Predicted Arsenal lineup and XI vs PSG as Mikel Arteta makes Martin Odegaard decision

Predicted Arsenal lineup and XI vs PSG as Mikel Arteta makes Martin Odegaard decision

Arsenal travel to Paris to take on Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie on Wednesday night.

PSG won the first leg 1-0 at the Emirates, courtesy of a neat fourth-minute strike from Ousmane Dembele.

The Gunners have a tough task on their hands to reverse the scoreline, although Mikel Arteta and his players have appeared confident in their ability to do so in various interviews over the last week.

A place in the Champions League final awaits the North Londoners, with either Inter Milan or Barcelona ready to take on either Arteta or Luis Enrique’s side in the showdown in Munich later this month.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs PSG

Most of Arsenal’s team should pick itself for the second leg, although Arteta has a few key decisions to make.

Most notably, Martin Odegaard has been in poor form and is also a fitness concern after sustaining an injury against Bournemouth on the weekend.

While the Norwegian is likely to be fit, it’d be interesting to see what solution Arteta would resort to if he’s without his captain.

Meanwhile, Jurrien Timber missed Arsenal’s game against Bournemouth, although the Dutchman’s absence from the encounter with the Cherries was said to be mostly precautionary.

Timber will accompany William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior and Myles Lewis-Skelly in what has become Arsenal’s settled back four.

Thomas Partey was suspended for the first leg, and will likely come straight back into the side for the trip to Paris.

Declan Rice will move back into his eight role, while Odegaard will start if fit, with Leandro Trossard the most likely replacement if the playmaker isn’t available.

The Belgian will likely drop to the bench, with Mikel Merino moving back up front, where he’ll be accompanied by Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli in Arsenal’s front three.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs PSG: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Merino, Martinelli.

Mikel Arteta should consider Myles Lewis-Skelly in midfield against PSG

If Odegaard isn’t passed fit, then instead of opting for Trossard or Ethan Nwaneri, Arteta should consider Lewis-Skelly in midfield.

Arsenal missed Merino up front last week, with the Spaniard’s aerial presence allowing the Gunners to evade PSG’s press by going over it.

Thus, Arteta shouldn’t look to move Merino into midfield by deploying Trossard, while Nwaneri isn’t ready to feature from the start in a game of this magnitude.

Lewis-Skelly can move into midfield, with this change allowing the teenager to carry the ball through the heart of the PSG team more frequently.

The 18-year-old did this on a few occasions to great effect in the first leg, and he can do it more often centrally.

This change would see Timber move to left-back and create room in the team for Ben White.