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Arsenal team news: Predicted XI vs Burnley as Arteta snubs shake-up for Turf Moor trip
Arsenal will be hoping to remain unbeaten in the Premier League in 2024 when they travel to Burnley on Saturday.
Arsenal will be hoping to make it five wins in five when they travel to Turf Moor to take on Burnley on Saturday. The Gunners cruised to a 6-0 victory over West Ham last weekend, and it could prove very tricky for Mikel Arteta to tinker with his starting XI for that very reason. Express Sport takes a look at how the Spaniard could line up...
Goalkeeper: David Raya
Speaking on Friday, Arteta insisted that Raya has ‘earned the right to be very respected’, and he is likely to stand by the Spaniard once more this weekend. With the Gunners out of the FA Cup, Aaron Ramsdale could become a rotational option in the Champions League instead now as his opportunities in the Premier League appear to be numbered.
Defence: Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Jakub Kiwior
Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu are still injury doubts for the trip to Burnley, making it increasingly difficult for Arteta to shake up his backline. Cedric Soares is the only fit and proven alternative option in defence on paper, meaning it is hard not to see the quartet of White, Saliba, Gabriel and Kiwior not lining up against the Clarets.
Midfield: Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz
Despite Jorginho’s sensational display against Liverpool earlier this month, the Italy international may be forced to watch on from the sidelines once more. Arteta, again, sung the praises of Havertz when speaking on Friday and he appears to be suited to this type of fixture. With Arsenal likely to dominate, they may not need someone like Jorginho in the heart of their system and could benefit more from having the forward-thinking trio of Odegaard, Rice and Havertz instead.
Forwards: Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli
Eddie Nketiah’s minutes have dwindled this year, and Trossard is making it very tricky for the England international to break into Arteta’s starting XI. With Gabriel Jesus still nursing a knee problem, the Belgian international looks the likeliest candidate to lead the line for the Gunners up against Vincent Kompany’s Burnley.
Games come thick and fast for Arsenal in March, with four matches in the opening two weeks of the month, and the likes of Reiss Nelson, Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe – albeit injured at present – could be handed more opportunities to make their mark during that run of fixtures rather than at the weekend.