Calafiori striker, White starts and Odegaard dropped - Arsenal changes for PSV Eindhoven

This is a very strange game for Arsenal, who take on PSV Eindhoven having amassed a six-goal buffer from the first leg away in the Netherlands. The Gunners have also been able to give Mikel Arteta an opportunity to rotate the team.

Should Arsenal win the weekend’s Premier League clash against Chelsea, it effectively wraps up Champions League qualification for next season by putting a nine-point gap between them and the Blues. There are some players who have returned from injury who also need minutes to build back that match readiness.

But at the same time, Arteta cannot go too lax with the selection; he still needs to get the result and find a way to win the game to keep the momentum up and the positivity flowing - which right now is a big challenge. It is still a chance, however, to try some new solutions to ongoing problems.

I did think about starting Neto in this game, but I believe the consistency of David Raya will be important for the Gunners. His performance at the weekend was mixed, but in the end, he proved why this season he has arguably been the league's best goalkeeper.

In defence, Ben White starts at right-back for the first time since he underwent knee surgery last year. He has been missed massively in this team and now finds himself in with a chance of making a big impact to the end of the season.

William Saliba adds the consistency, but Gabriel Magalhaes does get a break, allowing Jakub Kiwior to come into the team for some valuable minutes. At left-back is Kieran Tierney who has gradually become an option for Arteta to add something different down the left-hand side.

Into midfield and Mikel Merino returns to his normal position, having struggled to start up top after the major injury crisis through the side. Jorginho joins him, an experienced and calm presence to help the Spaniard.

Ethan Nwaneri then starts in the Martin Odegaard role, with the captain offered some respite following yet more hyperbolic scrutiny from some sections of the fan base. Then we move to the forward line.

Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Martinelli start in the wide positions. Leandro Trossard has been playing pretty much every game and is in need of rest too. The starting pair need exposure for different reasons, the Brazilian far more so as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Lastly is Riccardo Calafiori. The wildcard pick and another different option for Arteta as a centre-forward - his goal in the first leg has convinced me that in a desperate time he could be the desperate measure to bring something different to the side.

Changed Arsenal XI vs PSV: Raya; White, Saliba, Kiwior, Tierney; Jorginho, Merino, Nwaneri, Martinelli, Calafiori, Sterling

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Arsenal face PSV Eindhoven in the- second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on March 12.

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