Mikel Arteta to name strong Arsenal team in Girona as he eyes momentum for Man City showdown
Mikel Arteta to name strong Arsenal team in Girona as he eyes momentum for Man City showdown
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With a showdown against Manchester City looming large, it would be easy for Arsenal to view their trip to Girona on Wednesday as the starter before Sunday’s main course. The fact Girona are part of the City Football Group only feeds into that narrative, while the game in Spain is also a dead-rubber for both sides.
Arsenal are all-but guaranteed a top-eight finish and a spot in the last 16 and Girona’s hopes of making the play-off round ended last week when they lost to AC Milan. But Mikel Arteta is targeting a win and there is no sense that this weekend’s Premier League meeting with City at Emirates Stadium will distract him.
![[Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta]](https://static.standard.co.uk/2025/01/29/7/44/SEI237706641.jpeg?trim=344,0,0,0&quality=75&auto=webp&width=960)
Arsenal have brought a strong squad to Spain, which is boosted by the return of captain Martin Odegaard and fellow midfielder Mikel Merino - who both missed Saturday’s 1-0 win over Wolves. That is in stark contrast to Liverpool’s approach, with Arne Slot leaving nine first-team players at home for their dead rubber against PSV Eindhoven. Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are among those to have been given the night off.
Injuries hamper Arteta’s ability to massively rotate his team, however he has still never been a fan of it. Arteta is a believer in the momentum gained from winning, no matter what the stakes are, and he showed that in the Champions League last season.
