As Arsenal prepare for their long-awaited return to the Champions League, there will be plenty of hype about their involvement. Next week, Mikel Arteta will face his hardest opponents of the group in PSV and he’ll hope to get off to winning ways.
The 3 Arsenal players with the greatest Champions League experience
Since this is a young Arsenal team, Arteta will appreciate the involvement of his more experienced players. When it comes to Champions League experience, here are the three players Mikel Arteta can turn to…
1. Jorginho
The contribution of Jorginho to Arsenal is often overlooked. He might not be a sure starter, but his presence alone means the world to Mikel Arteta. Often described as one of the most intelligent footballers in the world, he’s accumulated this intellect through experience.
When it comes to Champions League experience at Arsenal, there aren’t many better ones than Jorginho. Having won the competition with Chelsea in 2021, the Italian midfielder played a key role. He played 12 matches in Chelsea’s winning campaign, scoring two goals himself. Not only did he provide goals, he also featured in the Champions League squad of the season that year.
In fact, his experience is as recent as last season. Jorginho played six Champions League fixtures for Chelsea last season, scoring a goal against AC Milan. Mikel Arteta could certainly make use of Jorginho’s intelligence and Champions League experience this season.
2. Gabriel Jesus
Another important signing who Mikel Arteta made last season in preparation for his goal of playing in the Champions League is Gabriel Jesus. The Brazil international boasts some pretty good Champions League statistics, which is good since he’ll be the main source of goals for Arsenal in the competition.
According to Manchester City’s official website, Gabriel Jesus is the third highest scorer in the club’s history in terms of European goals. He netted an impressive 20 Champions League goals during his reign in Manchester.
Recently returning from injury, Jesus will be excited to return to the Champions League once again with Arsenal. He’s the most trusted striker and number one in the pecking order. Providing Arteta doesn’t rotate his squad too heavily, it will surely be Gabriel Jesus who’s trusted to bang in the Champions League goals.
3. Kai Havertz
Last, but certainly not least – It’s Kai Havertz.
The Germany international who is yet to hit the ground running for Arsenal has better Champions League experience than most. If you cast your mind back to the Champions League final of 2021, it was Kai Havertz who scored the only goal of the match which gave Chelsea the Champions League win. While it may have been a dull match, Havertz was the player who pulled through.
Furthermore, when he was 20 years old, the former Bayer Leverkusen star made the Champions League breakthrough XI. This set him up for a fruitful career and he proved why he made the list. Only a couple of years later did he lift his first Champions League honour. While it’s unlikely, he’ll dream of lifting his second this season with Arsenal.
Havertz has been criticised heavily for the time it’s taking him to settle into Arsenal. However, Mikel Arteta trusts him and fans are certain this trust will prevail. We can hope to see a different side to the Germany international as Arsenal face PSV.
What do you make of Arsenal’s chances in the Champions League?