Official Arsenal team and preview for Burnley visit – NO injury returns

I have to admit that I am very surprised to see that the Arsenal team to face Burnley in the Premier League today will not include any of the three Gunners who Arsene Wenger revealed earlier in the week were available again after their respective injury problems.

Whether the boss is worried about their fitness is unsure, bu8t the fact that Hector Bellerin, Kieran Gibbs and Francis Coquelin are all on the subs bench and have not been out for long suggests to me that they could play if the boss thought it necessary.

I am especially surprised about Bellerin because in his place we have Gabriel and although the Brazilian is a good defender he does not have anything like the pace and attacking threat of the young Spaniard. Perhaps that is mitigated a little by Wenger going with Ramsey and Xhaka in central midfield instead of bringing back the more combative and defensive Coquelin.

Another player who may be disappointed to not be in the starting XI for Arsebnal today is Danny Welbeck, with our manager sticking with Giroud, Alexis and Iwobi, but with all three in great form you cannot really blame him.

Cech
Gabriel, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal
Ramsey, Xhaka
Iwobi, Ozil, Sanchez
Giroud

Subs: Gibbs, Lucas Perez, Ospina, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Welbeck, Bellerin, Coquelin.

Arsenal must take this game seriously and start well but as long as we do, will this side be way too strong for Burnley?

Bob.

97 Comments

    1. I know. Poor guy! If you can’t get a start at home against Burnley, then you know you’re in trouble. To be fair, he would probably only come in for Iwobi, but Iwobi was excellent last week. Although both his strikes were own goals.

          1. I almost forgot we even bought Lucas. Alarming at his age halfway in the season and still can’t stamp a place.

  1. I think our players should learn to trust their weaker feet more. Ramsey should have taken it first time there….

  2. I would have chosen Coquelin over Ramsey personally but hopefully Ramsey can prove us wrong and have a fabulous game

  3. If Giroud bicycle kick had managed to connect with Ramsey’s rabona cross and score, my pants would be a mess

    1. I’ve seen him lose the ball quite a few times because of poor touches, although he’s played well in patches for sure. Still not good enough for this level though.

      1. he’s done nothing majorly wrong in the first half to warrant criticism. Should’ve shot earlier on one or two occasions, but then you also had Ozil missing shots, and Sanchez missing a shot we all know he can make.

      2. but of course with the first part you are absolutely right but i can assure you there are almost no offensive CM in the game where you cant see him losing the ball a few times because of poor touches.. its inevitable with how many touches he has per game and how much he moves around ^^
        oh okay whats the level you demand for this level? do you want cazorla as the starter and kroos as his replacement if he is injured? is that what you want? or modric? i dont even get the problem with ramsey as a cm he isnt a starter caz coq was the partnership and ramsey the replacement and ramsey is probably one of the best cm replacement there is at any club out there

    1. well it isnt arsenal-liverpool is it? imho that is the best fixture there is in the league with the most entertainment.. you know that you are watching ars-bur? we all could have expected that we need patience..

  4. Ughhh. Hopefully the second half will be better. If we don’t win this match then it will be devastating result loss or draw. We must win. But I believe we will pull through in the second half.

    1. I was more worried about the incentive than Burnley going into this game. We have a way of messing up when it’s been placed on a platter for us.

  5. Even if we eventually dismantled Clarets 4-0 in 2nd half, @Samuel Akinsola would have learnt a lesson here.
    A match victory in EPL is not a bed of roses!
    However, I believe we should put them (Burnley) to the sword in the 2nd half

  6. That Heaton in their goal is pretty tasty so far.
    We need something special to beat him i feel.

  7. we knew he’d get sent off multiple times when we bought him… :/ Out on absolutely nowhere he makes absurd tackles….

    1. If he’s not giving away stupid fouls hes giving away stupid penalties!
      How many times has Wenger told him to calm down FFS

  8. Wenger needs to have a word with Xhaka about his dumb lunges. He’s been doing that all season and now sent off twice by the same ref that sent him off last time. Come on man!

        1. Red cards aren’t about contact, they’re about harm or potential to harm. Xhaka’s tackle was two footed straight at him; Ozil was tackled on the side and was a clash of legs.

  9. Thought Xhaka might happen with all the forehead knocking earlier on. At that point I though he should’ve had a firm word or taken off. Moss never does us any favours, we should be well aware of that.

      1. Yeah but to be fair, they’ve had a lot of digs at us,which have been more damaging, but kept the right side of being sent off – Alexis has come in for special attention. I think Xhaka was getting annoyed at that, but you have to keep your head.

  10. Arsenal always find a way to blow it. Can’t say this is unexpected. All rivals dropped day before so naturally we must mess up too

  11. I can’t see how Graeme Souness can say Burnley had a clear penalty, yes there was contact, but the Burnley guy ran on afterwards – it was a delayed reaction that he realised there was contact and dived.

Comments are closed

Top Blog Sponsors