Did you know that teams receive around £2.4million for every Champions League game they win? Or in European terms, €2.8m per win. And that is what is on the line tonight.
Following our exploits this season, we have already guaranteed ourselves over €76 million, broken down as:
Tonights game is a dead rubber for both teams, with Arsenal guaranteed to go through top and our opponents PSV Eindhoven guaranteed 2nd place. It is very rare in Champions League football where neither team has nothing to play for. Nothing except money.
An additional €2.8m is not to be sniffed at. And due to the group situation I very much doubt that Mikel Arteta will “put out the kids” as some are requesting. But that also does not mean we will play our strongest possible XI.
Arteta will look to get the balance right in playing a strong enough team to win the game, but without risking his biggest stars. He will not see today as a complete write off due to the money that is on the line.
You also have to factor in that this is not the 2000’s any more when our “2nd string” was up and coming youngsters. Our squad is now filled with 25 internationals and it is more important that we give those squad players game time to keep them match ready.
That will mean we will probably see Mohamed Elneny and Jorginho in midfield rather than Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri.
I imagine Aaron Ramsdale will be given a chance in goal, even though his old man (up to his old trickets at Aston Villa again), has risks souring his time at the club.
The defence is an interesting one as we only have 5 fit defenders – Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwor and Cedric Soares.
With both Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu out for the forseeable, I think Arteta will go with Soares and Kiwor at full back with Saliba and Gabriel in the middle.
Elneny and Jorginho will be joined in midfield by Kai Havertz.
Fábio Vieira and Thomas Partey are both out until 2024, and Emile Smith Rowe is only just back in full training. With an eye on Brighton (Brighton’s Europa League group is still live), Martin Odegaard might be given a little break.
If Odegaard does play, expect it to be for Elneny.
The front 3 will probably be Leandro Trossard, Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson, although do I have a feeling he might start Gabriel Jesus on the left.
So whilst it will not be our strongest XI, it will still be a team full of experience, talent and international caps.
Youngsters who might have travelled will be hoping Arsenal are 4-0 up on 60 minutes and then they will get some game time.
With PSV guaranteed that second spot and unable to get any better, I expect them to do similar to us and put out a fairly strong team, mixed in with 2nd string players.
At the final whistle, the winners should be presented with one of those big fake cheques, as that is all we are playing for tonight.
Predicted XI:
Ramsdale
Soares Saliba Gabrial Kiwior
Jorginho
Nelson Havertz Elneny Trossard
Nketiah
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 
Getting Saka injured would cost us a lot more in the season
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