Weird thing to me is that the game is in London. Usually players are left at home when it's a Ukrainian game in the middle of December. It's the beginning of the season still, and a home game where usually you want to put out a strong side in front of your fans that paid money for these tickets. Further, you may consider that teams saw what ManUnited did last year in taking this tournament serious as a berth to the Champions League was earned.
Also, if you look at the Arsenal schedule....there is an international break coming up again and between now and mid-October you have
Koln 9/14
Chelsea 9/17
Doncaster 9/20
West Brom 9/25
@Bate 9/28
Brighton 10/1
@Watford 10/14
That's 7 games in a month, and outside of a trip to Belarus, all of the other games are either in London or Watford is 20 miles out of London ffs
Seems a very weird game to be sitting players IMO unless you simply don't give a fuck. Rotate players in the Cup game vs Doncaster. Let them stay at home instead of going to Bate. 7 games in 31 fucking days is not too grueling and if you sit them for 2 that's about a game a week for these fucking overpaid cunts.