Arsenal travel to Turkey to face Galatasaray in the final Champions League group game. And while we still have a chance to finish top of our group and avoid some of the biggest teams and toughest ties, like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, I think we will have to trust to luck.
It was always unlikely that Borussia Dortmund would lose their final game at home to Anderlecht, but while their domestic form was continuing along it’s awful recent course, there was always the chance that being rock bottom of the German Bundesliga would affect Jurgen Klopp and his players.
However, Dortmund moved five places of the bottom after a vital win over Hoffenheim last night and our slim hopes of an upset became even slimmer. But one thing Dortmund’s win has done is make it even easier for Arsene Wenger to give some of his key players a well earned rest, especially those like Alexis sanchez that have played almost every minute of every game and are starting to show signs of fatigue.
The boss will still want to beat the Turkish team, of course, but he will hope that we can manage that with some of the fringe players in the Gunners squad. Galatasaray have managed just one point from their five games so far and so even with the likes of Alexis, Welbeck, Mertesacker and Chambers not in the side, Arsenal should be too strong.
And there are plenty of players like Bellerin, Podolski, Rosicky and Campbell who are desperate for some time on the pitch. With no Capital One cup games, this could be the best and only chance to experiment a little and if we lose or draw, it is very unlikely to matter. Do you agree or do you think Wenger should still field his strongest side?