Arsenal v Rapid Vienna Confirmed Team News & Predicted XI

Arsenal play host to Rapid Vienna at the Emirates in today’s late evening fixtures.

The Gunners have already assured their place in the next round of the competition after winning their opening four group matches, and could well opt to give more minutes to the younger players.

Arsenal’s official website has already ruled out David Luiz, Gabriel Martinelli, Pablo Mari and Thomas Partey (more details on these here).

Folarin Balogun and Emile Smith Rowe could well be pushing to start this evening, while the likes of Reiss Nelson, Nicolas Pepe and Eddie Nketiah would appear nailed on to be playing.

Sead Kolasinac has been cleared to play for the first time since testing positive for Coronavirus after the international break, and looks likely to come in also, while Mo Elneny is also available after testing positive, he could well be saved for the weekend’s clash with Tottenham.

Predicted XI:

Runarsson
AMN Chambers Holding Kolasinac
Pepe Smith Rowe Xhaka Nelson
Lacazette Nketiah

While it would be nice to get a better look at Balogun, Lacazette is in need of a confidence boost, and needs to get amongst the goals, so I expect him to keep his place from last week’s EL tie.

Willock has played plenty in Europe this term, but having been given the nod in the Premier League of late he might be due some rest, and I can’t help but feel like Xhaka could well be replaced by Elneny come Sunday.

Does Balogun deserve to start after his cameo last week? Who else would you like to see given a run out this week?

Patrick

Tags Rapid Vienna

20 Comments

  1. Yes I would like to see ESR, AMN and Balogun start tonight. If Pepé plays I hope it’s not on the right.

  2. If we don’t start ESR in these games then what is the point of having talented youngsters at a club….I don’t know what he needs to do to show MA that he at least deserves the odd start or two along with a small cameo in the EPL

  3. i like to watch arsenal play europa league, at least i see players who are hungry to win. It is completely different team on the pitch comparing to that one playing premier league

  4. I suspect this prediction by PATRICK , well argued for too, will be either spot on or VERY close to the actual start eleven tonight. Some welcome thought has gone into this article too.

    1. I might be wrong Sue, (i usually am) but I think Martinelli might be on the bench tonight and get a few minutes if things are going well. I’ve got a feeling in my water but could be an infection of course🤣.

      1. 😂😂😂 you do make me laugh, Declan!!
        I hope you’re right, be great to see him back out there again….

  5. TBH who actually cares who starts this evening it a game of nothing. Maybe Arteta will rest his “senior” players……..WHY? Let them play and it will give an excuse for Sunday.
    Sorry for being so negative but this bunch of dossers have got to me.

    1. Of course it’s not “a game of nothing”. We need to win to go through as group winners so we don’t draw one of the bigger teams joining from the champions League. At least we can expect a half decent performance from our second string rather than the tepid rubbish we get served up by the first team.

  6. Yeah…agree…that ESR and Folarin Balogun should start. We need to bring Balogun into the fold. This is an ideal time to start him and make the kid happy. He’s an Andy Cole in the making. Does Arteta want him to leave?

    1. Surely Arteta just wants to pick a team that can win a game!

      I’m sure Balogun will play tonight, but he’s not the only one that needs game time…

      1. Pat
        Let’s hope we see him Pat. You know the old saying ‘if things don’t change they stay as they are’. I will be relieved to see Balogun given his chance, hopefully over the 10 min he got last week, and also when Martinelli is back. It’s clear that quite a few of our team and group are not really good enough. Someone has to say it…..it’s reality sadly.

    1. We are the home team,
      Red and white should be our colour.
      Away should look for other colour, please, no favour should be done in terms of sport wear

  7. Elneny will feature from the start to warm up for the Spurs game.Xhaka, we can do without please.Soares likely to play RB and hopefully AMN to join Elneny in CM.

    1. That would be fantastic to see AMN given a chance in the midfield. I’d keep playing Willock as well. He’s young enough to play twice a week and needs to build confidence. A midfield tonight if Elneny, AMN and Willock would do nicely.

  8. Arteta is said that he listens to us Gooners when it comes to which Gunner us want to see him start in a match or bring on to play in it for Arsenal.

    To this end, I will suggest to him he should play Elneny at some stage in the Arsenal ELC match against Rapid Wien at the Ems tonight.

    Elneny hasn’t play for Arsenal after the last international break has end. But I think he should be given a game playing time to play in the Wien match tonight if Arteta has him in his match plan to play against Tottenham on Sunday.

    So that if he happens to be match rusty ahead of the Gunners Spurs NLD match, the match rustiness he has will clear off from him ahead of Arsenal playing at away against Tottenham Hotspurs in the all important NLD PL match on Sunday.

    The derby match that has now become a MUST win PL match by the Gunners to accomplished for Arsenal irrespective if Tottenham are currently on top of the PL table or not will not concern Arsenal as the Gunners will not consider Spurs topping the table when they are beating them at NWHL.

  9. 442
    AUBA LACA
    ROWE ELNENY WILLOCK PEPE
    AMN MUSTAFI CHAMBERS CEDRIC.
    NEED BOTH OUR STRIKERS TO FIND THEIR SHOOTING BOOTS.

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