Max Dowman is free to play again on Wednesday night, and with Hull City at the Emirates three days later, the trip to Prague is the place for Mikel Arteta to freshen up a side that has just ground out a famous win at Anfield.
Kick-off is at 8pm UK time on Wednesday 4 November at the Fortuna Arena, in matchweek four of the Champions League league phase. Arsenal beat Napoli and Lille in their first two games, then drew 2-2 with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on 21 October, when Declan Rice scored late to rescue a point. Slavia Prague are 32nd in the table with one point from their opening three games.
The Gunners arrive top of the Premier League, three points clear of Manchester City, after Kai Havertz’s 16th-minute goal settled it at Liverpool on Sunday. That was their first league win at Anfield in 14 years, and you can read how it happened in our Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal report. It was also hard work: Liverpool had 17 shots, and Arsenal spent most of the last 75 minutes defending.
So this is a balancing act. Hull come to the Emirates on Saturday, then it’s the international break, and several of the players who started on Merseyside were carrying knocks going into it.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Slavia Prague
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Slavia Prague (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Hincapie; Rice, Lewis-Skelly; Dowman, Odegaard, Madueke; Gyokeres.
That’s five changes from the side that won at Liverpool. Ben White, Piero Hincapie, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Dowman and Viktor Gyokeres come in. Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, Bruno Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis and Havertz drop to the bench.
Who keeps the back line together?
David Raya: no reason to change
David Raya had only one save to make at Anfield, but he’s the first-choice goalkeeper and there’s nothing to be gained by resting him in a Champions League away game. Kepa stays on the bench.
Ben White: fresh legs on the right
Jurrien Timber was one of only two players to start both the League Cup defeat at Fleetwood Town and the win at Liverpool. Two starts in five days is plenty, and Ben White, who lost his place to Timber on Sunday, is the obvious swap.
Ezri Konsa and Gabriel: keep the partnership going
Ezri Konsa was outstanding at Anfield. He won all seven of his ground duels and made eight clearances, and with William Saliba still out with a back injury, he and Gabriel are the pairing Arteta trusts. Saliba has been doing individual training but Wednesday is expected to come too soon, with the Newcastle game on 21 November, after the international break, his likely target. Cristhian Mosquera was on the bench on Sunday and is the alternative if Arteta wants to rest one of them.
Piero Hincapie: Calafiori needs a breather
Riccardo Calafiori only shook off a knock in time for Liverpool. Piero Hincapie came on for the last few minutes at Anfield and is ready to start, which lets Calafiori rest before Hull.
Is this the night for Lewis-Skelly to start?
Declan Rice: the one Arteta can’t easily rest
Declan Rice had a hamstring scare before Anfield and still started. Ideally he’d sit this one out, but he’s the player who holds this midfield together and he scored the late equaliser against Bayern. We think he starts and comes off early if the game is won.
Myles Lewis-Skelly: earned his chance
Myles Lewis-Skelly came on for Bruno Guimaraes on 62 minutes at Anfield and gave Arsenal a player who could carry the ball out of trouble. We made the case for starting Lewis-Skelly in Prague after the game, and nothing since has changed our mind. Bruno heads off with Brazil after the Hull game, so a night off now makes sense. Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino are both options too.
Where does Dowman fit in?
Max Dowman: back in Europe
Max Dowman is banned for three domestic games after his red card at Fleetwood, but the suspension doesn’t cover the Champions League. That makes Wednesday the only game the 16-year-old can play before the break, and with Bukayo Saka out with a quad injury until early December, the right side needs him. We covered Saka’s timeline in our piece on when Saka could return.
Martin Odegaard: the link in the middle
Martin Odegaard won the loose ball that started the move for Havertz’s goal at Anfield. He keeps the number 10 role, though Arteta could hand him a rest late on with Hull in mind.
Noni Madueke: the left-side solution
This is the hardest call. Eberechi Eze was an unused substitute at Liverpool, and Arteta admitted afterwards: “We had an issue with Ebs as well, it was incredible that he was in the squad today.” It isn’t clear whether Eze is a doubt for Prague. Christos Tzolis played 84 minutes on Sunday in his first appearance since 19 September after a hamstring injury, and Arteta said: “We took some risks, but at a point we decided enough was enough.” Starting him again three days later looks like another risk. So we’d move Noni Madueke, who set up Havertz’s goal and is over his ankle problem, across to the left.
Viktor Gyokeres: his turn up front
Kai Havertz got the nod at Anfield and became the highest-scoring German in Premier League history with his goal. Viktor Gyokeres started on the bench, and this is the natural game to give him the shirt back and keep Havertz fresh for Hull.
Who is out for Arsenal?
Out: Bukayo Saka (quad), William Saliba (back).
Doubtful: Eberechi Eze (unspecified issue).
Available again: Max Dowman, whose three-match ban applies to domestic games only.
Verdict: rotate, but not too much
Slavia have one point from three games, but this is still an away night in the Champions League, and dropping points here would undo the good work against Napoli and Lille. Arteta can make changes without weakening the spine: Raya, Gabriel, Konsa, Rice and Odegaard stay, and the fresh faces around them are players who have already done it at this level. Arsenal won 3-0 in this fixture a year ago, and a similar result would send the Gooners into Saturday in good shape.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Slavia Prague (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Hincapie; Rice, Lewis-Skelly; Dowman, Odegaard, Madueke; Gyokeres.
