Arsenal News Arsenal previews

Arsenal rest Ozil and Aubameyang ahead of visit to Vitoria

For once, Unai Emery actually has a full squad of players fit and available since our very last injured player, Reiss Nelson, made an appearance for the U23s on Friday night, but the Spaniard has only taken 18 players with him on the plane to Portugal.

Here is the full squad….

Reiss Nelson is there, despite his recent return, but Ozil and Aubameyang have been left at home to rest. Some people may think that Emery has just decided to exclude Ozil again, but you have to remember that the German has started our last two games after a long time on the sidelines, so it makes sense to let him recover ahead of our crucial clash with Leicester.

It also makes sense to leave Aubameyang at home with young Martinelli in such fantastic form in this competition, and we also have Lacazette back, who is slowly regaining match fitness himself and should be expected to get a run out. We also have Pepe on the plane, who was the only reason we won the home game against Vitoria.

Let’s hope that Arsenal don’t make it quite so hard for themselves this time around. We could desperately do with an away win….

Posted by

34 Comments

      1. Eddie Chelsea game, wow!! The Chelsea boys have believe, passion, Lampard is playing with children and some older players, no Hazard. And there is Leicester. And there is Emery.

    2. Torreira will be rested for the Leicester game, I feel.

      So Willock for Torreira and you probably got it right.

  3. I’m looking forward to the unusual kick off time as I can now watch it in peace on tv rather than on my iPad while Mrs D is watching Emmerdale and/or Corrie 🤫. Anyway, also looking forward to seeing Martinelli start with Lacazette and if Torriera plays, in his proper DM position rather than the more forward position Emery has been using him in.

  4. I just saw a stat this morning revealing that based on 90 mins games played this season, Ozil still tops the chances created list😮😮 Pepe, Nelson, Saka behind him.
    Just 3 games he played this season I think?

    2. Now that’s a POWER STAT!!!

      Here is another one.. We have a Cross accuracy of 22% this season. That’s like one if five!? We’ve seen the kind of crosses that Tierney can put in. So, Why the hell is Emery not playing him more?

  5. Ozil was useless in the last match.
    He was better against Liverpool B side but still no assists.

    Ozil should start against Vitoria SC. He has a better chance of performing well against a lower quality side

    1. He can’t play if he’s not travelled can he? I thought he was one of the better players in our last game but that wasn’t hard to do really!
      I sometimes think assist stats are a bit misleading as the player who passes the ball to the assister is just as important and transitions of play leading to a goal or any other situation should be watched rather than just the goal itself.

      1. Declan I totally agree he was one of the better players in our last game. I didn’t see the game live but the sky pundits praised him a lot. When I saw the admin ratings it was totally biased and unrepresentative of players performances. I saw the highlights and it prove admin wrong. (And I think admin is one of these that create some of the nastiness we see against players on this website) Ozil did try to push us forward and he did not disappear at all against what admin said. I saw another websites and he got an average of 6/7

    2. @innit-For someone who had MICK F***ING McCARTHY as one of the managers he would like to see at the Club to take over from Emery I’m sure you understand that most on this site will not take a blind bit of notice of anything you post until the Asylum finally lets you out.

  6. Ozil is one of our better players and it is good he is rested for the Leicester game. Remember if we lose we are 9 points behind them so we have to win at all costs on the weekend. As for Vitoria I think Arsenal should be able to beat them unles Emery muddles in his formation/tactics/selection.

  7. OT.. Just thinking ahead to Saturday, there’s an article on Sky Sports about Leicester. Are they better now than their title winning season?
    The gap between them and the leaders is bigger – 3 points then, 8 now – but other than that, everything else is better! Wow, Brenda has done a fantastic job… I’m even more worried about Saturday now 🙈

    1. Sue, you have to hold up. I think it’s either we are thought how to play football or we will decide to rise to the occasion. It can’t be worse for us anymore than we have seen. But I think we will do well. As bad as Emery is he has something for teams that are bigger than us provided our defence hold up.

    2. I’m worried about Vardy and what goal celebration he is going to pull off. He set the bar high with that flappy bird after all 😂

      1. 😂😂 One thing’s for sure with him – why celebrate with your own fans, when you can go and wind up the opposition’s fans instead?!

  8. Actually with the firepower we have upfront we should not fear any team but rather teams should fear us. But Emery has reduced us to the quality of a mid table team, and the sooner he changes his tactics the better for Arsenal. I feel we should be able to beat Leicester at their own backyard provided we play to a plan and we play to our strengths. The defence has got to improve to counter the pace of Vardi and their other attackers. I feel Chambers should play as a DM.

    1. With this quality of Auba-Laca-Pepe, the line is better than Alexis-Giroud-Theo, both with Ozil behind the trident.

      Wenger would be just behind City with this line.

      Wenger would also have bought a world class defender to pair with Koz, and Koz would have stayed.

  9. I think the boys will step up in this coming games.
    I promise you guys, Leicester will be swept away for sure.
    I know AFC.
    I know my Gunners!
    The big ‘BUT’ Mr Emery’ needs sacking sooner than later.

    1. @Tony-good positive comments mate.But your right about Emery.Far too much doubt in his mind all caused by his continual indecision’s and negligence.Enjoy the trip up to Leicester.

    2. Sadly we won’t. The reason why we keep having hopes is because we know the potential of our team but we have a manager that has a little frighten girl within him who will play for a draw. Mark my sad words.

  10. Just read on dailymail which is probably bollocks, that Arsenal is considering to sell Xhaka in January. I hope it’s true. Xhaka has limited qualities and the quality that he has is not being exploited by Emery. Might as well he find another club. As for Emery, please grow a pair. Cheers everyone.

    1. But @ hardave- Does not this just sum up the total mis-management of Emery? One minute he is made Captain of one of the biggest Football Clubs in the world, and then he is likely to be sold because of an indiscretion that Emery should have dealt with at the time.Total bollox from Emery to add to everything else he is F***ing up

      1. Regardless of what you think of Xhaka’s on field performances, some of Arsenal’s so called supporters should be ashamed of their attacks on Xhaka’s wife and family. These gutless wonders wouldn’t dare say these things to his face.

        1. booing the player as he comes off the pitch is one thing. even thinking of threatening any of his family members is another thing altogether. those people who did that are not arsenal fans, they cannot be . they are cowards and curs !.how dare they do that in the name od our club. let them instead face the player himself and voice their opinions, we can all be very blas on the keyboard, but please do leave families out of this .the paying public are entitled to give their opinions at the emirates , and , on sites like this .but you never ever involve family . cowards, who should never be allowed wear their arsenal merchandise again.

Comments are closed

Top Blog Sponsors