Arsenal's European Campaign Resumes Against Napoli
Arsenal return to European action this week carrying the weight of unfinished business.
Last season they stormed through the league phase, winning all eight of their matches. Nobody beat them in 90 minutes across the entire competition. They went all the way to the final in Budapest, dragged Paris Saint-Germain into a penalty shootout, and still walked away with nothing but regret.
Now the climb starts again, away to Napoli on Wednesday night, and Mikel Arteta looks ready to lean on the depth that almost took them to the top.
Arteta ready to rotate in Naples
The schedule has already started to bite. Arsenal’s squad is loaded with quality, and this is exactly the kind of night where Arteta is expected to shuffle his pack without weakening the side.
In midfield, Bruno Guimaraes is the big question. He did not play a single minute in the win over Chelsea, still nursing a knock, and there is little sense in risking him so early in the campaign. That opens the door for Martin Zubimendi, whose control and passing range make him a natural fit to step in at the base of midfield.
Higher up the pitch, the competition is just as fierce. Eberechi Eze will be eyeing the left flank, hoping this is the moment he gets a proper run from the start. His ability to carry the ball and break lines gives Arsenal something different in wide areas, especially in a hostile away atmosphere.
Through the middle, Viktor Gyokeres could be handed his first start of the season. Arteta has managed Kai Havertz’s workload carefully so far, and a demanding European night may be the point at which he decides to protect one of his key attackers. Gyokeres offers power, pressing and penalty-box presence – the kind of profile that can unsettle a home defence early.
Defensive dilemmas at the back
At the other end of the pitch, the picture is more complicated.
William Saliba remains a long-term absentee with a back injury, a loss that would cripple most back lines. Jurrien Timber has yet to play a minute this season but edges closer to a return, while Cristhian Mosquera is a doubt with a muscle problem.
All of that leaves Ezri Konsa in line to continue alongside Gabriel at centre-back, just as he did in the win over Chelsea on Sunday. The pair offered stability then, and Arteta is unlikely to rip up a partnership that handled a major domestic test so well.
If there is to be a change, it is expected to come at left-back. Riccardo Calafiori has been outstanding in the early weeks of the campaign, bringing balance and bite on that flank, but his Arsenal career has already been punctuated by injuries. With a long season stretching ahead, the medical staff and coaching team are likely to be cautious with his minutes.
That is where Piero Hincapie comes in. He was the only defender on the bench against Chelsea, a clear sign of how stretched the options have become, and there is every chance he steps into the starting XI in Naples. A left-sided defender comfortable on the ball, he offers a like-for-like solution that allows Arsenal to maintain their structure without overloading Calafiori.
A new campaign, the same ambition
Arsenal arrive in Italy with scars from Budapest but also with the confidence of a side that knows how to dominate this stage. Eight wins from eight in last season’s league phase set a standard. Going one better now means not just matching that intensity, but managing the squad smartly from the very first away night.
Rotation, risk management, and ruthless finishing – those are the themes as the Gunners set out again.
They came within a penalty shootout of glory last time. In Naples, the journey to find out whether they can finally finish the job truly begins.
