Arsenal's Quest for European Glory Begins in Naples
Arsenal’s road back to the summit of Europe starts in Naples, with last season’s near miss still hanging in the air.
Mikel Arteta’s side tore through the league phase a year ago, winning all eight games and refusing to lose inside 90 minutes at any stage of the competition. They pushed Paris Saint-Germain all the way to a penalty shootout in the final in Budapest. Then the dream slipped, agonisingly, from their grasp.
Now comes the attempt to go one better.
Rotation on the cards
With a deep, battle-hardened squad at his disposal, Arteta is expected to shuffle his pack on Wednesday night. This is not a team that relies on the same XI grinding through every three days; it’s a squad built to absorb changes without losing its edge.
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 Arsenal will not risk him lightly at this stage of the season. That opens the door for Martin Zubimendi, whose composure and range of passing make him a natural candidate to step in at the base of midfield.
The pressure for places is just as fierce further forward. On the left, Eberechi Eze will sense an opportunity. He has had to be patient, but a trip to Naples could be the moment Arteta turns to his creativity and one‑v‑one threat out wide.
Through the middle, Viktor Gyokeres is pushing for his own breakthrough. The striker has yet to start this season, but with Kai Havertz’s minutes likely to be managed carefully, Gyokeres could finally get the nod to lead the line.
Defensive juggling act
At the back, the story is more complicated. William Saliba remains a long-term absentee with a back injury, a void that would weaken almost any defence in Europe. Jurrien Timber has yet to play a minute this season but is edging closer to a return, while Cristhian Mosquera is a doubt with a muscle problem that clouds Arteta’s options.
All of that points towards continuity in the centre. Ezri Konsa, who partnered Gabriel in the victory over Chelsea on Sunday, is expected to keep his place. The pair gave Arsenal a solid, unfussy platform at the weekend, and ripping that up now would be a risk.
If Arteta does tweak his back line, it is likely to be on the left. Riccardo Calafiori has been outstanding in the early weeks of the campaign, blending aggression with quality on the ball, but his Arsenal career has already been punctured by injury issues. With the schedule tightening and the stakes rising, the medical team will not want to overload him.
That is where Piero Hincapie comes in. He was the only defender named on the bench against Chelsea, a clear sign of the current injury squeeze, and there is every chance he steps into the starting XI in Naples to protect Calafiori’s workload.
Arsenal arrive in Italy with scars from Budapest, a perfect league phase to defend, and a manager unafraid to lean on the full depth of his squad. The question now is simple: can this reshaped, rotating side finally finish the job they started last season?
