Eddie Nketiah and Kai Havertz have both been named in an unconventional starting lineup for Arsenal in their Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest at the Emirates.
Ex- Chelsea man Havertz makes his Premier League debut for the Gunners after starting in last weekend’s Community Shield win over Manchester City, but he will seemingly take up a deeper midfield role this time around.
Despite coming off the bench to score the equaliser against Man City, Leandro Trossard only makes the bench, as Nketiah is given the nod to start alongside Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
Havertz joins another Gunners Premier League debutant in Declan Rice in the engine room alongside Martin Odegaard, while Gabriel Magalhaes is only named on the bench following rumours of a possible injury.
In his absence, Thomas Partey could take on a defensive role at right-back, while Ben White and William Saliba may link arms in the heart of the backline, as Jurrien Timber earns his Premier League bow on the left in place of Oleksandr Zinchenko.
As for Forest, ex-Arsenal man Matt Turner comes in for his Premier League debut against his old club, while Brennan Johnson is passed fit to start, with Taiwo Awoniyi taking up a spot on the bench.
Arsenal: Ramsdale; Partey, White, Saliba, Timber; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli
Subs: Hein, Tomiyasu, Kiwior, Gabriel, Jorginho, Smith Rowe, Nelson, Vieira, Trossard
Nottingham Forest: Turner; Worrall, McKenna, Boly; Aurier, Yates, Mangala, Danilo, Aina; Gibbs-White, Johnson
Subs: Horvath, Williams, Kouyate, Awoniyi, Wood, Niakhate, Elanga, Freuler, O’Brien
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