Arsenal begin their Champions League campaign against Napoli on Wednesday night, but the trip to Italy also marks the start of a demanding spell that will see the Gunners play four matches in just ten days across three different competitions.
Mikel Arteta’s side head to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona first, before quickly turning their attention back to domestic matters.
There will be very little breathing space.
Arsenal’s four-game run
The sequence begins with Napoli away on Wednesday, September 9, as Arsenal get their latest Champions League journey underway.
Just three days later, the Gunners travel to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday, September 12.
Then comes another competition.
Arsenal begin their Carabao Cup campaign away to Ipswich Town on Tuesday, September 15, before completing the run with another Premier League away fixture against Brighton at the Amex on Saturday, September 19.
That means Arsenal will face:
Napoli (A) – Champions League – September 9
Sunderland (A) – Premier League – September 12
Ipswich Town (A) – Carabao Cup – September 15
Brighton (A) – Premier League – September 19
Four games. Ten days. Three competitions. And, notably, four consecutive away matches.
Arteta’s squad depth will be tested
It is precisely the kind of period in which Arsenal’s squad depth could become increasingly important.
The Champions League opener in Naples is unlikely to be a game in which Arteta will want to take many risks with his team selection, while Premier League points remain just as valuable when Arsenal return to domestic action against Sunderland.
The Carabao Cup trip to Ipswich could therefore offer the manager his clearest opportunity to rotate, particularly with Brighton waiting four days later.
Managing workloads will be important, but maintaining momentum could matter just as much.
Arsenal have made a strong start to the new campaign and will want to reach the international break with that confidence intact rather than allowing a congested fixture list to interrupt their rhythm.
A significant ten days for Arsenal
None of these games will decide Arsenal’s season in isolation, particularly this early in the campaign.
Taken together, however, they represent the first real examination of the squad’s ability to move between competitions while continuing to produce results.
European football returns on Wednesday night, the Carabao Cup begins next week and six important Premier League points are available in between.
By September 19, Arsenal could have made an excellent start in Europe, progressed in the League Cup and maintained their early Premier League momentum.
The next ten days should tell us plenty about how well equipped Arteta’s squad is to fight on several fronts this season.
How would you approach these four matches, Gooners? Would you rotate heavily at Ipswich, or keep the strongest possible side together while Arsenal are in form? Let us know in the comments.
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We can manage this sort of gruelling series of away games with our depth better than many teams I guess, but it’s still difficult. Rotation is going to be important. Rotation at Ipswich seems almost crucial, even if just to reduce the risk of injuries…
I’m sure Arteta will bench Havertz, Odegaard, Saka, Tzolis, Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Magalhaes and Calafiori in the Carabao Cup game, because EPL and UCL are far more important
We’ve got enough players for each position, except for the left wing
Admin, the pop-up ads from 1wtz.com are very annoying! Can you please remove anh pop-up ads and videos
We can play the likes of Gyokeres, Eze, Madueke, Guimarães, Dowman Zubimendi, Merino, Konsa, Timber, White, Hincapie, Kepa for the Carabao Cup
That should be strong enough to beat Ipswich Town
gotanidea
Best of luck with getting the ads removed. About as much chance as Spurs have of avoiding relegation.🤣🤣🤣
🤣Jax, have they decided yet whether they are planning to score a PL goal this season? Personally, I think they may be going a little overboard in their third consecutive drive for relegation.
Bruised Banana,
No their making sure that they don’t blow it this time. No goals and they know their down.😂
Bruised Banana. All that money spent, and they’re still at the bottom.
Rotation of players is needed more especially with the match against Ipswich towns
That’s why the squad has been given more depth, now it’s just a question of how Arteta uses that depth.
And Jax, behave yourself. 😂🤣👍
I know Arteta keeps saying all trophies are important, but I don’t think this is the case, especially in the beginning of the season.
All teams have their focus. Smaller teams target Carabao Cup, mid/lower table PL teams look at FA Cup, stronger teams looking at the PL, and in our case the CL.
We can take Carabao Cup and FA Cup more seriously if we get to a point where it’s a few games away. But right now we need to narrow down the focal point as much as possible so the target is clear.
Just my opinion.
I believe you are correct with your comment, at least since the PL was formed as the top tier. I do believe the clubs focus as you suggest (including the Arsenal) and MA is just saying what is expected of him. It’s just a matter of what degree of importance do they hold.
Surely his employers demand that he focus on the PL and UCL to the exclusion of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, if deemed necessary. Fortunately, with a squad like ours that IF word shouldn’t come into play and the “lesser” cups (whether won or not) should help us be more prepared for the PL/UCL.
Kia,
I see you’re point regards taking the League Cup and FA Cup more serious the deeper we go. But they need to take it fairly serious from the off.
As if they don’t, they won’t be in it long enough to take it seriously if you see what I mean. 👍
Napoli (A) – Champions League – September 9
1 – 0 Arsenal
Sunderland (A) – Premier League – September 12
3 – 0 Arsenal
Ipswich Town (A) – Carabao Cup – September 15
2 – 0 Arsenal
Brighton (A) – Premier League – September 19
1 – 0 Arsenal.
If Arsenal can win all 4 away matches with clean sheets, we will be setting down a marker for the rest of the season.
There should be some rotation, that’s what the squad depth is there for – how much will be pivotal, resting players and avoiding injury – without upsetting the balance of the team.
It should be an interesting 10 days.
Chris S,
Although I don’t mind 1-0 wins, I can’t take many of them. We could do with scoring a few, and make it easier on us fans. 😂👍
I see your point Derek
1 -0 to The Arsenal scored deep into injury time with less than a minute to go at the end of the match, isn’t so bad – otherwise it’s pure stress.
I’d be delighted to be proved wrong with a 2 -0 (or more) win.
Gyokeres is starting, so if he feels he’s got a point to prove, maybe he’ll get a handy brace.
Evening Chris S,
I’ve said something similar regards Gyokeres on another post. He needs to deal in goals, as if to say to Arteta, now drop me. 👍
I would rotate and give some players a rest. Play the fringe players who haven’t had much playing time. Especially in the Caroubo cup.
Rotation is crucial, but effecting changes around the hour mark is also a form of rotation or load sharing. I think we can handle the four games with a heavy rotation at Ipswich. But it is crucial that whoever is chosen turns up on the day. Tje kind of misses recorded against Napoli are unbecoming. Get clinical, guys.