Confirmed Arsenal team to take on Leicester with formation change

Arsenal have named their team to take on Leicester today, with an exciting 4-3-3 formation being used.

Fans have been calling for a change, with the back three deemed too defensive, and their prayers have been answered.

The Spaniard has opted to name a midfield three of Thomas Partey, Dani Ceballos and Granit Xhaka today, and with Bukayo Saka getting the nod in a front three.

Confirmed XI as found on the Arsenal website:

1 Leno
2 Bellerin
23 David Luiz
6 Gabriel
3 Tierney
8 Ceballos
34 Xhaka
18 T. Partey
7 Saka
9 Lacazette
14 Aubameyang (c)

Substitutes
13 R. Rúnarsson
15 Maitland-Niles
20 Mustafi
25 Elneny
28 Willock
19 Pepe
30 Nketiah

With Partey playing between both Xhaka and Ceballos, I can’t help but be excited ahead of the kick-off, although I do hold some reservations over David Luiz in a back-four once again.

A clean sheet will not be my priority tonight, but it should be a refreshing change, and as long as we get the win, I’m more than happy to see us work on making this system work.

In even better news, Jamie Vardy has been given a place on the bench, seemingly showing that he isn’t deemed fit enough to complete the 90, and they appear to be fielding one of Harvey Barnes or James Maddison up front in his place.

Can David Luiz prove himself in a conventional defence again? Will Xhaka and Ceballos relish the freedom in midfield that Partey should unlock for them? What are your predictions for tonight after seeing the team?

Patrick

Tags Dani Ceballos Granit Xhaka Thomas Partey

231 Comments

  1. Finally Arteta and his sissy boys proving Deeney was right.

    Tottenham, City and United will go above us and that makes it our lucky 13.

  2. The Arsenal we all knew is gone. This team has to rely on a defender for creativity and even if he provides there is no one good enough to convert it, because Auba is wasted on the flanks. So sad.

  3. As soon as Pepe came on for Saka, I was like “why Saka and not Auba or Laca? This guys will concede soon” , and few minutes later the goal came. I hope Auba’s case will not end up like that of Ozil too, because he’s gradually going the Same road.. And what was MA smoking when he made that substitution, I’m done supporting him, he’s so negative in his philosophy.

    1. Unfortunately Saka needed to be replaced because he had already picked up a couple of knocks. Hope he won’t be sidelined.

  4. This is utter foolishness by the club and the coaching staff ,this team couldn’t even beat Barnsley why have saliba Training and you don’t even pick him over Mustafi who is just returning from injury. Why is there so much obsession over laca. Balogun cant get game time in this arsenal team is a joke. A rather lose with the youths than watch this horror show

    1. True, Laurent. Pressure needs to be put on our forwards. Dont get why Balogun isn’t being seen as an option either. Couldn’t explain what is going on with Saliba either. He’s being totally mismanaged. Some cracks are starting to show. Dont think Mikel is making the best choices lately. No way should Saliba be on the outskirts of this team. We’ve just seen Saliba’s former teammate Fofana put in a great display and they are the same age.

  5. Arteta is not good enough to manage this club,,, lacazette is a waste,,,, whether the ball from Tierney was not cross the right way or not that should have been goal,,,, we have created more chances during Emery era than MA,,,, we don’t concede goals as before should not be an excuse to condone boring football,,, I don’t see arsenal making top if they continue this way…. Ozil is never the answer for those calling on him to be played by arteta he is not debrune or even old Juan Mata, ozil should go for good ,,,,,auba should be played centrally,,,, we have pacy players but no of the players can them release with a quality so shameful,,,, knocking the ball around without purpose ,,,,

  6. It’s really sad to have lost but I really can’t understand why we are calling for Arteta’s head already…. Com’on, we all read our posts before the game when the team sheet was released and we all praised Arteta… Com’on Arsenal fans, blame the specific players who failed to perform, but we cannot blame Arteta…. Please tell me, was it the absence of Ozil that caused our goal to be ruled out in broad day light by VAR; Was it the absence of Ozil that caused Lacazette to miss those sitters! It was so clear that Leicester played 11 men behind the ball and any team will find it hard to break such, even those teams with Sterling and Debruyne could not! And when Leicester decided to come out against Westham and ASTON villa, they were comfortably beaten! No one is saying Leicester played negative football but if we had beaten them, then everyone will critic them and praise Arsenal… Please apply thoughts even when your minds are burning and bursting splinters!

    Please blame a few heavy legged players but not Arteta! What can Arteta do with the kind of players we have? Players who can’t control the ball in tight spaces, players with very poor first touches… Please what an Arteta do? He has played 3-4-3 to solve our defensive woes and was doing well, and we started complaining…. He bought Partey and now switched to 4-3-3, and we all are spitting pure poison after he loses!

    Please tell me, can you all employ ZEUS to coach Arsenal! Atleast I am sure he could send thunder to your various hideouts from where you all are spitting poison…

    Now, its gone… We lost… We are looking forward now… Arteta has seen and he will learn from what went wrong…. And something I am sure about is that Arteta will change the midfield to Cellabos – Partey – Elneny, and this will solve the problem for now…

    Please dear Arsenal fans, critic as freely as you may want… But think deeply and know its not Arteta’s fault… He will surely learn going forward… We cant burn the 9 months of progress made already because of these results, when we all can see great strides being made… We kept Leicester caged for that long… … Arteta has a lot to solve with our Arsenal team, which he has inherited… Arteta we stand for! The process is right, the results will surely follow.

    1. So now all the expensive players are at fault! LOL!

      If Arsenal is now 10th, or worse, as some of the early victories were not deserved, who is to blame? Arteta and the Kroenkes who do not want a creative mid-fielder.

      So we have these great players making lots of money, and they cannot attack! It is the way they are being told to play. With no option down the middle they look silly… it is so easy to defend against a team that passes back wards!

      1. JJ Pawn…

        Arteta inherited 9 out of the 11 players out on the pitch today… Only Partey and Gabriel were his own acquisition… And still, they were the better players today… All Arteta has tried to do since he took reign was try to improve the bunch he was left with… He saw our defensive leak as the paramount problem to be addressed at the moment…. And in order to address our defensive woes, he ensured that every player needs to work harder and run back…. You can see that they tired out in the second half and couldn’t cover spaces as they should…. Arteta can only work with what he has… But I know he is on the right path… The process is correct no matter the results we are seeing at the moment… Please take a leave from Klopp, who lost so many matches in the first and second season, but they kept steadfast to the process because they knew it was the right process…. Let us learn as well, and be positive…

        If you want to blame the Kroenkes, then I wouldn’t say much.

        A parting message: I can tell you that majority of the games Elneny has played, Arsenal won, and expressed a greater stability in the midfield…. Arteta will surely now play Cebalos – Partey – Elneny and I am convinced it will work… Elneny created the pass for Belerin in the mid week game…. He also initiated the move that led to the goal in the Sheffield game…. I feel he is greatly under looked and he will be the stability we need until we get in a creative midfielder…

        Honestly, even the best creative players in the world would find it very difficult to break a team with 11 men behind the ball….

  7. ——————Leno——————-
    Bellerin–Mustafi–Gabriel–Tierney
    ——–Partey —— Saka/Xhaka——
    —–Pepe——Ozil——–Auba—–
    ————-Nketiah/poacher———

    The football they are playing is silly. There is no attack through the middle! So the attacks on the wings are so easily stopped. Then they attack through the middle!

    Using Ozil as a roaming AMF allows Arsenal to get the best of his vision and knowledge. (Football is not just running like a chicken without its head.) Silly ball chasing is not as good as it seems. When Arsenal has the ball, let Ozil draw the defenders of the other team to him. Then the wings will open for more Auba and Pepe goals.

    We still miss that tall target where Giroud played. Laca is no Giroud. With Ozil, who can create aerial threats, we need to use another taller player… who? In January we need to find such a player and sell Laca.

    So sad to see Arsenal playing so poorly. Now we are 10th. Already the whispers are starting. Why is Arteta not able to work with players with heart, like Guendozi and Ozil? Why is Arteta the “Manager” for the Kroenkes?

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