I must admit that I thought Arsene Wenger got his Arsenal team selection wrong for the Premier League game against Southampton at the weekend. Luckily for us and the Frenchman we got away with it and if the squad is now rotated and the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud help Arsenal to beat PSG away then the manager’s risks will seem well worth taking.
Wenger did say that fatigue after coming back from international duty was the main reason behind his decision to rest some key players but I do not think he would have dome it if we did not have this potentially decisive Champions League match just a few days later.
I have been looking at the French champions as we prepare for this match and they have quite a few problems of their own, especially in defence where both of the left backs are out of action, as is the right back Serge Aurier formerly linked with Arsenal. They actually only have three fully fit defenders and one of those is new to the club and just finding his feet. They might just have Thiago Silva back but it would be his first appearance after a long spell in the treatment room.
I am sure Wenger was aware of these issues so I can understand why he might have been more willing to gamble and the Gunners a great chance of taking early control of group A. With all their defensive weakness Arsenal can really go for the jugular and with Cavani, Ben Arfa and Jese struggling at the other hand we do not have to be too worried about going forward.
So will Arsenal beat this weakened PSG and prove that Wenger was right to rotate after all?
Bob.