Smith Rowe starts, Kiwior out, Trossard decision amid two Arsenal changes vs Aston Villa

football.london takes a look at the changes Mikel Arteta could make to the Gunners starting XI for their Premier League clash with Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon

Mikel Arteta faces perhaps one of the toughest seven days remaining in the season. The Arsenal manager needs to balance this weekend’s tough test against an Aston Villa side who have already beaten the Gunners this season and then a flight to Germany to face Bayern Munich just days later.

Bayern Munich play on Saturday gaining an extra day’s rest whilst Arsenal had to play Villa on Sunday because of their participation in the UEFA Europa Conference League. They host Lille at Villa Park on Thursday night meaning two fewer days to recover compared to their weekend opponents.

Arteta has decisions to make to respond to the midweek draw with Bayern and prepare his squad for the weekend. Douglas Luiz will not be present for the visitors after receiving his tenth yellow card of the season.

With that in mind and the midfield question marks that Unai Emery faces, there is scope for a restructure in the middle and bringing Emile Smith Rowe who had a man-of-the-match performance against Luton Town certainly is an option. Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard are of course starting the game with a switch to Thomas Partey and the typical midfield structure a potential option the following game.

Jakub Kiwior struggled against Leroy Sane and both Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby offer further pacey challenges for the Pole. Therefore Takehiro Tomiyasu comes in to prepare for the test with Sane in midweek and a chance to acclimatise to a starting role for the first time in quite some time.

Ben White, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are all likely to continue, none have shown much in the way of fading in games and Kiwior plus Oleksandr Zinchenko are present as options from the bench should a late change to save fitness be needed. David Raya will not be leaving the goalkeeper position, that is for sure.

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Into the forward line and I enjoyed Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard’s input to the game against Bayern, the latter in particular has shown great promise ahead of a start in midweek. Yet, against Villa, I would allow them to rest especially with Jesus’ admission of pain in his knee and I would like him to start in Germany, the same goes for the Belgian.

Bukayo Saka therefore partners both Gabriel Martinelli, who can test Ezri Konsa on the Villa right, and Kai Havertz who is on a good run of form in the league. Arteta needs to get this right and cannot allow the team to drop points with so little left in the season.

Changes Arsenal XI vs Aston Villa: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu; Rice, Smith Rowe, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

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