FA Cup 2017/18, Nottingham Forest 4-2 Arsenal: 5 talking points

#3 Arsene Wenger fields a young starting XI

Wenger made 10 changes from the team that drew 2-2 with Chelsea at the Emirates.

It’s usually only in the Carabao Cup that you see teams field a weakened XI, but today, Arsene Wenger had the boldness to make wholesale changes to his team. The Frenchman made 10 changes from the team that drew 2-2 with Chelsea at the Emirates. The likes of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Özil were given the night off with two crucial away games coming up in the near future.

The average age of the starting line-up was just over 24 years old, with Per Mertesacker being the oldest at 33 and Reiss Nelson being the youngest at 18 years of age. In the end, it was a gamble that backfired for the 68-year-old. His side played with a rare blend of inexperience and sluggishness, traits that can only be attributed to the selection.