien Timber (£6.2m), another absentee – with an ankle injury – since club football resumed earlier this month.

Arteta said on Tuesday that there was “maybe” a chance for one of Timber or Saka to feature against Sporting, but the fact that neither man even made the bench suggests they now face a race against time to face Manchester City this weekend.

Cristian Mosquera (£5.3m) deputised for Timber here and put in a solid shift at right-back as the recently rickety Ben White (£5.1m) dropped out. Piero Hincapie (£5.1m) – starting at left-back with Riccardo Calafiori (£5.6m) still sidelined with an unspecified issue – was a bright spark for the hosts. Certainly, the full-back areas looked more solid with those two in position.

We’ll hear from the Gunners boss later in the week, but whether he actually offers up a useful update on any of his flagged troops is another matter entirely…

RICE PASSES LATE FITNESS TEST, ODEGAARD STILL ABSENT

In more positive news, Declan Rice (£7.2m) – who had been a doubt for Wednesday’s match after missing team training earlier this week – recovered in time to start against Sporting.

It turns out that illness, not injury, had put the English midfielder’s involvement in doubt, but Rice ended up playing every minute at the Emirates despite staying deeper than we usually see him and looking short of full fitness.

“Declan yesterday was shattered, he had no chance to play today, he wasn’t feeling good at all. Today, he played 94 minutes at the level that he’s done. Every single player is putting everything on the line to contribute, to give his best, and I really value that from the team.” – Mikel Arteta on Declan Rice

In fact, Arteta revealed the Arsenal squad chose to give Rice the captain’s armband in the absence of first-choice skipper Martin Odegaard (£7.8m) and usual deputy Saka.

“[The players] made a decision because Declan has earned it as well. The status, the role, the way he’s taking ownership as well in difficult moments. He’s a great leader, he’s a top player for us, and I love the players to take ownership.” – Mikel Arteta

Speaking of Odegaard, the Norwegian joined Saka, Calafiori and Timber – plus long-term absentee Mikel Merino (£5.4m) – in missing out.

He’s had a disrupted season with various injury woes, the Arsenal captain, but he said in his programme notes that the knee injury he aggravated in the first leg against Sporting “hopefully… shouldn’t be too bad”, adding that he is “desperate to get back as soon as possible”.

Similar to his other colleagues on the injury list, it remains to be seen whether Sunday’s trip to Manchester will come too soon for Odegaard.

MADUEKE INJURY LATEST

That’s true of Noni Madueke (£6.8m) as well, with the winger forced off with a knee issue in the second half after colliding with an opponent.

Madueke was down for a lengthy period, received treatment from the physios, but ultimately could not continue, with Max Dowman (£4.2m) thrown into the fray in his place.

Having watched the remainder of the match from the dugout, Madueke was out on the pitch at full-time but with a noticeable limp.

Arteta’s post-match comments on Wednesday suggested scans may be needed in the coming days to reveal the extent of the issue.

“I don’t know, it was something in his knee, so we had to take him off, so I don’t know.” – Mikel Arteta on Noni Madueke

If Madueke misses out against City and Saka is not ready to start, could we see 16-year-old Dowman line up on the right wing at the Etihad?

EARLY SUB FOR GYOKERES

Perhaps so, given neither Trossard nor Gabriel Martinelli (£6.8m) – the other wide options, who shared left wing duties on Wednesday – can claim to be in top form.

Elsewhere, Viktor Gyokeres (£8.8m) kept his place up front but put in a poor display, frequently failing to make the most of some attempts at link-up play from the likes of Eberechi Eze (£7.2m), who looked good as a No 10 and led his teammates with five attempts on goal. 

The Swede was deservedly hooked before the hour mark, with Kai Havertz (£7.3m) – the scorer of what ultimately proved to be the decisive goal in this tie – looking a little better as a line leader than he has as a midfielder recently, giving Arteta a selection headache ahead of Sunday’s showdown with City.

There was nothing at the time or in Arteta’s post-match press conference to suggest Gyokeres’ withdrawal was down to anything other than his performance.

ARSENAL IN ACTION ON EITHER SIDE OF GAMEWEEK 35

Arsenal reached successive Champions League semi-finals for the first time in their history thanks to their slender advantage from the first leg of this tie.

It means two extra games between now and the end of the season, on either side of Gameweek 35:

• Saturday 25 April: Gameweek 34 – Newcastle United (h)
• Wednesday 29 April: UEFA Champions League semi-final, first leg: Atletico Madrid (a)
• Saturday 2 May: Gameweek 35 – Fulham (h)
• Tuesday 5 May: UEFA Champions League semi-final, first leg: Atletico Madrid (h)
• Sunday 10 May: Gameweek 36 – West Ham United (a)

And it is indeed the Fulham match where there may be some game-time concerns, as it’s the middle fixture in a Wednesday-Saturday-Tuesday run.

Whether Arteta has enough fit senior bodies to rotate, and whether the title race status will even allow a weakening of the starting XI, are other questions, of course.