Europa League 2017/18: BATE Borisov 2-4 Arsenal, 5 Talking Points

#5 Does Arsene Wenger really care about the Europa League?

It is clear from the team that took the field, or rather the players occupying the cold benches, that Arsene Wenger is not a big fan of the Europa League. While the likes of Theo Walcott, Per Mertesacker and Olivier Giroud did start the game, the Arsenal bench consisted of names even most staunch Arsenal supporters would have a hard time identifying.

Matt Macey, Edward Nketiah, Marcus McGuane, and Charlie Gilmour all found themselves on the bench while the likes of Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock and Ainsley Maitland-Niles featured in the XI. In hindsight, it seemed a brilliant decision by the manager to rest the big guns for arduous Premier League tests in the future, but against better opposition in the latter rounds, he cannot afford to be complacent and field anything but a full-strength squad.

About the author

After a brief and undistinguished stint as an electrical engineer, Arvind discovered his true calling was churning out hyperbolic prose about athletes he had never met.

A writer and editor with close to a decade’s experience, Arvind’s work has been published on Sky Sports, the BBC, the Guardian and other leading websites. He has attended multiple Grand Slams on the ground and provided coverage for Super Bowls and the NBA playoffs.

As a lifelong fan of Arsenal and the Indianapolis Colts, he has mastered the art of managing expectations and can convince anyone that finishing fourth is a moral victory.

When not armchair quarterbacking, Arvind spends his time playing blitz chess online, watching air crash documentaries and smashing controllers after his latest Weekend League defeat.

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Edited by Shambhu Ajith