Arteta Shakes Up Arsenal Squad Again as Zubimendi Gets Newcastle Start
Arsenal's 1-0 triumph over Milan to begin their pre-season campaign carried a familiar feel, even with the energy of young players and fresh signings on display.
Mikel Arteta's team appeared to be gradually settling into their summer schedule, yet they displayed composed authority to maintain distance from Massimiliano Allegri's squad. Honestly, confronting an Allegri-managed team in July was always going to be a comfortable matchup for Arsenal, who didn't need to push themselves particularly hard.
A recognizable challenge now awaits Arteta's group, as Newcastle prepares to face the Gunners in Singapore. Though the Magpies are currently overshadowed by Alexander Isak's wish to depart and arrive on tour following a 4-0 loss to Celtic last week, many anticipate a more demanding encounter on Sunday.
Here's how Arsenal might set up for their second match of their Asian tour.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Newcastle (4-3-3)
GK: David Raya—The Spanish keeper had minimal work on Wednesday, and he'll probably split playing time with new acquisition Kepa Arrizabalaga once more.
RB: Ben White—White displayed promising signs against Milan following a quiet 2024-25 campaign. He should feature at right-back versus Newcastle with Jurrien Timber recovering from injury.
CB: William Saliba—Saliba will welcome the arrival of Cristhian Mosquera, who will provide the French defender with relief during pre-season and across 2025-26 when needed.
CB: Jakub Kiwior—The Polish defender demonstrated his value during the latter part of last season, and now appears completely comfortable in the Gunners' solid defensive unit.
LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly—The Hale End prospect entered at left-back during the week, and it appears he'll continue featuring in Arsenal's defense despite some speculation that Arteta might give him chances in midfield this summer.
CM: Martín Zubimendi—He controlled the tempo effectively in the second half on Wednesday, and fans will hope to see more of him this weekend.
CM: Mikel Merino—Merino's time as Arsenal's striker has ended, and he'll now receive most of his playing time in midfield.
CM: Martin Ødegaard—The captain missed his penalty in the post-match shootout against Milan, having entered for the second half. Ødegaard is expected to reclaim his spot in the lineup here, even if he only plays the first 45 minutes.
RW: Ethan Nwaneri—The youngster impressed from a central role during the week, and he might move to a wider position here and rotate with Bukayo Saka. Nwaneri covered for the England star during his injury absence last season.
ST: Kai Havertz—Viktor Gyökeres is now a Gunner, but he hasn't joined his new colleagues yet. Havertz will remain as Arsenal's striker for this match.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli—Arsenal's left-wing options currently stay unchanged, and it's a choice between Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Reiss Nelson. The last mentioned shone brightest against Milan, but he's also most likely to transfer.