The March international break is now at an end, so let’s look at how Arsenal’s players got on over the last week of football.
16 Arsenal players initially received a call-up from their countries for the March international break, and it was a very positive week for some of them.
William Saliba, David Raya, and Mikel Merino all reached the Nations League quarter-finals, and Leandro Trossard avoided Nations League relegation with Belgium.
In the World Cup qualifiers, Myles Lewis-Skelly scored on his England debut whilst Declan Rice provided two assists in two games, Jakub Kiwior helped Poland to two clean sheets, and Martin Odegaard provided four assists for Norway in two wins.
For others, things weren’t so positive. Karl Hein had an injury scare and scored an own goal, and Oleksandr Zinchenko was on the losing side of Belgium’s relegation play-off win (despite providing an assist in a first-leg win).
Riccardo Calafiori and Nuno Tavares pulled out with injuries, and Jurrien Timber missed out through illness.
Gabriel Magalhaes perhaps had the most mixed break, playing 90 minutes in a win over Colombia but getting himself suspended to miss a damaging 4-1 defeat to Argentina later on. His reputation will have improved in his absence, but he’ll be frustrated he couldn’t help his team.
Arsenal March international call-ups
Oleksandr Zinchenko (Ukraine), David Raya and Mikel Merino (Spain), Gabriel Magalhaes (Brazil), William Saliba (France), Kieran Tierney (Scotland), Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly (England), Jurrien Timber (Netherlands), Jakub Kiwior (Poland), Riccardo Calafiori (Italy), Thomas Partey (Ghana), Martin Odegaard (Norway), Leandro Trossard (Belgium), Karl Hein (Estonia), and Nuno Tavares (Portugal) were all initially called up.
Arsenal March international fixtures and results
Thursday, March 20th
- Netherlands 2-2 Spain – Nations League quarter-final – Merino played 12 minutes and scored Spain’s late equaliser. Timber was absent from this match due to illness, and Unai Simon started over Raya, letting two goals in.
- Croatia 2-0 France – Nations League quarter-final – Saliba played 90 minutes for France.
- Italy 1-2 Germany – Nations League quarter-final – Calafiori completed the full 90 minutes for Italy but suffered an injury right at the end of the match that subsequently forced him to pull out of the international break.
- Ukraine 3-1 Belgium – Nations League pro/rel play-off – Zinchenko played 90 minutes and provided an assist for Ukraine, Trossard played 80 minutes for Belgium.
- Greece 0-1 Scotland – Nations League pro/rel play-off – Tierney came on as a substitute for 14 minutes for Scotland.
Friday, March 21st
- Brazil 2-1 Colombia – World Cup qualifier – Gabriel played the full 90 minutes for Brazil but picked up a yellow card that earned him a suspension for their next game against Argentina. As a result, he pulled out of the international break.
- Ghana 5-0 Chad – World Cup qualifier – Partey played 83 minutes for Ghana.
- England 2-0 Albania – World Cup qualifier – Lewis-Skelly played 89 minutes for England, scoring a debut goal and winning the Player of the Match award. Rice played 82 minutes and provided an assist for England’s other goal.
- Poland 1-0 Lithuania – World Cup qualifier – Kiwior played 90 minutes for Poland, helping them to a clean sheet.
Saturday, March 22nd
- Moldova 0-5 Norway – World Cup qualifier – Odegaard played 90 minutes for Norway and provided an assist.
- Israel 2-1 Estonia – World Cup qualifier – Hein played 45 minutes for Estonia and scored an own goal.
Sunday, March 23rd
- Scotland 0-3 Greece – Nations League pro/rel play-off – Tierney played 35 minutes as a substitute for Scotland.
- Spain 3-3 Netherlands (5-4 on penalties) – Nations League quarter-final – Merino played 36 minutes as a substitute and scored in the penalty shootout. Raya didn’t feature, and Timber remained absent with the same illness that kept him out of the first leg.
- France 2-0 Croatia (5-4 on penalties) – Nations League quarter-final – Saliba played 120 minutes and helped France to a clean sheet.
- Belgium 3-0 Ukraine – Nations League pro/rel play-off – Zinchenko played 90 minutes for Ukraine and Trossard played 69 minutes for Belgium.
Monday, March 24th
- Madagascar 0-3 Ghana – World Cup qualifier – Partey played 90 minutes for Ghana and scored a brace.
- England 3-0 Latvia – World Cup qualifier – Rice and Lewis-Skelly both played 79 minutes, with Rice providing his second assist of the break and Lewis-Skelly helping England to their second clean sheet.
- Poland 2-0 Malta – World Cup qualifier – Kiwior played 90 minutes and helped Poland to keep a clean sheet.
Tuesday, March 25th
- Moldova 2-3 Estonia – World Cup qualifier – Hein wasn’t involved on the pitch but did return to the squad after his injury scare.
- Israel 2-4 Norway – World Cup qualifier – Odegaard played 89 minutes, providing a hat-trick of assists from his eight chances created and three big chances created.