SHOCKING: Mikel Arteta has decided to take a very big risk by dropping 6ft4 Arsenal star for tonight’s UCL clash despite the player having 8/10 performance against Burnley in the weekend

SHOCKING: Mikel Arteta has decided to take a very big risk by dropping 6ft4 Arsenal star for tonight’s UCL clash despite the player having 8/10 performance against Burnley in the weekend

Arsenal look like a team peaking at the right moment of the season.

Mikel Arteta’s men have won five games in a row since January 20th and have won their last two by an aggregate score of 11-0.

The Gunners look like a serious proposition, and a team that could lift the Champions League trophy come June 1st.

However, they’ll have to make their way through some tough opponents to get there, with FC Porto being the first.

While the north Londoners have been electric in the last two games, the sterner opposition, record in Europe and the fact that it’s away all suggest that Arteta should make one change to his XI, with Kai Havertz sitting the first leg out.

Kai Havertz’s game vs Burnley in numbers
Now, the first thing to clear up is that this change to the lineup is not down to Havertz’s performance, but instead, it is about the opposition and occasion.

Much like the rest of the team, the German was brilliant against Burnley on Saturday, was involved all over the pitch, and scored a brilliant goal of his own.

The Standard’s Simon Collings gave the former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder an 8/10 for his display at Turf Moor, claiming that he ’caused Burnley problems with his runs in behind’, which he certainly did.

His numbers from the game also make for pleasant reading, as he registered an expected goals value of 0.64, took 49 touches, played one key pass, completed the one dribble he attempted, won eight of his ten aerial duels and made two clearances.

However, there were also a few less-than-stellar stats to come out of his game, such as the fact that he only completed 73% of his 30 passes, made no interceptions and lost the ball 12 times.

So, with everything in mind, the better opposition in Porto and the potentially hostile atmosphere the players might encounter away from home, it would make sense for Jorginho to start in place of Havertz.

Why Jorginho should start against Porto
So, while there are a few reasons why the Italian international should start this evening, the most obvious one is his performance against Liverpool.

The former Napoli ace, who Arteta described as “one of the most intelligent players that I have coached”, was brought into the midfield to play alongside Declan Rice and stop one of the best teams in Europe from gaining a foothold in the middle of the park and playing their natural game.

To say he did a good job of this would be a monumental understatement. Collings gave the experienced veteran a 9/10 on the night and credited him for ‘rolling back the years’ and giving Arsenal ‘more control’.

His numbers from the night reflect this as well, as he took 71 touches, maintained a passing accuracy of 85%, played one key pass, won three of his four aerial duels, made two clearances, three interceptions and two tackles.

Moreover, he lost possession just 11 times on the night, and while that wouldn’t be great against a team like Burnley, against Liverpool, it’s not bad at all. For example, when Manchester City played the Reds earlier this season, Rodri, who many would consider to be the best defensive midfielder in the world, lost possession eight times.

Ultimately, Arteta is in the lucky position to choose between sticking with an in-form lineup or making a change that would see a player who bossed Liverpool come into the XI.

Either choice could pay off, but given the atmosphere and nature of the game, it just seems perfectly set up for Jorginho to come in and do what he does best.