Official teams and preview of Arsenal trip to Everton

This is a big game for Arsenal, with last season’s away game at Everton being one of those that Arsene Wenger, his players and the fans would like to put behind them as quickly as possible. But with an even more important game against Besiktas in the Champions League on Wednesday, it comes at an awkward time for us.

But the Gunners are determined to stay as loyal as possible to their football philosophy and to be fair, we have not really got the players to park the bus, so the boss has gone for a pretty attacking and creative line-up, with the big news being that Alexis Sanchez gets his chance to show what he can do in the centre forward role, with Olivier Giroud dropping to the bench.

Another surprise is that Calum Chambers keeps his place in the centre of defence, but even more surprising, to me anyway, is that Koscielny misses out with per Mertesacker coming in. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain gets the reward for his impressive recent cameos with a starting role today, and Mesut Ozil returns to the number 10 role, unless the German plays on the wing with Jack Wilshere in the middle.

Szczesny
Debuchy, Mertesacker, Chambers, Monreal
Flamini, Ramsey
Chamberlain, Ozil, Wilshere
Sanchez

We have a pretty strong looking bench as well, which may be needed as Everton are able to name a full strength side apart from Ross Barkley, and are likely to cause us some real problems today. I would love a win, of course, but realistically would be more than happy with a share of the points.

Tags Alexis Chamberlain Ozil

472 Comments

  1. We as Arsenal fans / supporters need to stress more than any other teams fans.

    From transfers
    To refs
    To injuries
    And CL qualifications

  2. Wengers persistence with Jack Wilshere is so painfull. God that player is absolutely one with no end product whatsoever.

    Relying on arteta as captain. Flamini as DFM. Giroud as main striker again. Ozil as left winger. Monreal as back up left back. I need a bottle of whiskey.

    About time Joel gets his chance btw. Best of luck to him.

    1. Absinthe works better, ooo yeah, a bottle of just for men, (thats if you havent pulled you’re hair out already

  3. Good test of wenger ….if he doesn’t buy 2 class players now it will tell you he is not interested in winning stuff anf just generating an income flow for the greedy owners of this club

  4. We look very disjointed. No meaning or direction. What is Wenger teaching them in training. Not good enough & that’s down to Wenger.

  5. The most frustrating game I’ve watched in a while, I’m furious my fellow gooners. This is a ground we used to go to and thrash them. They’ve evolved along with a few other teams whilst AW seems to be caught in a time warp. Never seen us give the ball away so much. Get signing more players or we will not have any champs league footy. Fuming.

  6. We just not showing urgency, and the 2 players who did were taken off.

    Look on the bright side if we don’t concede another goal we would have improved from last year

  7. I say sack wenger next year ( if he doesn’t change his tactics and we finish outside top 4) and bring in Viera as manager.

    Look I love wenger to death but at some point arsenal needs to move on. This might be the year. Wenger will always be an arsenal legends but his ideas are just not applicable to football these days.

  8. Pathetic!! Poor fans that travelled up North to watch that. The players should apologise, woeful!
    Get back home and get your sh*t together for Wednesday.

  9. And after 74 tries to cross the ball into the box from the left side, we finally get a goal. Jeez.

    1. This is how Wenger plays football. Do the same thing over-and-over again until eventually something good happens.

  10. I think I solved the mystery of LW. Wenger uses that position for punishment! Whoever disturbes him while having his morning shit will have to play there no matter what his actual position is.

  11. i know we’ve played like crap today, but the refs have had a big influence in this game.

    1. hahahaha, I’m not his fan and never be, and still believe and you also believe WE NEED STRIKER to take us to next level.
      He has to continue scoring … which i really doubt
      ugly draw though

  12. ok monreal haters, (me included) take that! great effort by him to track down a ball in the 89″! and sublime cross!!!!!!!!!

  13. do we have to loose and be happy every time for wenger to add some classy needed players ?
    is it that hard to ask for ..we all like u but why do we have to do this panic buys ..why if a player came earlier he would settle easier in the team just look how chelski finished there business early ..it just painful to see something obvious that needs no pro to get and the prof misses it .

    1. There are no haters in Arsenal Fans.
      No haters of any team player or the manager.
      Just critics.
      Hold your words, son.

  14. If we draw Wenger will ignore all the negatives of the game. Just like the FA cup win last season, it will be the delicious icing on a very badly cooked cake.

    1. This was a good point gained.
      Very hardly fought.
      The good is obvious, in that we got a point (instead of 3).
      The bad is ironically the point we earned today in that Wenger may not see the need to improve the team by bringing in a DM and a much-needed striker.
      A goo point earned, but hopefully also a lesson learned (in terms of what we need to challenge for the EPL title.)

  15. I wish I hadn’t give up smoking. Could really do with a cigarette with this performance.

  16. So what does this tell us? Giroud super sub? Wilshire rubbish, Campbell good player, Cazorla good player? Need to analyse and never repeat the first 83 minutes though.

    1. This tells us that Wenger’s
      been shite for the last 4 years now.
      He’s done all he can for Arsenal and now he needs to know that he needs to leave for another manager who can do a better job with our current squad.
      We do have a decent squad, perhaps another 2 good signing including a DM and a striker.
      Wenger needs to go.
      Today’s result was lucky enough to provide a another excuse for our dismal display against a very good opponent in Everton at Goodison Park.
      Today, we got away with it.
      A good point earned, with a hard fighting team.
      Good for the lads.
      But, this must definitely be Wenger’s last season.
      Even he must see it now.

  17. Perfect result got something though undeserved ….and a massive wakeup call for the Frenchman that he needs to get the cheque book out in next 7 days if he wants anything from the season

  18. I think we can calm down now. Good game from Ozil but Mertesacker looked like my old man playing football.

  19. we play much better without wilshere, only god know why is in the first IX….
    in the next game i hope to see more of campbell, he is more direct that many players and that’s what we need…

  20. What did this prove? Giroud is much better coming on as a sub!!!! Now we need to strengthen our weakest position, cdm. We got exposed again

  21. 1 home win (1st opening game win for 5 years)
    1 away draw against a tough team in a hard fought game

    Not ideal by any means, but a decent start and better than last season.

    Now two upcoming goals
    1. Knock off Besiktas
    2. Sign top CDM and top Striker and defender.

    Giroud is a fantastic super sub, but not main striker. I hope Cavani rumors are true. We NEED him or Falcao

    For me I would love to see Cavani, Khedira and Nastasic. I would also like to see end to world hunger and wars

  22. Minimum We need this:
    1. Wilshire to be sent on an extended holiday.
    2. Campbell to actually be played now and again.
    3. Mert replaced by an experienced CB, (to be bought).
    4. A beast of a DM player, (to be bought).
    5. A striker of high calibre, (to be bought).

    As everyone says the ‘spine’ of the team is weak.

    1. Harsh on Mert. It was his first game back after the World Cup but, I agree with your other points.

    2. Campbell coming on actually showed us how much we need his contribution. He was very good in his first 20 minutes of EPL showing. Hw’s play was very Arsenal-like in that he understood the stream of play and his passing was decent for his first EPL session.
      He’s going to be a great Arsenal contributor.
      He should not be a player, “now and again.”, as you’ve said.
      Campbell is part of our future.

  23. Fingers crossed for Wednesday now.

    Just think of this scenario:
    1. win CL game.
    2. Sign top players.
    3. Beat Leicester.

    Then we wonder what we were all worried about 🙂

  24. Sczez 5
    Debuchy 6 Chambers 6 Mert 4 Monreal 7
    Flamini 5
    Ox 6 Ramsey 7 Wilshere 5 Ozil 6.5
    Sanchez 5

    Santi 6
    Campbell 4
    Giroud 8

    Defence: Poor defending(especially from Mert) but Monreal did well getting forward. Young Chambers will get better with time.

    Midfield: The mid looked very weak. Apart from Ozil, it seemed like the rest of the mid had no ideas! Ox tried a few shots but everyone else created little until the substitutions. As usual Ramsey was at the right place at the right time when you need him most.

    Attack: Poor Sanzhez had to do so much pressuring that he never had a chance to make any attacking runs. Giroud has just proven that he plays better when he isn’t a guaranteed starter.

    Wenger: Poor selection from the boss! he should have played Ozil down the middle and played either jack or campbell on the left! (We all know Ozil cannot defend!) At the moment we seem to lack pace because Arsene plays too many central players together. If Giroud starts on wednesday then I hope to see both Ox and Sanchez on the wings with Ozil in the middle. And… more importantly… We NEED a DM! We will be caught on the counter all the time unless somone is bought to protect the back four.

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