Arsenal kick-off their Europa League group stage campaign this Thursday against Swiss champions FC Zurich, and there’s a lot to look forward to for the coming weeks.
The Gunners were drawn into an interesting group with Zurich being joined by Norweigian champions Bodo/Glimt and Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven, with Arsenal and Mikel Arteta having quite the test in the Europa League this season ahead of their return to Europe.
Whilst the north London side are the favourites to top the group, Arsenal’s new continental rivals will be no easy opponents for the Premier League leaders, which each side playing host to some quite fantastic players who have the potential to cause the north Londoners a world of hurt.
So here, at HITC Sport, we name our combined Europa League Group XI, and just for fairness, at least two players from each club must be featured for the sake of an interesting feature as well as Arsenal fans learning more about who they will face in the weeks to come.
Zurich duo join Ramsdale, Saliba and Bodo star Sampsted in defence
As mentioned in our earlier feature about five FC Zurich players Arsenal need to watch out for, the Swiss giants have plenty of quality in the defence, even if their start to the league season is yet to yield a single win and 16 goals conceded in just seven games. Nonetheless, Becir Omeragic and Adrian Guerrero will be good tests in Group A.
The pair were key to Zurich’s title win last season, with Omeragic a reported target for West Ham and Guerrero coming through the ranks at FC Barcelona, and the Spaniard’s fullback partner in our XI is Bodo/Glimt’s Icelandic defender Alfons Sampsted, a reliable right-back who made over 40 appearances in all competitions last season.
More a conservative fullback, Sampsted isn’t afraid to get involved in the attack, with the 24-year-old claiming five assists in all competitions last season, and for the likes of William Saliba and Aaron Ramsdale, the Bodo star could be a problem from crosses for the Arsenal duo despite their height.
We all know what Saliba and Ramsdale are about, though given the intense schedule Arsenal have in the upcoming months, there’s a good chance that both these players will be rested for the Europa League, with Rob Holding and summer signing Matt Turner just waiting in the wings to make their first starts of the season.
Odegaard partners future Norway int’l Vetlesen and PSV rock Sangare
Bodo/Glimt’s smart transfer policy has been a main reason why the Arctic Circle side have managed to climb up the Norweigian and European ranks as quickly as they have, and Hugo Vetlesen is a testament to their incredible recruitment strategy.
The 22-year-old midfielder was plucked from Oslo giants Stabaek Fotball, and since then, Vetlesen has become one of the most productive players in the Norwegian Eliteserien, with the youngster bagging an incredible 11 goals and 12 assists from central midfield last season.
With Norway senior captain Martin Odegaard also starting out midfield, it won’t be long before Vetlesen is playing alongside the Arsenal skipper for the Scandinavian side in the years to come, with the 23-year-old Premier League star having an impressive goalscoring season with three goals in just six appearances.
Capping off the midfield is PSV Eindhoven defensive midfielder Ibrahim Sangare, who has been on Arsenal’s radar for quite some time even before his move to the Netherlands. The Dutch giants are likely to progress out of the group alongside the Gunners, and the Ivorian’s quality will be key for the Eredivise side to qualify for the knockout stages.
Jesus leads with Arsenal target Gakpo and 23-goal ace Pellegrino
Whilst every area of this XI is strong in their own right, there’s no denying that the attack is where the stars come to shine, with Gabriel Jesus and Cody Gakpo arguably two of the most exciting players competing in the Europa League this season.
The Brazilian international has been in fine form for Arsenal this season with three goals and three assists in the Premier League, whilst Gakpo, who was reportedly linked with a £34m move to the Gunners in the summer, has been electric with seven goals and six assists in all competitions for PSV.
The lanky winger is a big reason why PSV were so close to qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, and the winger will be a menace in Group A this season, alongside Bodo/Glimt superstar Amahl Pellegrino, who last season was on unrivalled form for the Norweigan giants.
The 32-year-old bagged 23 goals and six assists in all competitions for Bodo, and for Arsenal, Pellegrino will be a big threat down the wings with the forward in the best form of his career and looking to make a name for himself in the Europa league this campaign.
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