The Swiss international Granit Xhaka will have to wait a little longer for his next start in the Premier League, even though many Arsenal fans and football pundits thought his very impressive performance away to Nottingham Forest in the EFL cup this week would have convinced Arsene Wenger to start his expensive summer transfer.
The Frenchman has instead decided to keep faith with the starting line up that did so well as the Gunners won 4-1 away to Hull City last weekend. So once again Alexis Sanchez will play through the middle with Iwobi and Walcott on the flanks and Ozil in the number 10 role.
Their chances of scoring have received a big boost with the news that John Terry has not recovered from his injury in time to make the Chelsea squad so hopefully the Arsenal forwards will have some fun with Luiz today. Cazorla keeps his place in the middle with Coquelin as the deep lying midfielder and he will have a busy day today with the likes of Costa, Hazard, Willian and Fabregas to deal with.
Cech
Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal
Coquelin, Cazorla
Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi
Sanchez
Subs: Gibbs, Lucas Perez, Giroud, Ospina, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Holding, Xhaka.
So Giroud is fit enough to make the bench and it will be interesting to see if Wenger turns to him or Lucas Perez if Arsenal need a goal. COYG!
Bob.
The lineup is not a surprise. Wenger rarely makes major changes to his lineup from game to game. Cazorla and Coquelin both earn their place in midfield, although I don’t know how they’ll stand up to Kante and Matic. I would have liked Perez to come in place of Iwobi though to give the lineup a bit more experience. Overall, I wouldn’t say I’m too confident about today’s game. If there’s any special tactic for this game, it is not very clear.
Arsene has lost his mind with this selection…
you must feel like a right idiot:)
Just As I predicted…
Same line up against Hull. Hopefully the boys remain focus. Iwobi and Walcott will need to help the fullbacks.
COYG. Win or draw please. Don’t lose This….
Ozil need to perform for us today. Xhakaboom later in the game?
Hopefully it will be strong enough to win.
At some point we will need to rest caz and Coquelin though as they have played a lot of football. We will miss Xhaka’s long range shooting and I thought we would have either perez or Giroud in there
Anyway good luck boys
Let’s beat Chelski
COYG
Expected lineup. Wenger does not change a winning formula.
I would have started Xhaka though and moved Cazorla to Ozil’s position. Also would have started Perez and moved Sanchez to the wings.
If Alex an theo don’t track back we will be sacrificed.
Kante and matic vs santi coq
Alexia won’t sit as a forward
As always I’m unhappy with line up but tryst the manager.
Plz Lord let this be the day that we finally destroy the chavs…please
Walcott will track back, don’t worry
I still don’t know the rationale behind playing our best player (Sanchez) out of his best position when you put your 2 strikers on the bench. To me is like under utilising the young boy. Play him in the left wing and you will get the best out of him
Hahaha, What a joker! ?
Close your eye’s and cover your ears,
It’s about to get nasty! ?
Wenger!.. Your a muppet! ?
Hey guys… That was reverse psychology ?
what did you want me to say ?… ” we got this” lol
and what.. jinx it up! ?
I can’t believe my eye’s lol… Mo’s book has inspired mr wenger big time lol.?
When Wenger was criticized for the strange lineup vs. PSG I predicted he would do it again a few times.
Wenger loves to spite his critics by repeating his stupid decisions. Here we go again.
Brilliant! Sanchez up front for me all day every day. I don’t like Cazorla/Coq, we already saw they can’t handle chelsea last year so why try them again? Unlike last year though, we have ammunition on the bench (xhaka/elneny/giroud or perez) that will be coming in as subs which chelsea doesn’t really have (fabregas?)
So to unleash our super subs on them when their defence is weakened is a great strategy imo. We should keep a 0-0 first half and look forward to the super subs making the impact in the 2nd half.
Rubbish! You change your players and formation based on the team you come up against. Xhaka should be starting, and Sanchez is not a striker. Is that Rocket science? You have two natural strikers on the bench. WTF!!! Chelsea is not Hull City.
maybe wenger has forgotten willian and hazard play for chelsea.
Laughable lineup
You guys owe Wenger an apology.
Yup…BIG time…
SANCHEZ!!!!!!!!!!!! Great finish by Sanchez and gift from Cahill
Your new central striker Arsenal fans!!!
ANOTHER ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fantastic movement from WALCOTT. Boom!
This is why you have to start Walcott against the big teams, he consistently delivers for those ones.
🙂 🙂 🙂
Happy happy happy
But keep the goals coming
Let’s not get complacent
COYG
This game has goals in it, Chelsea will score so we need to some more. Got to watch Monreal side can’t leave a player like willian free. Coyg.
Noooo le Coqqqq
You guys got what you want. Granit Xhaka’s coming on!
Disappointing because he was playing well again in this match, but isn’t it wonderful to have proper backup for once.
GOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOOAAAALLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chelsea just can’t handle our movement today
Fickled smdh
I thought sanchez and ozil had killed it but beautiful goal!! Chelsea missing Terry? This is awesome!!!!!
Chelsea are abysmal ? So impressed with Walcott tho
A good day to be a gooner.. Let us rape them. Today is our chance to kill them mentally and sack Conte.
We can’t take the foot off the gas, we have to keep this up because it is still Chelsea afterall
And I said Cazorla should take ozils spot… God was I wrong.
as was I
What is Walcott on? He’s good!?!?!
The Walcott whom we have been waiting for, the Walcott who deserves 140k a week is finally here. Congrats Theo….
it was wake up call for theo and ox….seeing wilshere go on loan…
Honestly I didn’t expect 3-0 @ half-time
Awesome 🙂
I’m glad Theo is playing well. He is quickly making up for last season. Hope he scores lots more. Cf is not his position as evidenced by last season.
And Alex is a is making Cf position his own
Confidence breads more confidence we are looking silky today! 🙂
Can’t remember when I last heard the Emirates so loud, fantastic to hear! Loved xhaka clearing out Costa there 🙂
I just had a Wonderful dream…. It was amazing! ?
I saw Wenger on the touch line shouting instructions to our player’s! ? The Man had tactics! ?
Mate!… i saw Our team playing like the invincibles, the passing, the teamwork and effort was incredible ?
And guess what?… We were beating Chelsea 3 Nil at Half-time…. Wow what a dream… I had to share it with you all.
I’m gonna try and go back to sleep to see what happens in the second half. ?
COYG’s
All the negative minded fans criticizing till a few mins back are in a foot in mouth situation
Let’s bring it home ladz….Finish em off.
Sshhh! ?
i know the game is not over but what i can,t stand it,s the “haters”just before the kick off slamming wenger with”laughable line up,wenger has lost it blah blah blah”they don,t even have the decency/balls to admit when they get it wrong ,they might start posting again if we concede a goal,very sad.COYG!!
Yeah can’t even be a little bit positive before a match begins , wonder what they do in real life
He substitutions for both sides are going to be massive today two strong benches. Bet Wenger wishes elneny was on the bench now. I’m guessing moses Pedro and batshuai for Chelsea.
I guess some guys now accept Wenger knows what he is doing. He didn’t just suddenly forget Alexis was a winger.
I’m drooling…… bellerins tackle, granite vision and long range balls, walcotts hunger!
Happy 20yrs Anniversary Wenger. AKB?
“Bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep…You Gunners…”