Start him: Arteta has blueprint to beat PSG after what £26m Arsenal star did vs Ipswich Town - opinion
Arsenal registered a splendid 4-0 win over Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Gunners were the dominant side from the off and had 95 percent possession after seven minutes into the game at Portman Road.
Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in the 14th minute before Gabriel Martinelli doubled the club’s advantage in the 28th minute.
Leif Davis’ red card soon after ensured the Gunners had a leisurely afternoon on the road.
Trossard made it 3-0 after the hour mark. The Belgian star bagged his maiden brace since joining the Gunners in January 2023.
Ethan Nwaneri put the gloss on the performance with a fourth goal before stoppage time.
In our view, manager Mikel Arteta may have found a blueprint to beat Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.
Arsenal will be without Thomas Partey for the first leg of the semi-final tie following his yellow card in the second leg of the quarter-final at Real Madrid.
In his absence, we have predicted Myles Lewis-Skelly to start in the number six role against PSG, but the manager may have different plans in mind.
Against Ipswich, Arteta opted against fielding Partey in his midfield. He preferred Declan Rice in a deeper role with Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard playing centrally.
Rice was fabulous as the holding midfielder, with a passing accuracy of 94 percent. The Englishman continued his fine form with an assist for Trossard’s second goal.
Merino has been a revelation with six goals and three assists since playing as a striker in February, but he showed his class from the centre of the park with a fabulous showing.
The Spaniard won 10 duels with four successful tackles. The 28-year-old also made plenty of forward runs and produced a quality backheel assist to provide a tap-in for Martinelli.
However, Trossard was undoubtedly the stand-out player. Playing as a makeshift striker, the 30-year-old was clinical with his finishing, scoring with both shots on target.
The £26 million-rated star has been guilty in the past with his tendency to move out wide. He held his position centrally yesterday to deliver a superb attacking display.
We won’t be surprised if Arteta goes with a similar set-up against Crystal Palace in midweek in preparation for Paris Saint-Germain’s visit to the Emirates Stadium.
Stats from Sofascore.com
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