Mikel Arteta to name strong Arsenal team in Girona as he eyes momentum for Man City showdown | OneFootball

Arteta rules out mass rotation for Champions League dead-rubber in Spain

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.

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 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.

Arsenal have been boosted by the return of captain Martin Odegaard after he missed Saturday’s 1-0 win at Wolves

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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.

Arsenal met PSV in their final group game, with the Gunners guaranteed top spot and the Dutch side secured of second place.

Nonetheless, Arteta named a strong team. Gabriel and William Saliba started, while Declan Rice and Odegaard came off the bench.

Girona is Arsenal’s ninth game this month and so it will be interesting to see how much rotation there is on Wednesday.

Kai Havertz looks in desperate need of a rest after basically collapsing on the pitch at the end of the Wolves win.

Arteta’s options are limited, though, given Arsenal are still yet to sign a striker and history tells us the Spaniard will not fill the team with academy players.

“We’re here to win the game,” said Arteta on Tuesday night. “In order to do that we’re going to have to be better than them. They’re a really good side, if you look at the games they’ve played in the Champions League against top opposition, they’ve made life very difficult for them.

The chance to build some momentum going into the City game, and next week’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Newcastle, is there for Arsenal if they beat Girona.

A victory would also prove financially beneficial because it would be worth an additional £12million.

Arteta is eyeing a deep run in the Champions League as he seeks his first major trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2020

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Clubs competing in the Champions League receive a £1.8m bonus for every win they achieve in the league phase, while each position in the table is also worth £230,000.

Arsenal set to bank £7.8m if they hold onto third spot but, if they lost and progressed to the last 16 in eighth place, that prize money would fall by £1.1m to £6.7m.

A win against Girona is worth an additional £2.9m for the club in that sense, while it would also rubber stamp them reaching the last 16 and securing at least a further £9.3m in prize money.

Clubs who make it that far are guaranteed that amount, which is a huge increase from the £840,000 sides knocked out in the play-off round will receive.

That is before you take into account the additional broadcasting and ticketing revenue Arsenal would gain from reaching the last 16.

But Arteta has aspirations for Arsenal to go much further than that as he chases a first major trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2020.

“It is very difficult in football, but we are very consistent as a team when it comes to performance,” said Arteta.

“We have been very close to big titles in the last few years, so it is time to take a step forward.”