After securing automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League but falling off the pace to pip Manchester City to second place, Arsenal welcome West Brom to the Emirates with nothing much to play for. Picking a starting eleven may prove to be a difficult task for Arsene Wenger as the Frenchman might want to rest some of his key players ahead of the FA Cup final against Aston Villa, whilst also knowing that a convincing win over the Baggies will give his Gunners’ side a massive boost for the big game at Wembley. So who should Wenger rest?
If you’d ask me, I’d give a breather to Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla and opt to replace the trio with Gabriel, Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott respectively. While Aaron Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez have also played a lot of games, the duo are the engine of the team and need to be present for the Gunners to take the game to West Brom. Besides, they don’t look like they need a rest. Hector Bellerin and Olivier Giroud will have to start as a result of the injuries to Mathieu Debuchy and Danny Welbeck.
Rosicky and Walcott both looked very sharp when they came on against Sunderland and the duo almost combined to score Arsenal’s winner, and I believe they both deserve to start the final League game. Koscielny has probably been the most used player for Arsenal this campaign and I really think Wenger should keep his best defender fresh for the Cup final, especially now that the team has a more than worthy replacement in the Brazilian Gabriel, who has been impressive so far.
My Arsenal XI: Ospina; Bellerin, Gabriel, Mertesacker, Monreal; Coquelin, Ramsey, Walcott, Alexis, Rosicky; Giroud.
For me, this is a team that is more than capable of achieving a convincing victory against West Brom, with key players such as Koscielny, Ozil and Cazorla being able to take a breather ahead of the all important clash against Aston Villa at Wembley. I would prefer Jack Wilshere to be on the bench for both games, his fitness doesn’t seem to be quite there yet.
Anurag
I like Sanchez but I am getting pissed off and frustrated with him. He is turning himself into a one dimensional. When was the last time Sanchez took on his fullback and crossed or cut the ball back? It seems like he has forgotten how to be a team player and all he is bent on is keep cutting in and having Hollywood glory shots at goal.
Sanchez has got to go back to the Sanchez of earlier in the season who varied his game by taking on a fullback and also cut in for Glory shots. He is becoming so predictable and one dimensional that it’s becoming so easy for teams to read and defend against him.
The guy is so frustrating..
True!
Cut in from left shoot on right.
If your a defender you know exactly what he will try to do. How about going the other way and using the other foot..like mix it up a bit?
Isnt Manager’s role in the team is to tell the players these things? These are world class players who need not be taught how to dribble and play. Manager is there to improve them, tell them their shortcomings and make them play for the team. But i bet Wenger is too much of pu$$sy to tell these start players anything that they dont want to hear.
Money for old rope springs to mind!
Finally u people are starting to see what i have been saying for AGES!
And he was same at the start of the season too, he just had goals to cover up that shit
Wenger has a hobby of spoiling wingers!! I told you before, now it is happening 🙁 🙁 🙁
If u’re going to blame wenger for this one, u have to blame barca managers too!
Sanchez is just a selfish player who does not adjust to his team’s requirements and fanboys like u will always manage to find a way to blame others
Was agreeing with every thing u said til u mentioned AS17 shud b played…..c’on wat games have u been watching recently? the dude is the most tired
Come on Goonster – rein it in a little. I think many can be “frustrated” – his inate playing characteristics will always bring an element of that, but getting angry with him like that clown Nokia810 below is harsh and unfair. You spent months on Ozil’s back for “not trying” now you jump on him seemingly for trying too hard. If I was a decent player abroad thinking about a move to Arsenal and accidently stumbled on fan comments like this I would be gobsmacked and think “why bother”. Every other PL fan forum has Alexis regularly mentioned and checked out in very glowing terms. Nominated for every award category in the league. The guy kept our season afloat for the first 4 months with his goals, scored the goal to secure UCL group stages, scored both semi-final goals to take us to FA cup final, is the club’s top scorer, has been involved in more goals+assists than anyone in the PL, scored more goals than the media’s fave Costa from a deeper, wider position, plays every second of every game as if it was his last, is always smiling, helped instill a hungrier work ethic in the team – all in a first season. The guy is a national hero in Chile, a cult hero among the faithful at Barca and Udinese and humble as hell. And we come on here to mock him?!
Yes his first touch ain’t always great, yes he does lose possession too much at times and I want him to improve but jeeez no pleasing in some.
Wenger?
Just default the game.
Give the team the day off.
Let the fans take over the
stadium and have a party 🙂
@davidnz. You are my man. Let us have fun in the stadium. After all we’ve already won Wenger’s cup. Rest the players for FA cup final and we the fans to represent them against WBA. You davidnz will be the goalkeeper (come with face mask), Hafiz, yes Hafiz is a top striker. Did I hear people say Ozil is lazy? I am his like so give me CAM (Oz 11). Then who? Nokia810, RW. All those guys that have been defending Wenger will be our defenders and those that have been attacking the Board will be our attackers. Hey, the manager? Admin. We’ll hammer them 11-0 in celebration of winning Wenger’s cup earlier than usual. LOL. Let us not deceive ourselves. We’ve not made progress.
That would make me the front striker lol and these days Idont have the ace anymore
@davidnz
If MU put 8 past Hull and we lose, then it will be a “default”game…IJS
Wishful thinking!
u know that wenger isn’t going to rest any1
Diaby needs a rest 🙂
I wish diaby plays. It could be his last game for arsenal
Diaby testimonial?
Rest bellerin,kos,carzola,ozil,giroud and sanchez
Off topic:
Just read a post about barca planning a £50m bd for ramsey. I would be totally dissapointed if arsenal is even considering bids for ramsey. For me he has been the most consistenent player of the season. He has the greatest potential to become a world class player besides hector bellerin. I know ill surely get thumbs down but i rate ramsey higher than sanchez. He can dribble, can make decisive pass, good theough ball, good header, quick feet, good run good vision, all he need to work on is his long shooting n finishing.
Me too. Rambo if he continues will be world class. I said on here once I thought if FIFA actually gave the ballon d’or to non strikers he could be in the mix in a few years..
If he goes to Barca, that may well happen!
And it could happen!:(
I would start Walcott in the FA cup Final. Wembley is so big’ We need pace in the final to counter when necessary. Sanchez looks tired lately’ I pray He spice things up in the final and show us the form he brought to the team earlier this season. I wouldn’t start Szczesny (His error would be costly in a final). I would start Gabriel and Kos… Bellerin and Monreal.. Ramsey and Coquelin.. Walcott, Giroud and Sanchez on top.. That lives Ozil and Cazorla. I’ll leave it to Wenger to drop one of them but I know He might start both of them and Wenger would start Szczesny and Mertasacker. Anyway, Whoever starts should know the final is very important to the fans. We want another trophy badly…. COYG!!!
@NYGunner
I think you just won the problem right wing spot 🙂
Let me tell you that Wenger is always using the same line up because he only trust the 11 players he keeps using… Those guys will be used until their knees collapse.
Why?
Because he does not know how to do different.
The “we have a strong squad to choose from” is just a statement of reassurance for the fans (well, the deluded ones) and for himself (so he won’t have to recruit).
This squad, this club could not challenge for the league or the CL even to save Arsenal fans lives… Not a chance, not a glimpse of a chance.
We have a FA Cup final, and I cannot trust Wenger to make the right choices, because you have to be a proper manager to do that. What I trust is the players… I trust the players to bring the cup home, like they did last time.
Come on man, you know as well as any that for some whatever Wenger does will be wrong – and that is why so many congregate here to give it large and tell anyone who is listening how it should be done.
The fact that he has used more squad players in the PL than nearly every team is ignored. Five matches with an unchanged team becomes the devil’s work for some reason when it used to be lauded. AW has a “favourites” regime but basically has an entirely different team now than he did at the start of the 2013 season. If he subs at 75 mins it should have been at 60 mins – when he does it at 60mins it should have been at half time. He brings a player back to quick from injury and he is reckless and a fool (many examples), he remains patient and he is “punishing” the individual (Walcott) even though the individual has said as much himself about not being back to full strength yet. He tells the press “we have a strong squad to choose from” and that is wrong – precisely what he should have said on the eve of the summer transfer window is beyond me. We keep a clean sheet and it was lucky, we concede a goal and it was all Wenger’s fault. We score 3 and it should have been 5 or 6 if we had had a decent manager at the helm. We concede breakaway goals and we are clueless – we shut up shop and contain the game we look aimless or lack cutting edge. He plays players “out of position” and that is wrong even if we win – he must surely be the only one doing that in the PL. We need to spend to show ambition – we spend thick end of £200 in three summer windows and it is ignored, or it is not enough. We used to lose our best players every year – we seemed to have stemmed that one but obviously we need to ignore this. You “trust” the players to bring the cup home but not Wenger – the bloke who bought, trained and managed these players. Strange one.
Actually now I have done that it feels quite cathartic, I might convert to a rabid AOB – it is a lot easier game to play than trying to support the club with a bit of glass half-full banter every now and then and a tad of praise where due.
Ospina needs a rest play sczn.Only our best players should play in the fA final and Ospina is one of them.The Fa is the oldest and most prestigious trophy,being played at wembley and events will be covered the whole day by bbc to bring back the old memories..it fetches more money than epl.Wining it makes our club and manager successful in it so it is the right trophy to win,football is records#coyg!
acc to media Wenger said that arsenal have taken up an option to extend Tomas Rosicky’s contract by one year. hope he stays coygs
Wenger on Ramsey to Barcelona rumours: “That is not a serious story”
ox & debuchy back in full training could make it to fa cup final
wenger should rest kos or per give chance to Gabriel + drop cazrola for wilshere & play theo & akpom in place of giroud/ sanchez fa cup now important for us
why did we keep sanogo & let benik afobe go he isn’t good enough to start for crystal palace some of the decisions made by arsenal are baffling
+ hope tomas rosciky starts as well
Man I hate Giroud,sell jack or calzora but not ramsey he is a complete midfielder
rest Sanchez bring in gnabry too + with the players you mentioned, and I think we should play Henry’s statue outside the stadium instead of giroud, I bet it will get more goals than giroud
This would be my team…
—————Giroud——————-
rosicky——wilshere—— walcott
——–ramsey——-coquelin——-
Gibbs–gabriel—mertz–chambers
————— ospina——————-
I’d like sanchez, cazorla, bellerin, ozil, monreal to be given a rest and also allow walcott, rosicky, gabriel, wilshere and chambers to start a match together as we will get a lot of enthusiasm and determination from them having been on the bench for long and its only fair to give them a chance given that some of the starters are out of form, also to rest them for the FA cup final.