Arsenal welcome a rejuvenated Manchester United side to the Emirates this evening in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The Red Devils has enjoyed a resurgence of form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the Norwegian former player taking over the reins from Jose Mourinho last month, picking up seven consecutive wins.
Despite his rich vein of form, he will not be taking this Arsenal team for granted, especially after watching them dispose of Chelsea at the weekend, although both teams will be expected to tinker with their sides.
Cup competitions have been flooded with the use of younger or more inexperienced players, as well as squad players who fail to feature heavily, and with Premier League fixtures coming up in midweek, you would firmly expect the managers to continue that trend.
Predicted Arsenal XI:
Cech
Lichtsteiner Sokratis Koscielny Maitland-Niles
Guendouzi Torreira Xhaka
Willock Aubameyang Ramsey
I certainly don’t expect TOO many changes with such a daunting task ahead of us, but the likes of Cech and Guendouzi look highly likely to play. Willock and Maitland-Niles are another names who get plenty of cup action, but it remains to be seen whether the former’s first-team responsibilities mean he could be spared, or whether the latter will be overlooked for a stronger option.
This formation certainly did a number on the Blues last week, and will certainly be continued this week, but today will be a different ball game, as we come up against a side brimming with confidence.
I can’t deny that I am not brimming with confidence today, but if we play anything like we did last weekend then I would expect us to halt the run of United today, and breaking up their form may well have ramifications on the rest of the campaign also.
Could this match affect our final Premier League standings come the summer? Which youngster will you be hoping makes the line-up today?
Pat J
Oh god no not Lichtsteiner…. I’d love the same team as against Chelsea (apart from Bellerin obviously) then there’s 4 days to get ready for Cardiff… please take this seriously UE….this is the FA cup & we are The Arsenal!! Plus I don’t want to lose to the Mancs!!
Not lichsteider please
No way in hell should Lichtsteiner come within spitting distance of the starting line up today if we intend to win this game. Additionally, if we intend to win this trophy then we must play the strongest team available, if we don’t care about the trophy then lets play the weakest team. What we shouldn’t do is get caught in the middle and choose a weakish/strongish team that will neither win the match nor rest important players.
Are you feeling ok? Lichsteiner?AMN at left back when our two recognised left backs are fit?Think again please.
I think Jenkinson might start. I’d prefer to see AMN in midfield. Hopefully Emery agress.
Damn… Not this Swiss man again. That man can barely put in 3 good crosses. Lichsteiner? What a joke. Even his name looks scary and out of space.
My prediction is Emery would use 4-1-2-1-2 again:
……………………….Cech
Jenkinson . Koscielny . Sokratis . Monreal
………………………Xhaka
…..Maitland-Niles ………….Willock
………………………..Ozil
….Aubameyang …………….. Nketiah
Jenkinson will get slaughtered by Alexis down that right side, I’d rather have Lichtsteiner cause of the experience he brings.
Nooooo!!!
Same team as Chelsea game if all fit ..
4 at the back and no Alex iwobi and we should get a result ,probably see ozil tonight aswell
Perfect Dan ?
Maybe, Maybe not.
Jenks is a good player when he has confidence, he done well enough that a lot of fans was upset at Wenger for dropping him when Sagna regained fitness, a lot of people moaned about how unfair it was on Jenks who had stepped up after the 1st couple games.
Lich has this season’s worth of experience in EPL.
Jenks has more EPL experience.
We all know players take time to settle as the EPL isn’t this or that league… Why is it different with experience? We have all seen how Lich experience has done nothing to help him in the EPL.
When Jenks was bad though, when his confidence was low, he looked a million miles from being an Arsenal player. I’d say he looked as bad as any of Wenger’s worst signings, Silvestre, Baptiste, Squilaci, Stepanovs, Park, Santos, he looked even worse than some of them when it was a really bad patch.
Admittedly, he did have some form which made him look a good prospect at one stage. He has the energy levels that Emery likes in his players, and he can be aggressive. But in reality, he should not be still at this club, it’s only because he wouldn’t accept less from elsewhere and play at a lower level. We tried very hard to offload him, but he wouldn’t budge, and teams stopped offering to pay a part of his wages so to have him on loan.
Th14, If you cannot see that Lichts legs have gone, then it is Specsavers for you old chum! He is finished and virtually all Gooners, save you, agree!
Remove Xhaka from that role, he is not a DM and no DM alongside him will only expose his flaws, setting a player up to fail. AMN and Willock are not DMs, although AMN could do a decent job at protecting the backline, your formation has him further up the field.
Pace bursting through the middle on a counter will rip apart that team.
Lichsteiner?Willock? Lol our opponent is not Oldham Utd… its Manchester United who are in very good form
??
Oldham Athletic, not Utd.
I agree with the general thought though.
442 (4132)
Leno
Jenks/Sokratis/Kos/Monreal
Torreira
AMN/Ozil/Guendouzi
Auba/Laca
I know it is defensive but the concept is to press, press and keep pressing. AMN/Guendouzi will be a hard pressing and if Ozil wants to prove he is working hard… We could have 3 hard working players who are pressing together. (Give Ozil the chance to either prove himself or shoot himself in the foot regarding this new effort he is putting in.)
Fullbacks will be attacking (kinda like wingers for width) and as such the high press should work to keep the flanks protected, slow down opposition attacks to allow the fullback to get into pos… If we don’t win it back quick enough.
Leno instead of Cech, sorry Cech, Leno has overtaken you now and I’d stick with him. Play him in every game now until the end of season as a true number one, we are rumored to be looking at GKs for end of the season and rumor is Audero, give Leno backing for remainder of the season but next season it’ll be a case of fight it out for number 1 spot. We gave Leno a nice start so he wasn’t dropped in the deep end and blamed for the early losses, now I feel it is the time to back him as number 1 fully and if he can’t claim it without doubt by the end of the season then maybe he isn’t good enough to be a long term number one. Got to fight to keep number one.
I like the look of your team Midkemma.
I didn’t like how Solskjaer played his little mind games by saying: We know the tactics they will use against us as it will be the same type of set up that Che faced. Not a bad effort of mind games, he picked that up from Fergie, Solskjaer was one of Fergie’s favorites, and I’d say even now he is still leaning on Fergie for advice. Emery is more experienced, but even if you don’t listen or read any of the other managers take on things, a reporter usually mentions it in an interview. One thing allot of managers have in common, is that they can be stubborn, and Solskjaer is trying to play into that, try and make his surprise you a little by an odd change that might not work as well as you’d hope. I hope he just sticks to whatever he was thinking after the Che game.
Leno
Jerkin mavropanos Mustafi monreal.
Torrera
Xhaka. Gundozi
Ozil Ramsey
Lacazzet
TOP STORY!… The F.A have granted Lichsteiner full use of his zimmer later as long as he does NOT tackle with it!!!
Seriously though, on another note.. Why are Arsenal seriously not signing this month?
This is the latest report on Sky Sports.. “Barcelona want to sell Arsenal target Denis Suarez this month, but the midfielder, valued at £17m, only wants to leave the Camp Nou for the Gunners, who cannot afford a permanent transfer, reports Mundo Deportivo. Arsenal have offered £1.7m to take Suarez on loan for the rest of the season with no compulsory purchase clause.”
It’s completely believable that Wonkey Kronke will not put his hand in his pockets. The TW*T!!
Don’t worry about us not getting Saurez as we are getting someone much better!
Haha zimmer!! Can he take anyone out with it?! ??
Very strong United team ☹
God if the predicted line up is anywhere close to what trots our at 7 50 we r fcuked … the next game is ffing warnicksbclod hoppers for gods sake
Will Mesut ever play again???
Come on Arsenal
No sue it’s worse iwobi Ramsey and xhaka … can’t see how we can win this tbh … they have put out a strong team
Iwobi needs to have a blinder…. Ramsey played well last week though… as long as Xhaka doesn’t keep giving the ball away!
I’m a little worried, I won’t lie… their line up is very strong & Sanchez ?
U have more faith in ramsey than I do .. they have a powerful midfield ours is weak and uncreative … think that’s where it will b decided so hope u r right
Have to say I was hoping to see Ozil start tonight… so now we have to see Iwobi run round like a headless chicken
At least Iwobi will do something unlike Ozil.
Sokratis goes out and the whole team falls apart. WTF
like i said … i think this exposes limits of both the squad we have and emery as a manager am sorry to say … u cant do anything with a midfield that lacks skill and power … its ffing football 101
its no good praising the likes of ramsey and iwobi for trying hard … they do … but they are simply not good enough footballers to get us back to top
And we are already two goals down
E can’t pay Ramsey 175,000 yet we can pay Iwobi whatever and ozil 350,000 and not pay him confused.com
Mustafi
Kola
Xhaka
Iwobi
All
Liabilities
Auba will score hatric today. Come on arsenal do it for the fans..?✌
Still playing Wengerball, pass, pass, pass and trying to walk the ball into the net. Nothing much has changed, although I expect the injuries to our two centre halves give us a ready made excuse for losing.