Football May 28, 2026

Champions League final: Who does Mikel Arteta pick in his Arsenal starting XI to face PSG in Budapest?

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By Admin
Sports Journalist
Champions League final: Who does Mikel Arteta pick in his Arsenal starting XI to face PSG in Budapest?

It's Arsenal's biggest game in two decades - and Mikel Arteta has some decisions to make.

After the Premier League party celebrations of the last 10 days, the Arsenal manager has to set up his team against Paris Saint-Germain - who are being widely described as the outstanding team in world football.

What is interesting about Arsenal's starting line-up is - injuries aside - there are probably only five nailed on starters in the team: David Raya, William Saliba, Gabriel, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.

The remaining places are up for grabs - and there are debates on the multiple contenders who can fill those spots.

So who will get the nod against PSG. Let's analyse the talking points below...

Mikel Arteta has a huge decision at the top end of the pitch. Does he go with Viktor Gyokeres or Kai Havertz up front?

Both players were benched for the dead rubber away at Crystal Palace, with Gabriel Jesus picked instead in a rare start. PSG must be none the wiser about who leads the Arsenal line on Saturday.

Gyokeres is Arsenal's top scorer across all competitions with 21 goals this term. He was the big centre forward signing brought in to deliver the major trophies for Arsenal.

But Havertz has proved to be Arsenal's man for the big occasion. For example, it was the German - not Gyokeres - picked for the trip to Manchester City in April.

With Arsenal struggling for attacking inspiration in the weeks before, Havertz's introduction up front helped bring others into play and refreshed Arteta's attack.

And what's more, Havertz has a Champions League final-winning goal for Chelsea in 2021 on his CV. He also scored the winner against Burnley in Arsenal's last pressure game before the title was confirmed.

With Havertz as the centre forward, Arsenal have more of the ball, have more shots and create more chances.

The flip side is they score the same amount of goals when Gyokeres is in that role - and they create more glaring chances when the Swede starts.

Arsenal have struggled with this striker dilemma all season. In Gyokeres, they have a centre forward who you would back to finish off big chances in big moments - but he is inferior to Havertz in knitting the frontline together.

Havertz is better at bringing others into the game - as was seen at City - but at times lacks the killer goalscoring instinct that Gyokeres has shown. While he impressed at City, he missed two glaring chances to get Arsenal a result.

And Gyokeres' movement has been improving in recent weeks. His channel runs were crucial to Arsenal beating Fulham, then Atletico Madrid, in a matter of days.

The Swede's tireless off-the-ball display in the Champions League semi-final - where he clocked a team-high 10.6km - shows he has an important pressing role too.

Verdict: Arteta may have to flip a coin to decide who plays up front. You can decide below…

What may decide the centre forward role is who plays at left wing.

At the beginning of the season, you would have backed Gabriel Martinelli to be the player who starts a Champions League final for Arsenal. The Brazilian scored in six out of his first seven Champions League matches of the season - becoming a European specialist in the process.

But Martinelli is yet to find the net in this competition since that run. In fact, since his last European goal against Kairat Almaty on January 28, he's only scored once in all competitions - against Wigan in the FA Cup fourth round - and has lost his place in the team.

Leandro Trossard is back in the fold and the Belgian's recent resurgence may be what sways Arteta's attacking options.

The front three of Trossard, Gyokeres and Bukayo Saka has become the first-choice forward line - mainly because of its excellent record when playing together.

In 13 Premier League matches, the trio have won 12 matches when all starting together - only dropping points in the goalless draw against Liverpool in early January.

They have only played together once in the Champions League - in the semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, where they all combined for Arsenal's winning goal.

Verdict: There is also the option to play Eberechi Eze on that left wing - as he started in that position in last month's trip to City - but Trossard is the frontrunner.

Does Eze have a better chance in the No 10 role? He may be up against it when it comes to usurping Martin Odegaard.

The captain's return has been a welcome boost in recent weeks, and Arsenal are quite simply better when he is in the team.

Odegaard has missed half the season with various different injuries but since his return Arsenal have found a little bit more cohesion.

"He's the one that connects everybody, that glides everybody together, that makes the team flow in a way that nobody else can do," Arteta said last month.

"And that's a huge quality to have. He's the captain, he's the leader, he's the one that sets the tone in probably every phase of play for us.

"And he's such an intelligent person that he can adapt and modify the game when we need to in 10 seconds."

The numbers back up Arteta's words. Odegaard still averages top in all the major attacking and creative metrics despite his stop-start season.

His superb role in big moments - notably in the big wins at Newcastle and West Ham at either end of the season - showcased that.

Odegaard also ranks top for winning the ball high up the pitch - his elite pressing game was seen in the defeat to City, where he organised the aggressive defensive work excellently.

Verdict: Eze is an exceptional player - and will have a role to play in the final. The England man starring at No 10 helped Arsenal win the title - but Odegaard is Arsenal's captain and leader. He must start.

Who partners the No 10 and Declan Rice in midfield is an interesting move. Just like in the win over Burnley, it could be Eze again - but that would be a bold and attacking move by Mikel Arteta.

The two main contenders are Martin Zubimendi and Myles Lewis-Skelly. Zubimendi was the early regular in this No 6 position, with his ability to protect one box and affect the other acting as a real breath of fresh air.

But Zubimendi lost his place in the team as his influence dwindled, probably due to tiredness. The midfielder looked exhausted at times - which led to some costly errors.

Zubimendi has played 56 games this season, in his first season where he has been forced to play through the winter break period. Before this weekend, his back-up Christian Norgaard had played just 56 minutes in the league.

Lewis-Skelly has since emerged as the 'new kid on the block'. The England international started doing training sessions in midfield in December - and finally got his chance in May.

Since then, Lewis-Skelly has shown all the attributes to both complement Declan Rice and add a steeliness to Arsenal's midfield.

Verdict: It's experience vs freshness. Zubimendi is the more senior option, but Lewis-Skelly has the momentum. Another flip of the coin dilemma for Arteta - but he might be leaning towards the young kid…

With Saliba and Gabriel a fixed partnership at the back, there is a question of who turns out either side of them at full-back.

At right-back, Arteta will be forced into a decision by injury news. If Jurrien Timber is passed fit, then he would probably come back in - even though he has been missing since March.

If not, then Cristhian Mosquera is the likely candidate to continue at right-back. Starting in a Champions League final slightly out of position would be a huge moment for the 21-year-old, but he did start the April game at Man City in that role - so has some experience of the big occasion.

The other option in that position is Zubimendi - who was given 90 minutes there at Crystal Palace at the weekend. The Spaniard didn't do badly, winning more possessions in the defensive third than any Arsenal player that day, but it would be a bold call for such a huge occasion.

The left-back dilemma is a closer call. With Lewis-Skelly now a midfielder, Arteta has to choose between either Riccardo Calafiori or Piero Hincapie - very different options.

Hincapie is the more defensively astute choice, which could be useful against a very attacking PSG side.

But Calafiori seems favourite - Arsenal have won 10 out of the last 11 matches in which the Italian has started, and he crucially has a good rapport with Trossard ahead of him.

"I have a good relationship with him at the moment," Trossard said about Calafiori in November.

"I know what he can do and where he can pop up in what position. Sometimes I can play a ball blind to him and I know he will be there."

Calafiori also brings unpredictability in attack - sometimes occupying a striker's positions. "That's Ricci though!" added Trossard. "That's one of his strengths. He pops up everywhere - in the pockets, as a striker - that unpredictability of him can hurt teams."

Verdict: Calafiori has the form to start at left-back, but right-back is anyone's guess

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