Arsenal take on Atlético Madrid on Tuesday in the Champions League looking to maintain their perfect record to begin their European campaign.
The Gunners are not blowing teams out of the water, but five successive wins have left them in excellent positions both domestically and in Europe.
They’ve impressively mitigated a distinctly tough start to the 2025–26 season, and will now look to extend their advantage at the top of the Premier League table while attempting to maintain perfection in the Champions League.
Arsenal have started the league phase with back-to-back 2–0 wins, but their trickiest assignment of the competition so far is on the horizon. Diego Simeone’s Atléti have built a reputation for disrupting the aristocracy, and they’ll aim to take down one of the competition favourites on Tuesday night.
For what could be a gritty European affair bereft of attacking moments, here’s the starting lineup Arteta’s poised to pick.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Atlético Madrid (4-3-3)
GK: David Raya—The Spaniard must be loving what he’s seeing in front of him, with Arsenal’s stubbornness and capacity to suffocate ensuring he hasn’t been busy at the start of the season.
RB: Jurriën Timber—Ben White was fit to make the matchday squad at the weekend, but Timber is Arteta’s go-to guy at right-back and the Dutchman will retain his place for Atléti’s visit.
CB: William Saliba—The Frenchman was superb at Craven Cottage on Saturday, and he’ll be tasked with taming Atléti’s sharpshooter Julián Alvarez on Tuesday night.
CB: Gabriel—Cristhian Mosquera has proven he can fill in if necessary, but the Arsenal boss will likely retain his two supreme starters in midweek. There will be opportunities for the summer arrival over the next month.
LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly—Lewis-Skelly played for England during the recent break, but his spot in Thomas Tuchel’s squad is under threat. Riccardo Calafiori has stolen the teenager’s minutes in the Premier League, but Arteta trusts him enough to offer the Italian some respite here.
CM: Martín Zubimendi—The Spaniard’s minutes were managed before the break, and he was back in the XI at the weekend. He’s an imperative figure in the engine room, and he’ll encounter plenty of familiar faces on Tuesday night.
CM: Mikel Merino—Merino’s inclusion on the big occasion has contributed to sub-par performances in possession this season, but the Spaniard’s ability to crash the box and win headers could prove important against a compact Atléti team that will surrender control.
CM: Declan Rice—Like Merino, Rice will be tasked with entering the Atléti box in a bid to overwhelm Simeone’s defenders. His role will depend on the visitors’ bravery.
RW: Bukayo Saka—Saka looks like he’s returning to his very best form. The England international scored a beauty against Wales during the break, and he made a mockery of Ryan Sesegnon in Saturday’s win at Fulham.
ST: Viktor Gyökeres—Chances are arriving for the Swede, but Gyökeres’ goal tally has refused to increase since he tapped home against Nottingham Forest after the September break. Arteta will view his shot count as a positive, but he’s not yet proven to be the inevitable force he was in Portugal.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Atletico Madrid: Martinelli Returns for Continental Clash.
