Three Premier League clubs were in action in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
In our midweek Scout Notes, we look at how these teams fared, the key talking points and the implications for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Gameweek 11 and beyond.
We start this article with Arsenal.
The graphics you see in this piece come from our partnership with Statsbomb – and you too can get their data for the Premier League, Champions League and beyond with a Chief Scout membership!
RESULTS
| Team | They will resist | Result | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Slavia Prague (a) | 3-0 win | Saka pen, Merino x2 | Gabriel, Trossard, Rice |
SELECTION/ROTATION
| Team | Changes from GW10’s starting XI | Players who retained their places (minutes played) | Minus for other notable players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 7 | Yaya (90), Team (93), Gbriel (90), Saliba (90), Rice (91), Sace (93), Trossard (73) | Hincapié (83), Nwaneri (65), Nørgan (90), Merno (90), Eze (25), Whitewis-Skelly (17). Dowman (17), Harriman-Anous (9) |
EZE + CALAFIORI REST, SAKA PEN + MERINO WITH TWO GOALS TOP
Arsenal did not make as many changes as some expected as Mikel Arteta opted not to take any risks against Slavia Prague, who are unbeaten at home since December 2024. He had limited options with anyway Viktor Gjokeres (£9.0 million) injured and Martin Zubimendi (£5.5 million) suspended.
Came in Piero Hincapie (£5.4 million) for Riccardo Calafiori (£5.8m) in defence, and Christian Nørgaard And Ethan Nwaneri (both £5.2 million) for Zubimendi and God bless you (£7.6m) in midfield. Mikel Merino (£5.9m) was again tasked with the emergency striker role in Gyokeres’ absence, as was the case last season.
Merino did not disappoint and scored two goals for the goalkeeper (a shot from close range and a header) from assists from Leandro Trossard (£6.9 million) and Declan Rice (£6.8 million).
“It’s a pleasure to have him, I always say the same thing. It’s his versatility on the pitch, the things he can do, it’s his mentality, it’s his leadership, it’s the way he is as a person. Nowadays we miss a lot of attacking players and we have to find other solutions. He comes in the Champions League and scores two goals.”
– Mikel Arteta on Mikel Merino
Bukayo Saka (£10.1 million) had scored a penalty awarded by VAR for a handball. Should Gyokeres remain out of Gameweek 11, as seems likely, we can expect a) Merino to start up front for Sunderland and b) Saka to be on penalties.
Calafiori has been an ever-present in the competition but has been rested for the last three Champions League matches, with Arteta seemingly managing the Italy international’s fitness. He came off after 72 minutes in Gameweek 10, his seventh substitution of the season.
Calafiori remains the first choice for Premier League matches for the time being, but Hincapié was also preferred Myles Lewis-Skelly (£5.2m) is an emerging threat, especially if they are league matches played during the week rather than cup matches.
Above: Arsenal’s upcoming matches. The weeks in which there are three Premier League matches are marked in red.
“Very happy, he can play in those two positions, as a central defender or as a wing-back. Today the way we had to position ourselves and the situation we have to imagine with the ball. I think he was very good, very strong, very efficient and very good because now he has made some minutes in the last week with two games and the last minutes against Burnley. So we will inform him.””
– Mikel Arteta on Piero Hincapié plays from the start
EIGHT STRAIGHT CLEAN LEAVES
This was Arsenal’s 10e winning on the vault in all competitions and their eighth clean sheet in a row. They have not been able to do the latter since 1903. Slavia haven’t recorded a single shot above 0.1 xG, so this was another great advertisement for a defense that many of us have already bet on. For the fourth time in five games, the Gunners failed to allow a single effort on target.
Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.6m) was, as always, a threat. It was his header that forced the handball for Saka’s penalty, while he almost scored early on with a half-volley from outside the penalty area!
William Saliba (£6.0m), Arsenal’s defender with the least appeal in the FPL (thanks to a lack of goal threat, assist potential and DefCon points), had his own turn in the attacking spotlight last night, moving into midfield – not that this led to shots or chances created.
“That had to do with the way they press, and the way the nine press and the way we were able to find certain advantages and time, because otherwise everything is absolutely man-to-man. And it’s a very difficult game to play consistently, especially after the direct play. And we could have done better; it’s something we haven’t really had the time for. So to have more solutions and try things out, and especially put players in their qualities with a little more time on the ball. It’s something that I wanted to try.” – Mikel Arteta on William Saliba’s inversions into midfield
RICE EXHIBITIONS HELP RECOVER POTENTIAL
Moving on, Rice is also furthering his case for inclusion in our FPL squadrons. The English midfielder has scored a goal or an assist in four of the last five Premier League matches.
Arsenal’s leading chance creator in the English top flight, he also led the way for key passes last night:
Three of Rice’s assists have also been from open play, showing he is not just a one-trick set-piece pony.
After the two (missed) big opportunities on Saturday, there were again encouraging figures for Saka owners:
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