Mikel Arteta urged to make bold Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres decision in predicted Arsenal line-up for Champions League final

Mikel Arteta has been urged to start Kai Havertz over Viktor Gyokeres in Arsenal’s Champions League final clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

The reigning European champions defend their title in Budapest on May 30 against the newly crowned champions of England.

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The event is a clash of contrasting football philosophies, as both teams dominate in the opposite ends of the pitch.

Luis Enrique‘s free-flowing attack is easily the most entertaining across the continent, however, Mikel Arteta‘s side boast a much more disciplined, analytical approach that secured them their first league title in 22 years.

In the Champions League, the Gunners have conceded just six goals in 14 matches and remain unbeaten throughout their entire continental campaign.

The French side’s head coach labelled Arsenal as ‘the best team in the world, without the ball.’

Arteta’s men are structured, scoring 38 per cent of their goals from set pieces, while keeping 19 clean sheets and winning seven Premier League games by a 1-0 scoreline this season.

Predicted formation: 4-2-3-1

The Inside Gooners panel discussed what they think Arteta’s approach to be as former Arsenal midfielder Adrian Clarke began: “Declan Rice absolutely has to play deep, the way he did against Atletico Madrid.

“If anyone is going to go forward, it will be Myles Lewis-Skelly. We need Declan there to do a purely defensive job.

“I can’t see how Arteta picks both Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze. I love the idea of it, I just don’t think he will go that bold when we’re not setting up for a basketball game.”

Both sides have had vastly different journeys to reach Budapest. For PSG, their route included an intense 6-5 aggregate win over Bayern Munich, which was arguably the most entertaining tie in Champions League history.

By comparison, Arsenal have scored 29 goals in Europe this season to the French side’s 44, but the English champions have consistently found a way to get the job done.

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Who will start in the back line?

There is no debate regarding who starts between the sticks for the Gunners, with David Raya the undisputed no.1 after achieving 26 clean sheets in 48 appearances.

In contrast, the French outfit have swapped between Lucas Chevalier, Renato Marin, and Matvey Safonov this season.

In defence, Ben White and Jurrien Timber have been injured since March. Arsenal are limited on the right side, meaning Cristhian Mosquera is highly likely to start in the back four.

Former Gunners winger Perry Groves complimented Mosquera’s ability: “He’s very good at putting people off 1v1. He is excellent at closing down and getting tight, and if he does get beaten, his recovery pace is fantastic.”

The left-back position is a much more fiercely debated topic with Clarke saying: “I think left-back is a really interesting position because you can’t separate the two options.

“I love watching Riccardo Calafiori and I would probably sway towards him as my first choice in 90 per cent of games because of his buccaneering spirit, the adventure, and the chaos he causes.

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“But for this game, I could see the warrior Piero Hincapie starting to deal with Desire Doue or Bradley Barcola and in that situation you will want your best defender. I would say Hincapie just shades it over Calafori.

“If we want to go really positively, Calafori will get the nod. My sense is he will pick a team that’s really strong out of possession. I think Hincapie, with the tackles… I think he will get the nod but that’s a genuine 50-50 decision.”

Groves responded: “I think because the pressure of winning the league has eased off a little bit, he will go for Calafiori.

“He will think, let’s dominate the midfield and Calafori is better on the ball to bring it forward. One thing for certain is it’s not going to be like a basketball game.

“It’s going to be really old school, it doesn’t matter if it’s Dembele, Barcola or Doue – their movement will be brilliant. They will want to drag you out of areas to create the space for them to go into.

“I want our back four to be able to drop deep if they need to. If I’m a defender, I’d rather see my attacker in front of me and if you are going to do something brilliant, you will have to do it 1v1, we will not leave you holes to run into.”

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Will Arsenal sit back?

Reflecting on last year’s heartbreaking exit, where a chasing Arsenal side went out on all fronts and lost 2-1 at the Parc des Princes, the panel agreed that the midfield’s control will be crucial.

When choosing who should partner Rice, Clarke opted for the tactical approach: “It should be either Martin Zubemendi or Lewis-Skelly. Personally, I would say Myles because I think he’s in great form, he’s confident enough to play those forward passes, and I like his athleticism.

“Zubimendi is a great player, and I wouldn’t be upset if he starts, but it’s not a game where you want to be passing backwards and sideways too much.

“We might not have the ball much, so when we do, we will want to use it to go forward.”

However, Groves was hoping for a more ‘braver’ option of Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard.

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Who’s starting as striker?

Up front, Viktor Gyokeres has netted an impressive 21 goals for Arsenal in all competitions this season, but it is Kai Havertz who has routinely proven critical in tight games.

This includes when the German forward secured the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Burnley, which could have been seen as decisive in the title fight.

Groves gave his final verdict on the frontline: “I think it will be Kai Havertz starting because he gives you that little bit more control when you need to hold the ball up.

“Gyokeres can cause absolute mayhem in the last 20 minutes when the game spreads out, but I think Arteta starts with Havertz.”