Arsenal return to Champions League action for the first time in 2026 knowing that a win would guarantee them top spot in the Champions League and a place in the all important top two positions in the table however, as this is the 4th away game in a row, Mikel Arteta has a choice to make. Arsenal only need one point from the next two games, to guarantee a top-two finish, and a favourable draw in the next round and are all but guaranteed to be in the next round, regardless of the result tonight. Arsenal’s position in the Premier League is much less comfortable and a tough game against Manchester United on Sunday leaves Mikel Arteta with a real decision to make when it comes to picking his team for tonight’s encounter.
Inter Milan on the other hand are also looking to secure their place in the next round of the Champions League and despite their strong form in the competition, they sit 6 points behind the Gunners and precariously close to falling out of the top 8 places. It’s therefore safe to assume that the Italians will be going all out for three points in game week 7 of the Champions League group phase, which makes this a really mouthwatering tie for the neutral, given what’s at stake.
Areas of encouragement
Arsenal’s form in general has been really good this season however, their Champions League form has been something else, with 6 wins from 6, 17 goals scored and only 1 goal conceded. Inter Milan away is Inter Milan away and always going to be a daunting fixture, but that record will give Mikel Arteta’s side every confidence that they can go to the San Siro and come back with all three points.
Arsenal’s defence has also showed signs of improvement, with two clean sheets in the league in the past two games and a clean sheet tonight would ensure that Arsenal leave with at least a point, which would be a reasonable night’s work, considering who they are up against.
Areas of concern
It’s Inter Milan. It’s the San Siro. That in itself is greatly concerning!! Inter are also top of Serie A and in great form right now, so this is without doubt going to be one of Arsenal’s toughest games this season. Inter have also been really good in the Champions League as well and are fighting for their own place in the top places in the league.
I really hope Arsenal rotate for this one and in doing so, there is always a risk that too many changes leads to a disjointed performance and ultimately affects the result of the game. It’s a balancing act that Mikel Arteta will have to face almost weekly as the tournaments become more intense and thick and fast, so this is a good chance to show that he can use the squad effectively to rest players while remaining competitive.
What I’d love to see
Rotation. I don’t want to see us lose this one, but the game against Manchester United on Sunday is absolutely huge so I really want to see that game being favoured over this one, given the strong position we’ve already put ourselves in, with previous Champions League results. I’d also love to see both Ethan Nwaneri and Kai Havertz given a chance to shine in Milan. Nwaneri has been on the periphery for most of the season due to the sheer volume of talent Mikel Arteta can call upon and deserves big night to prove his worth. Havertz has yet to start a game this season in any competition so it would be fantastic to see him start the game and hopefully get a good hour under his belt ahead of the weekend’s game against United.
What I’d hate to see
As much as I want to see a rotated team, it’s also really important to keep this really strong momentum that we are building going, so Id hate to see Arteta get the balance wrong with his selection and leave us exposed against a strong Inter side. We’ve worked hard on getting our injured players back into the squad, so the one thing I think no Arsenal fan can bear right now is any more injuries. That’s why rotation is so important, given how many minutes some of these players have played lately.
Lineup and Team News
How much will he rotate? That is the big question. I don’t expect Arteta to go with the full ‘Cup Team’ so David Raya should start in goal, but there are a few defenders that surely need to be rested. Myles Lewis-Skelly has played quite a few games at full back in the Champions League this season, so I expect him to start this one again, with Jurrien Timber moving back across to right back. Cristhian Mosquera is not back in the squad and it’s only been 4-6 weeks since his last appearance so hopefully he’s ready to come straight back into the starting lineup, as one of William Saliba and Gabriel need resting for this one. I’d go for William Saliba, with Gabriel being brought off in the second half for a breather. Personally, I’d be tempted to take them both out and give Christian Norgaard another run out at centre back but I don’t think for a second that Mikel Arteta will do that. Especially given that Inter Milan are looking like one of the favourites to go deep in the competition again, so he won’t want to lose to them at this stage.
The midfield is where it will probably stay relatively similar, as quite a few of the starting midfielders got a rest against Nottingham Forest, as Arteta dragged them off early when things weren’t going well. I think Eberechi Eze will be the one change, as Martin Odegaard has looked really leggy lately.
Up front, it has to be Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard on the wings, given that they were rested from the start against Forest. The question is then who starts upfront. Based on current form, it should be Mikel Merino for me, but Arteta will back his man again tonight and go with Viktor Gyokeres.
Ethan Nwaneri will return to the bench, alongside Christian Norgaard.
Predicted lineup:
Raya
Timber
Mosquera
Gabriel
Lewis-Skelly
Zubimendi
Rice
Eze
Saka
Gyokeres
Martinelli
Substitutes:
Arrizabalaga
Setford
White
Saliba
Merino
Odegaard
Havertz
Trossard
Madueke
Jesus
Nwaneri
Norgaard
PREDICTION I’m going to buck the trend a bit here and go for a draw. Arsenal are quite good at defending their box and Italian sides are notoriously tough to break down so I’m going for the two of them cancelling each other out tonight with a 0-0 draw. I wouldn’