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Confirmed Arsenal team for London Derby with Fulham – Ryan in goal

The teams are out for Arsenal’s clash with Fulham, where we will be looking to close the gap on eighth place.

A win today will see the Gunners close to within two points of Everton, and three points of Tottenham, ahead of our clash with the former this coming Friday.

It was already confirmed that we would be without David Luiz, Kieran Tierney, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Martin Odegaard today, so there wasn’t any huge shocks in today’s selection.

With the knowledge of the missing players, we had predicted the following XI earlier today:

Leno
Bellerin Holding Gabriel Cedric
Partey Xhaka
Pepe Smith Rowe Martinelli
Lacazette

As you can see, we were mostly right, but it was difficult to predict Arteta’s thinking, especially without knowing which players were 100% after Thursday night’s victory.

Below is the confirmed starting XI for today’s clash.

What are your scoreline predictions after seeing the confirmed Arsenal XI? Who else would you have liked to have seen make today’s line-up?

Patrick

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Tags Arsenal v Fulham Fulham

210 Comments

    2. I dont know why Arsenal fans are sweating about results. Arsenal will finish 10th or more. No way in hell they are gonna win europa. So chill and enjoy the loses.

  2. Happy to see Martinelli start. Hope he will do much to win the heart of the technical team. Go gunners

      1. – If Tottenham lift the Carabao Cup, they will be in the UEFA Europa Conference League. Unless they finish in a European place in the Premier League

        – If Man City win the Carabao Cup, the place for the UEFA Europa Conference League will go to 7th in the Premier League

        – If Southampton win the FA Cup, the place for the UEFA Europa Conference League will go to 6th

  3. Am extremely happy Leno has been dropped. Ryan has been committed when called upon and that is what we need.

  7. Lacazette, Smith-Rowe and Saka start, so Arteta doesn’t underestimate Fulham at all

    Unfortunately I must say that I’m happy Aubameyang is excluded. His ball control is pretty bad in the last few games and we can’t win if our attackers keep losing the ball

    If what Gary Neville said about our French attacker clique was right, we need to start Lacazette or Aubameyang only. Both of them don’t work well together

      1. They worked well together last season, when Arteta set the team up for counter-attacks with 3-4-3 formation. Arteta changed the formation this season and maybe some senior attackers didn’t like it

    1. Elneny will play single Pivot just like Partey in Last 2 Matches..
      He was superb as single Pivot…
      We shall see Whether Elneny is good enough to play single Pivot

  14. This line up is strong enough to do the job.

    I will be watching out for Saka, Laca and Smith.
    Arteta should withdraw them if we are winning comfortably.

  16. Will Xhaka lose his midfield role permanently? Without Partey I expected him to be in the middle.

  17. Elneny and Ceballos. Not so sure about that midfield pairing.
    Martinelli….thank the lord. At least Willian not playing means we will be having 11 players starting instead of 10.5.

  18. 3rd lower quality team(with all respect) in a row. Just what we needed to get a bit of confidence.

    That being said Fulham can play some good footy so let’s be ruthless. COYGs

    FYI Laca has always been great, the people and movement around him is needed for him to be great which the youngsters provide now.

  20. Sadly arteta can’t imagine an Arsenal 11 without xhaka … reason enough to see him go … that said expect a 2 goal margin today against a team that know they are doomed

        1. RW1 your fixation with Xhaka is borderline annoying. You can’t make any contribution without mentioning Xhaka jeez!

          1. Am just responding to the inane praise across this site for the clown … He’s symbolic of decline and the ineptitude of arteta … why after 60 minutes against a relegated team we are one nil down … but we are getting better in your eyes right !!!!!

  21. Smith-Rowe’s legs were full of bruises, after he was subbed in Prague. Our CAM should always risk his legs like Smith-Rowe, but hopefully he won’t get injured in today’s game

  22. Lovely to watch 1/2 touch then immediately release in the midfield. Such a big change in the speed we get the ball forward now to previously.

  24. Well, this isn’t looking straight forward, Fulham have grown into the game and we are making far too many mistakes.

    1. Yeah i think we obsessing with getting the ball wide too much. Gaps seem to be in the middle.

      Often we’ve had ESR, Saks and Bellerin within 5 yards of each other on the RW and still having to pass back. Think ESR needs to be more central, he’s miles away from Martinelli

    2. Var is killing the game. Players would be better off not celebrating until they know what the clown at var has decided

      1. I agree with you. We have clowns with the VAR thing. Last season, Liverpool FC benefitted slot from wrong VAR calls. If that was Liverpool of last season, that would have been a goal.

  31. Bellerin has given away the wall way too many times with his misplaced passes. Disappointing.

    2. Been thinking the same thing. Except for the chip to Ceballos he’s been pretty poor.

      Several times given the ball away or immediately goes back to Holding.

      Won’t be fussed at all if he’s off in the Summer. Lost his pace since the injury, defensive liability with his poor defending.

    1. why? i feel like we wouldnt even be talking about VAR right now if fulham had a similar goal disallowed. The other proposal on the table gives a massive, massive advantage to the attacker.

      1. Yeah i agree attackers would have too much of an advantage.

        I’m a fan of one of the old rules. Offside is taken by the players head, only 1 point of reference per player. An attackers head can be slightly ahead of the defenders just as long as theres no daylight.

  36. I’d like to see Cedric on for Bellerin and ESR to be in the pocket in the middle. He’s crowding the RW a bit too much.

      1. Be better

        Do you ever share your own opinion or do you onltmy ever comment on other people’s opinions. It’s pretty sad man.

        You have an obsession withdecent but average players. Are you a fan that’s content to end 6-10 position in the league because it seems like it.

  37. best parts of our attacking play was when we had players trying to run in behind. Ceballos and Elneny always want to play the ball to the feet of our players, and Fulham are all set to sit and defend. Should’ve had a goal early in the game as well and need better finishing. Think saka can take on the fulham defense a bit more too. lets hope to see it in 2nd half.

  38. Two big chances were missed and Saka lost the ball at least two times. I think Saka or Martinelli would be replaced in the second half

    So far so good. The players just need to keep their spirit, despite having a goal cancelled

    1. Why replace Martinelli? He’s been working both sides of the ball, been lively and attacking all game.

      Who would you replace Martinelli or Saka with? Willian is trash and doesn’t defend, no one on bench offers more.

      Elneny not done much and Bellerin has been very poor.

      Partey for Elneny, Xhaka sitting back like a back 3 anyway, and Partey offers more than Elneny in the attack.

  40. Under Wenger’s proposed offside rule that would count.

    I don’t know if im a huge fan of it though as it would make it very difficult for defenders to play an offside trap effectively.

      1. Haha fair enough

        I’m a fan of one of the old rules. Offside is taken by the players head, only 1 point of reference per player. An attackers head can be slightly ahead of the defenders just as long as theres no daylight.

        IMO this would solve a lot of the issues.

    1. Maybe it has to do with the fact the he’s played ‘virtually every game’.

      If Partey or ElNeny played three-quarters of the games he’s played, I’m pretty sure they would have the same figures.

  42. Elneny needs to be replaced by Partey and Bellerin needs to be replaced by Either Cedric or Chambers…
    Either Saka or Martinelli needs to be replaced by Pépé
    But Partey should be introduced in 2nd half and Bellerin should be off..
    Both are really poor..

    1. Agree, u don’t think Elneny has been that bad but Bellerin has been very poor and Saka looks very tired. At the same time Elneny isn’t a game changer

      I’d like to see Cedric, Partey and Pepe on soon

  44. Started off brilliantly and tried to be on top to the end of the half as well. Seems our players are not yet physically fit to play two high intensity games in a week.

    On the other hand Arsenal Women are killing the game 5 up in first 20 min. that too with a strong bench than the starting 11.

  45. OT:Buendia confirmed that he had the opportunity to leave Norwich in January it might have been for Arsenal?

      1. Can anything good come out from this arsenal?i dont think so.if u put your heart supporting arsenal u get a heart attack and die young

    2. I thought Nketiah was on his way out and Balogun was going to be in. I guess Mistake Arteta is giving him a last try out.

  52. Terrible game for Gabriel…..no confidence in his movment, his passes are too weak or too strong…keeping the ball too long….he is just rubbish today

  55. So with 55 minutes gone we have had FOUR attempts on goal with ONE on target.
    One poster yesterday was saying how we don’t need to defend properly now because we always score more. That’s because Arteta has made us so much more potent in attack. I won’t name him because that would be unfair on @TMJW as he is continually wrong in just about everything. As he is here. And now Fulham have a penalty. Now we are 0-1 down. But it’s ok. According to @TMJW we always score more than we concede
    The MUG

    1. 🤣🤣🤣

      In all seriousness though…why change our sokid CB partnership of Holding and Mari

    2. 😂😂
      The problem has to be the tactics in my opinion. Focusing too much on buildup and lack of directness is the problem against Fulham.

  57. Said at the start Mari should be playing, he definitely doesn’t need a rest

    Tinkerman strikes again

    Also we’ve created very very little. Need Partey and at least one proper wing back on now

  61. Standard procedure…

    Unplayable one game, next game we are a bunch of muppets out for a stroll.

    Inconsistency of this team is unrivalled! Suppose it happens when the team continually changes.

  63. Same old, same old.
    One good performance followed by 3 bad ones..
    Arteta’s Arsenal Ladies and Gents..

    Get this man off my club…

  70. I have to admit I’m sick of all this rotating crap we should have the same spine/core of the team playing most games.

  72. Tinker
    Tinker
    Tinker
    Tinker

    Considering other top teams are in more comps than us for longer, makes no sense why we change so much

    1. This will probably be the most embarrassing game of the season
      No heart
      No passion
      No idea

  75. Arteta reminds me of Rafa Benitez… Rafa’s was Liverpool only good in cup games in Europe..
    Pathetic in League..
    Exactly same with Arteta
    Good in Europa
    Pathetic in League

    2. Let me sound it clear to u arsenal will not win the europa league with de likes of roma,villarealand man U involved .arsenal must loose against villareal take it or leave it

    1. Fulham will win 1st time at Arsenal Ground…
      So frustrating..
      Only good thing is today match is not in Midnight..

  78. This is a total failure by Arsenal standard and it is not acceptable. Arteta has got it so easy at Arsenal and he’s dropping the standard and mentality of arsenal football club on daily basis.

  79. a striker that can actually run into the box is nice to see. even if it does end up at the foot of nketiah.

  80. We now have to rely on Eddie as our CF. Not prolific enough.

    For everyone having a go at the fans that were saying that Balogun needs more game time, now you understand why!

    Bit more experience could definitely benefit our team now.

    1. We all know that arteta is not good enough for the arsenal if you think otherwise you are either a fool, a liar or not a real fan. This has been at best a absolute disgrace

  82. This guy called Ceballos, is he a footballer or dancer? he must turn around before he makes simple passes. He’s just wasting opportunities away all the time.

  84. Constant tinkering drives me mad! Holding and Mari played great, so Arteta breaks it up.

    Break up the midfield as well, and start Bellerin.

    Blame Arteta for the inconsistency, no reason for the changes. Poor player management yet again, still hasn’t learned.

    We look so slow in the build up giving them too much time to set up.

    1. Drives me insane! Ludicrous amount of changes all the time!

      1 week great,next week terrible

  88. the issue with our style is playing safe. not taking enough risk and responsibilities

    1. Short answer…

      -MA favours Eddie for over a year
      -MA finally realises hes bad
      -MA now needs to sell Eddie
      -To get a good price, he must play

    3. Arteta was average as a player and is also average as a coach.
      Bring on Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergham

  91. notice how this side never ups the tempo when we are down in a game. even with limited time left. it’s the same things we were doing earlier in the match. this team is poorly coached. and if you want to talk about mentality it’s poor as well. sleepwalking towards a 10th place finish….

  92. Saka looks frustrated with his teammates
    Understandable…
    If we play like this, soon he, Martinelli and ESR will leave For bigger club like Liverpool or Man Utd

      1. Pepe looked disinterested, as did the whole team until the last 4 minutes or so.. the entire second half was not good enough interms of attacking performance.

      1. You might be correct but still, from whatever angle you look at it, Pepe was the favourite for that ball until he decided to not go for it and try to stop Robinson with a weak body block. That was showing lack of desire in my opinion.

    1. So slow in the build up again and again, its really pathetic and dont cheer for a equaliser against fulham and again pathetic

  97. You can’t keep on changing defensive partnerships and expect the team to do well.
    I’m really getting tired of Arteta and his approach. All hope rests on the Europa league now.

  100. Well the block looked good but that effort was going comfortably wide. Also why is ESR always going towards the RW? That has been the main problem in this match IMO. No real penetration from the middle… As soon as I say that Eddie saves our blushes😅😅
    Good for him and us.

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