Official Arsenal team and preview of FA cup game v Burnley

Arsenal really need a strong performance and a good result against Burnley in the FA cup 4th round clash at the Emirates Stadium today. The last thing we need is another game although if we are behind with not long left we would all take a replay.

But hopefully that can be avoided and the Gunners can take another step towards winning the FA cup three times in a row, something no club has achieved in living memory. That is why Arsene Wenger has resisted the urge to make wholesale changes to the Arsenal starting line up, although he has given a debut to our new January transfer addition Mohamed Elneny.

The boss has also given a rare start to Calum Chambers at right back, and even though both first choice full backs are rested as well as Petr Cech, the defence still looks very strong with Koscielny and Gabriel in the centre and Francis Coquelin back from injury in front of them.

Young Alex Iwobi also starts and it looks like he will occupy the number 10 role, with Alexis Sanchez and the Ox either side and with the big French striker Olivier Giroud leading the line.

Ospina
Chambers, Gabriel, Koscielny, Gibbs
Coquelin, Elneny
Chamberlain, Iwobi, Alexis
Giroud

subs: Cech, Monreal, Bellerin, Arteta, Rosicky, Walcott, Campbell.

Should this Arsenal side be strong enough to avoid any cup dramas?

Tags Coquelin Elneny Iwobi

83 Comments

  1. I am finding it hard to get excited about the FA cup.
    This feels like the carling cup after winning it 2 seasons running.
    Nothing but the league is good enough

    1. the carling cup?
      i prefer when it was the coca cola cup

      what the hell happened to the intertoto cup?

  2. Good line up. Little scared of Chambers as RB though. But fantastic to see that Le Coq is fit to start!

    Wouldn’t mind a long range screamer by Elneny today! COYG!

    1. Oh and these days might be the last chances OX will get as a starter. Our injured players (Welbeck, Rozza etc) are back and OX has done nothing to earn minutes on the pitch. Today he must show some spirit.

  3. Surprising team…

    Ospina
    Chambers, Gabriel, Koscielny, Gibbs
    Ox, Elneny
    Alexis, Iwobi, Campbell
    Walcott

    That would have been a decent pick.

  4. Thats a strong line up,
    There’s No excuses if we fail today!

    It will be interesting to see how Coquelin and Elneny pair up and don’t be surprised if Elneny score’s a screamer today ?

    1. From what I have seen of El Nieny in this match , Ramsey and Wilshere can pretty much forget about the CM position .
      At last , a midfield who see the pass before even receives the ball .
      Though he has not yet got to the EPL pace , I like the way he drops into the spaces to receive the pass .

  5. Like the look of the team but wouldn’t have minded seeing jeff adelaide getting some minutes today!

  6. The Broken Record Syndrome that is Arsenal

    Kroenke, Wenger and that Monastery of a stadium have emasculated this once great club.

    Wake me up if and when Arsenal are ever serious about winning something other than an FA Cup

    1. we are playing burnley at home and we look like a sunday league team. the irony is that wenger is looking for a contract extension which he will probably get it f###i ng depressinb to watch.

      1. I love Arsenal, always will but the club will NEVER achieve the heights to which it rightfully deserves with the current triumvirate of power in control.

        It sadly has deteriorated to the point that my weekends are longer elevated or ruined by the red and whites performance, as they say it is what is is

    1. Cuz the stadium is a monstrosity of a tomb and Arsenal fans expect to be entertained rather than boisterous participants

      And yes I have been to the Emirates and it is one of the worst sporting experiences I’ve ever attended

        1. @grude,

          if you are just a blind deluded akb then just shut up. real gooners get pissed off and state their opinions. and ive been a gooner for 48 years so crawl back under

          1. Oh so anyone that supports our best ever manager is blind and deluded?
            Real fans are happy that we are just 3 points off the top and still in the FA Cup and Champions League.
            Why exactly are you so bitter and twisted?

            1. And how can anyone claim to visit the home of the team they supposedly adore and say it’s the worst sporting experience of them all. Its impossible unless everytime he goes we lose. This does not sound anything like a supporter he sounds like a big fat drama queen.

              1. Comparing the Emirates to other BIG club experiences is my barometer thank you.

                And Im not a woe is me, drama queen just a lifetime Arsenal fan who has pathetically reached the point of indifference with the current state of affairs.

                If your content with Wenger and company I respect your convictions just dont quite understand questioning my loyakty as a fan because I believe Arsenal should be the best club in England, as well as a European powerhouse.

                To each there own I reckon. Lol

                  1. Going to one reaerve game at the Emirates doesn’t qualify you to talk about about the atmosphere. Try and get your second ticket for a game that means something

                    1. Been to five games over the last five years, Chelsea draw last year.

                      Does being drowned out by Chelsea fans qualify as a forgettable Emirates experience?

                      Your blind assumptions ad to your astonishing ignorance

                      Keep it up

            2. if being three points off the top and not having a squad is good enough for you then thats your issue. i am pissed off listening to how much money the yank is making, how much bonus gazidis gets every year and the fact that wenger is on 8 million a year for gettingus into the CL.

          2. Reddb10, AKBs get pissed off too, but mostly come back round to rational thinking. Speaking the same nonsense whether we are top or whether after defeat is not rational. And then you are backing an aob who has the audacity to take a swipe at Emirates atmosphere, he is a fan, listen to what his kind says, and then think on the atmosphere.

            1. The reason we dont have an atmosphere is because the working class gooners who filled the north bank back in our day cant afford it anymore. which means we are stuck with the wengr brigade who go go the stadium for a day out and to worship their daddy who cant handle a zipper

              1. Red,

                Its like pissing in the wind @ times presenting rational opinions that dissent from the AKB brigade.

                Nice to know there a few Arsenal fans out there that expect more than the current status quo

                  1. Not in the lesst, happy for the young players gaining valuable experience and a much needed win @ home.

                    Just a little disconcerted with this recent body of work

                    Loss to Chelsea
                    Hammered @ Southampton
                    Draw @ Norwich
                    Draw @ Stoke
                    Draw @ Liverpool

                    Shall I go on

            2. And if your watching the game on FS1 how many times have the announcers commented on the reserved, quiet nature @ the Emirates, the inability for the crowd to get behind there team?

              It isn’t just my blinded, audacious contention

      1. I completely understand, and yes fans pay their money for entertainment so I can’t blame them for showing no emotions. Sad because it’s such a great stadium but unfortunately we haven’t yet completed a team that can match it.

    2. Probably preparing for another disappointment at home, a la Chelsea. Can’t blame them, Burnley puts a little pressure on Arsenal, and our midfield is yet again muscled out. 2 Burnley players around our 5 yard box and Ospina decides not to come out for a long cross.

      1. behave its burnley- if we cant beat them at home …with sanchez kos coq giroud

        we aint contending f all

        have a lil faith bro- BELIEVEEEEE

      2. Other than Koscielny, our back five are reserves. Of course its not going to be as easy as usual, but we will still win the game.

  7. The fact that wenger thinks he has enough quality attacking options tells me …again … That winning main trophies is not his priority … Giroud is a good squad player but nothing more chamberlain and the whippet have to go and welbeck is just unknown quality … Sanchez is quality but one is not enough .. On positives elneny looks decent for a first game … Coq a bit rusty but in absence of ozil carzola and wilshere no obvious creators on the pitch

    1. From what I have seen of El Nieny in this match , Ramsey and Wilshere can pretty much forget about the CM position .
      At last , a midfield who see the pass before even receives the ball .
      Though he has not yet got to the EPL pace , I like the way he drops into the spaces to receive the pass .
      The Ox doing the Oxicrap as usual and the kid Iwobi needs to ask wenger for a loan . Abundant talent but I think he should drop down the league to gain experience.

    2. POTD

      Wenger will never get out of his own way and the deluded one will continue to stranglehold the short-term future of this great club.

      I only pray that Kroenkes NFL ambition and the continued downspiral of Walmart internationally will force him to sell his ownership stakes in the club and free ys of his and Wengers reign of terror. Lol

      One can dream

  8. I am a bit worried that Chambers and Elneny seem to think they are strikers, but otherwise we are getting lots of chances. They will start gong in in the second half

  9. Awesome counter attack. Defence need to communicate more effectively – too many shaky moments. Ospina fluffing easy catches.

  10. hes back-

    thank u momma sanchez for letting daddy sanchez do you unprotected …

    u made alexis from that

    thank u

  11. chambers having a good game today. by the way, watch rosickys game play, how wonderfull he runs with the ball

    1. disagree , going forward calum looks fine , but just like gibbs he leaves us vunerable at the back,
      his defending is poor in general.
      against a team of real quality- those two would cause us severe problems, as they have done before.

      calum has time to perfect it. gibbs has had centuries..

  12. Giroud’s assists in the final third have been either useless or just bad quality. Just take a shot once in a while!

  13. Sanchez out?! WEnger better pray we win this. Otherwise he will be slaughtered for his subs.

    1. Walcott giroud ox ain’t going to deliver us top honour …. Sadly wenger will never learn … But liked the Egyptian though more box to box than DM … Need a fit coquellin in the run in that’s for sure .. Gabriel clearly better than the German …again will wenger learn?

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