In a surprising turn of events, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has made unexpected changes to his starting XI for the Gunners' Premier League match against Sheffield United. Both Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Magalhaes have been left out of the starting lineup and will begin the game on the bench.

The Gunners' recent victory over Sevilla in the Champions League showcased a full-strength team deployed by Arteta. However, the triumph was overshadowed by the injury suffered by Gabriel Jesus, who may be sidelined for a few weeks due to a muscle injury.

Joining Jesus on the injury list is Thomas Partey, forcing Arteta to make several alterations to the lineup. Along with Eddie Nketiah replacing the injured Jesus, Emile Smith Rowe and Jakub Kiwior have been given starting roles, resulting in Odegaard and Gabriel being dropped to the bench.

Odegaard, in particular, has struggled in recent matches to contribute significantly to Arsenal's control of games. Arteta acknowledged the need to provide him with a break, stating, "To get to the level that our front players performed is very difficult to see... That's about form and about putting him in better positions and doing things better in certain areas to help him to have the game that exploits his qualities."

Gabriel, on the other hand, had a challenging game against Chelsea's Cole Palmer last weekend but bounced back with a strong performance alongside William Saliba in the Champions League. While it appears that Gabriel is being rested, this presents an opportunity for Kiwior to showcase his abilities and stake a claim for a regular place in the Arsenal team.

The starting XI also sees the inclusion of Kai Havertz, who replaces Jorginho, while Declan Rice is expected to anchor the midfield. To the surprise of some, Oleksandr Zinchenko has returned to the lineup in place of Takehiro Tomiyasu, despite Tomiyasu's excellent display against Sevilla. David Raya retains his place in goal, while Aaron Ramsdale, Jorginho, Mohamed Elneny, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, and Leandro Trossard occupy the substitutes' bench.

The changes made by Arteta for the clash against Sheffield United highlight his intentions to rotate the squad and give fringe players an opportunity to make an impact. As the match unfolds, fans will be eager to see if the alterations to the lineup pay off and if Odegaard and Gabriel can make an impact off the bench.