On Thursday, Chelsea turned Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga missed out on the first North London Derby staged overseas. However, it was just an exhibition, so the reason he missed out was just precautionary. He’ll be back when Arsenal hosts Villarreal on Wednesday night.
“He felt something as well in the game against Newcastle,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said in regards to Kepa. “I think it’s a matter of days probably. If that was the Premier League, he could have played but we decided not to take a risk.”
Club Friendly FYIs
Arsenal FC vs Villarreal
Arsenal Preview Material for Both Clubs: Starting XI Prediction Team News
Kickoff time: 12pm GMT, Wednesday Aug 6
Location: Emirates Stadium, London, UK
Exactly, if it was a league game, with something at stake, sure, go for it. However, it was not, and thus, rest your No.2 keeper. Expect him to replace David Raya for the next one, as Arteta will do, as it’s known, squad rotation. Kepa should be the cup competition keeper this season.
Wednesday’s match, which sounds like it should be the Unai Emery Cup or something like that, will be the penultimate friendly of the preseason.
That will also be against a Spanish side, with the weekend opponent being Athletic Club.
Here is how we’re guessing the midweek 4-3-3 formation and starting lineup might shape out around Kepa.
Arsenal Starting Lineup Prediction vs Villarreal
Kepa Arrizabalaga; Ben White, William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Ethan Nwaneri, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard; Kai Havertz; Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter