So here we go Arsenal fans, with Arsene Wenger and the Gunners trying to keep up the good form that we have been showing of late and take another step towards ending the run of finishing second in our Champions League group. After a slightly fortunate draw away to the French champions PSG in the first group game, the visit of the Swiss champions Basel tonight gives Arsenal a great chance.
But we have seen Arsenal slip up before when we were supposed to win easily, last season for instance, and the boss clearly has this on his mind. So he has resisted making changes to a winning team and apart from the need to replace the injury hit Francis Coquelin in midfield, we are going with the same outfield players that were so dominant in the win over Chelsea.
Just as in that game it is the summer signing Granit Xhaka who comes in for Coquelin, while David Ospina is back in goal after his great game against PSG. This Gunners XI is certainly good enough to take all three points tonight, but Basel are no mugs and unless we are fully focused they could pull off a shock.
Ospina
Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal
Cazorla, Xhaka
Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi
Sanchez
Subs: Cech, Gibbs, Gabriel, Elneny, Reine-Adelaide, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lucas.
Wenger has good options on the bench as well and has spoke about the danger of complacency all week, so we won´t mess this one up will we Gooners?
Bob.
Basel is playing a 5 man midfield, LoL
5 man *defence
And? ?
Isn’t a 4-2-3-1 formation a 5 man midfield? ?
Hahaha ? okay twig .. Good recovery, I’ll let you off this time. ?
Verrati is playing for psg. Pretty sure he got sent off. Any ideas???
Heard somewhere decision was reversed
Apart from the keeper, Wenger is sticking to the same team, thats a pleasant surprise, I would have liked to have seen Perez start and Cazorla rested but hey.. who cares what I think ? Come on Arsenal.
Yup should have given Lucas a go instead of the OX who looks like he is regressing every game!
BT Sports …doncha luv them??
Spurs game got Harry, Hoddle and Jermaine Jenas (=3 Spuds)
Arsenal game gets Owen (Liverpool and Manc lover and Arsenal hater) Hargreaves (Manc) …………oh and Wrighty (woo hoo)
nice blonde totty however
No Giroud on the bench so hopefully Perez will come in to give Iwobi or Sanchez a rest if we are leading pretty well.
Sanchez doing alright on his new position so no complain.
Let’s go boys.
Giroud can’t be on bench as he got Red card.
How is Verratti then starting for PSG?
However, strong line up. I like it. No excuses tonight and not chancing a replay from last year.
Veratti 2nd yellow got rescind, wrong identity, Marquinhos got the yellow instead.
Theeeeeeooooooo
Walcotttttttttttttttttt
He have be come so clinical and determined in the final third.
Up the Arsenal
THEOOOOO
Every time there we look like scoring, not just referring to this game.
Alexis Sanchez…so good
i don’t think ozil is a great deal slower than sanchez
It’s a good selection.
walcott you beautyyyyyyyy
Theooooo goooaal machine
TJHEOOOOOOOOO!!
Theo on fire
Walcott is not so useless now is he?!
where are all the moaning trolls tonight …?
We been playing well bar PSG hey, no complaints while we play like this.
It was this type of football that made me fall in love with this club
Just like old times mate
He is worth salary so far this season
Omg this is orgasmic
Wow … Only complaint is we should have had 5 … Best football in a longtime across the team
Very true, so many chances and so many misses, should have been 5
Exactly! ?
Sanchez and Ozil should have had a goal each,at the least.
Walcott’s £140,000 aweek looking like a real bargain now! Hey Arsenal Girl ? ? ?
Well done Theo ??? Keep it up son.
Fantastic first half, total control, but while our goal count stubbornly stays at two I’ll still be nervous. I’ve seen too many smash and grabs when teams fail to put away their chances…
Want a hat-trick for Theo, stay injury free….then let him loose on Premier League!
That second goal was gorgeous
Henry would have been proud of that one.
Theo “Remember when everyone wanted to sell me this summer” Walcott is in the best form of his career.
Clinical, decisive, and hard working. Finally!
If Wenger listened to us all Theo will be gone for £15m this Summer and you would have needed at least £40M to buy him buy only one month afterwards. AKB simple!
Time to replace iwobi with Perez
How many mor fing chances are we going yo miss!!!
What’s wrong with wenger certainly knows how go give cold shoulder to new signings
I think Campbell escaped from Wenger so he got Perez to replace him…. ON THE BENCH!!!. Wat does he have to do to get some minutes
If Wenger listened to us all Theo will be gone for £15m this Summer and you would have needed at least £40M to buy him buy only one month afterwards. AKB simple!
What has chamberlain done to be given a chance over Perez … Don’t get it
Brilliant 1st half, with the exception of not being clinical enough. 2nd half, we made it harder than it had to be…
Turf Moor, here we come…