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Confirmed Arsenal team to face Chelsea – Martinelli and Timber start

Arsenal will host Chelsea in the Premier League this afternoon, and this is the team that Mikel Arteta has selected.

Arsenal team news v Chelsea

Arsenal is 15 points behind Liverpool, but the Reds have played a game more, so this fixture offers the Gunners a chance to close the gap to 12.

It remains a significant margin, but failing to reduce it today would move Liverpool closer to their 20th league title.

Arsenal are unbeaten in four matches across all competitions, though only one of those has resulted in victory.

Conversely, Chelsea has been in superb form, winning their last four matches in all competitions.

The Blues are making a late push to secure Champions League qualification, making this a must-win encounter.

However, Arsenal boast an excellent head-to-head record in this fixture, winning three and losing none of their last five meetings with Chelsea.

The Blues have also not won at Arsenal since 2021, making this a challenging task, and it will be interesting to see if they can achieve it this time.

With both teams considering this a must-win match, an exciting encounter is expected at the Emirates.

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83 Comments

  2. Nwaneri should’ve played inverted-RW and Martinelli would likely be more effective on the left wing

      2. I’d prefer Martinelli on the left wing, because he’s pacier than Trossard and Trossard has made plenty of misplaced passes

        Martinelli’s hold-up play and aerial ability are also not good enough in the CF position

        1. I don’t think Merino is either good enough in hold up play and any which ways we don’t use his aerial ability in open play
          At least Martinelli can run in behind the defence with his pace
          And we have pretty good enough quality players who can make through balls behind defence

  3. Trossard should be coming in from the bench in the second half while Martinelli plays his natural wing. Nwaneri should be starting this match.

    1. I agree with you on this Angelo.
      Either Nwaneri starts or play white at R.b and Timber at R.W
      Especially with the on form Cucurela, Timber would have kept him busy in his position to easen the burden on the R.b

  5. Strong team, and it’s good to see Martinelli start on the right. I don’t think the left suits him. Must win!!!! Strong bench.

    2. He so poor on the right.
      I also think Merino has not lived up to the expectation as a C.F.Arteta needs to rethink.

  6. I’m not comfortable with having Merino up front while Nwaneri and Butler are on the bench.

    Well, I’m not the coach so Arteta knows best.

  8. I think Nwaneri should have been played as RW, Trossard as LW and Martinelli as CF
    We could use Martinelli’s speed so that balls behind defence would suit him…

  9. Why is arteta so obsessed with martinelli (even when he’s just back from injury and suck even before injured) that he dropped d prodigy nnwaneri. Why didn’t he play until saka got injured but he plays Lewis skelly. There is something about arteta and playing or buying top attackers

  10. Surprised Calafiori is again on the bench which makes me wonder why we spent 40m for him.In any event the absence of Cole Palmer is a bonus for us but Neto could cause problems particularly if he operates on the right.

    1. He’s been like this for a few matches, he’s played all the matches since the injuries. Must be tired and lacking composure.

  13. So many chances going begging. Need to stick one away soon as Chelsea will get their own soon enough and I doubt they’ll be so profligate.

  15. Our players must start to roll around in pain and playacting more when getting tackles. Bet ya City and Liverpool or any big european team would have done it and got him sent off.

  20. Arsenal should’ve scored at least one open-play goal against the lame Chelsea in the first ten minutes of the game, but luckily Merino’s aerial ability converted a chance in set-piece

    Trossard must be replaced in the summer, because he will only get worse and slower as he ages

  21. In my line up Trossard is a bench player and Martinelli is a L.W
    We would have sealed this match by now.

  22. A deserved lead and except for Rayas error, not really troubled by a poor looking Chelsea. Chelsea are there for the beating but we sat back too much in the last 15 mins. Poor finishing from half chances, we have to be better than we are up front.

  23. Chelsea looked like they were trying to walk the ball into our net, seems familiar. Probably trying to draw a file on the edge of our box to Win a free kick to score from.

  24. Martinelli is looking lively actually taking on his opponent. He’s running cucurella ragged.

  25. Game is equal at the moment
    We need 2nd and some changes in line up
    May Nwaneri for Trossard and Martinelli on LW

  27. Fofana 2 red card offenses 1 certain yellow offences but no caution. Great refereeing.
    I can understand letting one go even partey got one but so much is suspect. Maybe there really is some match fixing in these matches.

  28. I can’t see this game staying 1 nil until it finishes. Someone will score. Let’s hope it’s us!

  29. I watched three Six Nations rugby matches yesterday and not one player dived or pretended to be injured, even after bone crunching collisions. I wish that part of rugby culture would make its way into football – Chelsea players are an embarrassment today.

    1. I’d like that too but too many overpaid wet wipes play the game now. Could be easy stopped though if referees booked them for play acting, but they won’t because their scared to get it wrong.

      1. Ref doesn’t want to ruin the game by sending him off. Now, if it was an Arsenal player ……,

  34. Kavanaugh blatantly showing his bias, how is fofana still on the pitch. Must be corruption or Match fixing.

  35. Since Reece James moved into the midfield, Chelsea have started playing better with the ball
    Before that we were winning the midfield battle

    1. That’s what managers do. They spot an issue and make changes to rectify it. Let’s hope Arteta’s change in bringing the kid on has a positive affect too.

  36. How much of a whinger is Neto. Hasn’t stopped complaining to the referee yet every time he gets tackled.

    1. I can’t wait for this season to come to an end, I have seen enough. What an insipid performance from a bang average team, very uninspiring! With Cole Palmer in that Chelsea team trust me the story would’ve been different. This team awaits a thumping from Madrid to be honest.

        1. Neto seems to always be that way. I know some people believe that players should try anything to see what they can get away with but it just rubs me the wrong way.

          HD, notice that only Palmer’s absence was noted without any recognition of us not being crippled at all. Kind of says it all.

          1. BB, I concur. How we have missed Saka and White, who have a great understanding down our right hand wing.

      2. Reggie,

        I think George Graham was made to watch the game as punishment for receiving that bung all those years ago.🤣😂😉👍

          1. I am on about what has gone on before, in a similar vein and how it hasn’t helped us in the past.

  40. Another hard watch but a wins a win, poor game overall, Arteta doing what he does best, delivering very little but just enough to keep the team competitive for champions league qualification every season.

  41. What an unsatisfying win. I guess I’ll be called a traitor for not celebrating being grateful enough to Mikel and his team but for me this game pretty much summed up why we are going to runners up once again. Outside of Rice, Saliba and Gabriel I can’t pick another Arsenal player who was better than average.

  42. Hard fought win. 3 points at this stage of the season is all that matters.

    How on earth did we not get a penalty in the first half for the hand ball by Cucurella ? He was falling over and pushed the ball with his upper left arm.

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