Confirmed Arsenal team to take on Man City – Cech starts – Guendouzi given debut

There has been an incredible amount of speculation over Unai Emery’s first line-up as the Arsenal coach, and especially which tactical formation he will use against Pep Guardiola’s Champions Manchester City.

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The first dilemma is who will be the goalkeeper, with both Cech and Leno in contention. The Back four is even harder to guess with Kolasinac and Monreal out, will it be Welbeck or Maitland-Niles to make the cut? Bellerin or Lichtsteiner? Sokratis or Holding? Mustafi or Mavropanos? It’s great to see so much quality choices!

Midfield is also difficult. Is Ramsey fit enough to start? Has Torreira been training long enough with the team to make his debut? Will Emery reward Guendouzi’s brilliant pre-season with a home debut. Xhaka and Elneny are also both in contention.

I am really hoping that we start both Lacazette and Aubameyang as both could cause City problems, and although Ozil is a certain starter, could Iwobi or Mhkitaryan be considered as well?

Anyway, I stuck my neck out and predicted this line up….

Cech
Lichtsteiner – Sokratis – Mustafi – Welbeck
Xhaka – Torreira – Ramsey
Ozil – Lacazette – Aubameyang

And here we finally have the first official Arsenal line-up under Unai Emery….

What do you think. Is that the very best team he could have chosen? It’s great he has kept faith with Guendouzi as he has had a full pre-season while Torreira has time to settle. I hope Bellerin improves from last week but I would have preferred Lichtsteiner. The rest look like safety in mind…

COYG!!!

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158 Comments

    1. They day he’s hardworking so put him there to utilise his defensive skills while being able to attack as well.Couldnt gave imagine the way he could have been destroyed 1v1.
      The CB partnership give me chills.Also why Cech and Xhaka start after a poor season is beyond me.Apparently we are told Wenger is the problem.

    2. If we ever played welbeck as a LB we’d be the eternal laughing stock – i’m amazed people on this site entertained the idea. This game will show our camaraderie, resolve, tempo and our steel. Man to watch Mikhitaryan a neat little player who i’d like to see score. As far as predictions: score-draw

    3. emery has used him there in training apparently so thatts where that comes from. It would be crazy to experiment like that against city tho. AMN is solid anyways so glad he got the start

  1. Do well boys. Whatever be the result, a new Era is upon us. Time for us fans to support and motivate the team.

  2. Finally. strong squad to face city. The only problem is the unproven welbeck at left back position

  3. Lacazette was supposed to play, not because I included him in my fantasy team but to put City on the back foot.

    1. I always find trying to micromanage a team for a coach ridiculous. U.E is an experienced & professional manager. He is the one who works with all players on a day-to-day. He must have his reasons for picking his squad. If you are not satisfied, go get yourself a coaching license.

      1. Why would l need a coaching license for a fantasy league? Are you serious? Just because I am surprised by Emery’s selection doesn’t mean I am not behind the team. Relax mate…

  4. I reckon Torreira and Licentiner ain’t ready yet.. I would have started Torreira.

    Guendozi and the boys should make us proud.

    The defense shouldn’t be careless please.

  5. Rather a 4-2-3-1 and Laca than a 4-3-3 with Ramsey. Just my opinion, I admit Emery knows best.
    Rather see players commited to team than ones holding out for cash, that’s all.

  6. Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Xhaka, Ramsey, Ozil all worry me! Haha!

    I think we’re already seeing problems that Emery has in this game. How do you start Laca, and Auba, without one of them out of position? So now one of our best players is sat on the bench. There’s no width in the team, so it’ll HAVE to come from Bellerin, and AMN, meaning Xhaka, AND Ramsey will have to be disciplined, and sit in front of the defence. But will Ramsey sit?

    What I am hoping is that our players each have specific instructions, and that they stick with what they’ve been told.

  7. ramsey over lacazette or miki makes no sense to me whatsoever .. anyway stones and laporte are vulnerable and its not their best midfield … so will stick with 2-2

  8. why Bellerin? is a uselles player
    why not Torreia ? we need grip in the middle
    why not lacazette? we need a really goal scorer
    sorry but……………………..

  9. im only counting on cech and aubameyang.
    the rest of the team does not give me cionfidence at all

  10. not too surprised torreira isn’t starting. Hasn’t played with the team much yet probably. It’s a good lineup though but I’d take Cech out and play Leno instead. Let’s see how this CB partnership does. I can’t say I’m very confident about it but let ssee what happens

  11. I am nervous.
    Both Xhaka and Guendouzi are prone to loose the ball to quick high pressing players. It can cost us. But credit to Emery for having the guts to pick Guendouzi, now we will really see, what he made of.

  12. Emery wasn’t going to start both lacazette and aubameyang vs man city especially in his 1st game when there is no torreira to compensate in midfield. lol he wouldn’t risk getting a spanking. I would love to see both start as we take the game but emery is actually thinking with his head. Vs chelsea torreira will probably start so we might see the auba-laca combo. Man city have gabriel and aguero why doesn’t play them both, spoiler he isn’t stupid.

    Weren’t you people desperate for some tactical thinking when under the previous coach ? like adjusting depending on the opposition compared to the usual all attacking without thinking which got us humiliated many times. Now you want auba-laca every match regardless we are vs the strongest team in epl. Why stop there, lets play an ultra attacking football vs liverpool as well and get crushed in counters, more 1-5, 0-6, 2-8,3-6,0-3,1-4.

    1. this is why fans are not managers lol. Aubameyang is playing in his best position. At big clubs big choices need to be made, you don’t just throw out all your best players and call it a day. All the Torreira complaining is dumb too. Unai is the one who sees him train and he obviously didn’t think he was ready yet. Give him some time, Emery has spent much more time with the players who are starting than he has with Torreira.

  13. Glad to see Guendouzi start….
    What a talent…
    So good on the ball….
    Most Arsenal fans hasn’t realised this….
    Maybe because he came from low league….
    Maybe because he came in cheap….
    Far better than Torreira and Xhaka…..
    His only weakness is lack of pace

  14. I would have started Lichtsteiner and Torreira over Bellerin and Xhaka.
    but I guess Lichtsteiner and Torreira need more game time since they came late.
    Anyway, hope it works
    COYG

  15. Its the team and shape that I expected. I wanted Litch to play and Torriera to play but I felt that they wouldn’t. I also thought he’d go with Auba lone striker.

    ……………….Cech
    Bell………Sok…..Must……..Niles
    ….Ramsey..Xhaka..Guendouzi
    ….Mkhitaryan…………Ozil
    …………Aubameyang

  16. I just hope that Unai’s training has worked because the last time Xhaka and Ramsey played together against City they were a shambles. Labelled ‘an absolute disgrace’ by G Neville I had to agree. Let’s also hope Bellerin has learnt how to mark his player and get a tackle in.
    A draw would do me at this stage.

  17. The players selected to start suggest some health issues or something of the sort. It is also an attack heavy team. I love the fact that Guendouzi is starting as he is good on the ball and passes well enough that the forwards do not have to rely on Ozil for service. I thin the team might be 4-2-3-1 or maybe 4-4-1-1. Will see. Ozil I think has been given the chance to just play as #10 and will roam.

    The team has speed on with the wing backs, so that is good, though Bellerin has to be careful. There is a chance to win this game if they do not leak goals early.

    4-4-1-1
    ……….…….……….Cech…….…….……………
    Bellerin……Sokratis……Mustafi………Niles
    Mkhitarian…Guendouzi..Xhaka….Ramsay
    ………….……………Ozil………………………….
    …..…………….Aubameyang……….….…….

    OR 4-2-3-1

    ……….…….….…….Cech…….…….……………
    Bellerin……Sokratis……Mustafi………Niles
    …………..…Guendouzi..Xhaka…………….
    Mkhitarian……..…Ozil……………….Ramsay
    …..…………….Aubameyang……….….…….

  18. Really hope the crowd does a good job. 1st sign of sustained City pressure and near total silence (reminds me of Bayern a few years back) total opposite of what is needed. Hope it changes (there is a huge season ticket allocation so tourist is not an excuse.) I hear plenty North bank chants at quiet games from people who don’t sing for the rest of the game for those that think its tourists and not the old faithful from Highbury. Feel sorry for the people that do try to get it going in these situations, just doesn’t catch on.

    1. cursed 0-1. Fingers crossed we see the crowd back Emery now Wenger has gone and will the team despite being 1 nil down to the best team in the league.

  19. Bellerin hasbeen terrible in preseason now this excuse for defending. Closer to sterling for heaven’s sake Hector, wake up.

    No wingers will cost is this season & punish us!

      1. Crowd is embarrassing every misplaced pass a LOUD owwww of disgust to make the players more jittery (tourists don’t do that) no opposite side of this either outside weak chants of Arsenal mostly only after we attack as well. It’s honestly embarrassing to support this club now. No excuse about Wenger anymore your just bad fans give up your season tickets FFS.

  20. my god !!! so easy to score against Arsenal Sterling got it easy
    I told you I dont like what i see ….this defence ohh man I see it coming for the past 10 minutes

  21. Arsenal is playing too passively , letting City have their game , not fighting enough for the ball , and why is Ozil playing so deep ? ? Looks like Ramsey is the No .10 !

  22. Czech has lost it
    Bellerin never had it, he cannot defend pass or cross
    He’s quick that’s it

  23. let’s see what Emery does to get us back in this game. Still early, but Arsenal continue to look error prone.

  24. Xhaka and Ramsey are the most useless players in the world. How Xhaka starts is beyond me

  25. This Arsenal team will struggle for even 6th position. we are now officially a mid table team
    GOOD LORD!!!!!!!
    Hope new coach can see his hands are full and get to work!!!

  26. Loudest show of support City kicking the ball out and an applause for poor AMN going off. Point is if you can make that noise then you can make that noise after. Total silence again now, couldn’t make it up.

      1. Told you miki and ozil was suicide on the wings but you were so sure with your predicted line up no cover no width snm

        1. Who do we even use for width? We’ll have to put Aubameyang out there and Lacazette as striker if that’s what we want to do. Aubmeyang tracking back to help stop mahrez and walker isn’t something I envision though.

        2. That was my prediction of what Emery would select and it was proven to be correct

          I don’t like having them as inverted wingers as well, but Emery did not have other choice, because Nelson also sucked as an inverted winger

  27. We keep making school boy errors, don’t know when this team will ever learn.. and keep playing those players good in making errors every single game

    And thinking that we are the ones at home.

      1. Don’t you know when you are at home you have that fans advantage? We don’t seem to have any advantage today, City are tearing us apart

  28. at least we’re winning the ball in advanced areas. Need to use our counter chances better. Defense is… well same story as last season fort he most part. I don’t think Bellerin will last the season as starting RB, and Cech probably won’t even make it to the Chelsea game

    1. Wow… Just 45 mins played from an entire season and you are already making a prediction for an entire season…

      1. I made it before a ball was kicked with the defence not being improved with quality we was always going to struggle just like previous years!!!

    1. I thought the fans will be backing Emery,the atmosphere looks like its Man City’s home and not Emirates…

      Auba,Ozil weren’t in the game at all hoping to see Lacazette for Ramsey during the interval tho and the midfielders Guendouzi and Xhaka need to stop turning the ball over!!!

      OT: The Cech almost scoring an own goal moment was the funniest part of the first half..

      #COYG

  29. Why is Xhaka not sold & given a long contract ? Why is he made a captain ? Strange decision !

  30. Ozil and Mkhitaryan suck as inverted wingers, that was why Emery swapped them towards the end of the first half

    Pacey inverted winger like Sterling is highly required to break the opponent’s defense. Arsenal should have gotten one in the previous transfer window

    Ramsey was not creative enough when playing behind the striker, imagine if Seri was there. Xhaka got robbed once and misplaced one pass

  31. We can’t boast 1 of the best attacks in the league and not take our chances. With that said this season will definitely expose some players under a completely different coaching staff. City are showing us how to do a high press and possession play.

    1. How many chances are we talking about?We had just two shots,and how many touches did our striker get in the whole 45mins?

      We were no match for City in the first half and the scores could have been more than 1-0 maybe we’ll see improvements in the second half tho

  32. Teething issues.

    Ramsey is the highest up field, he’s the only one closing space/passing lanes and pressing. The others aren’t on same the page.

    Guendouzi and Ramsey need more from their fellow compadres.

    Ozil needs to step it up, he’s had a few chances to play a good ball but he’s not hitting it sweet enough.

    Cech is not good at passing it from the back and neither are our defenders.

    Xhaka still showing warning signs that he could gift them at any moment.

    Very tactical approach from Unai Emery but am not sure if they are the right tactics. We need a few counter attacks going, I think that is our way in.

    …………Come on Arsenal!, come on!!!!.

    1. I have never seen Ozil stepped up from a disadvantage in a tough match like this

      Still waiting for the perfect through balls from him

      I wonder why they extended Xhaka’s contract. There are better and cheaper tall CM like him, e.g. Guendouzi

  33. We have been terrible. Our midfield is dead. The final 3rd is dead too. I have liked Sokratis a bit so far. At least he is trying.

  34. we will have our opportunity because though Walker is a speedster he’s nothing special and lacks end product – we need to put some ore pressure on him and i think we’ll reap rewards…

  35. Sterling, sorrounded by 6 arsenal players, shot into the far net.
    Our boys are having poor marking and positioning. Gendouzi runs to Sterling was useless. Infact his runs was the reason for the goal because he was easily deleted by Sterling thus giving larger room / space for Sterling to shoot into wide net.

    We are making Sterling look like Thierry Henry.

    1. Sterling is a very good dribbler, very quick and very skillful when cutting inside

      Arsenal cannot contain good inverted wingers like him. Look at what Mane and Salah did today

      That was why they should have gotten a pacey winger like them, e.g. Malcom, Bailey, etc

  36. Our stubbornness to keep playing from the back is killing our game. With the heavy pressing city is doing its making the defensive players under pressure both when we have the ball and when city are attacking. No rest time for defenders is asking for stupid mistakes.
    You can’t press the opposition players when most of the match is played in your half. Emery played Ramsey forward so he and aubameyang can press city defenders but Ramsey workrate is being wasted since he isn’t in the middle of play to harass the midfield.

  37. Not sure why everyone is so negative. I thought we played quite good after the goal and last season it would have been 0-3 at halftime. We grew into the match. Did anyone really think we would spank the champions in the first game Emery ever managed in the PL?

    We had some chances, we played hard and were better organized.

    Would have preferred Leno and no Ramsey or Xhaka but never the less I saw a better-organized team than last season with still a lot of improvement to be had.

    Support the team and be reasonable with expectations. Even when AMN went down Emery was coaching players and we got better. This is night and day from last season for me.

  38. Halleluiah, Ramsey is replaced!!! New era has come. The first replacement in 55th min ever!!!

      1. Spot on mate.

        Some players are hated in Arsenal shirts by some fan, while some players are highly insulated from insults even at a conspicuous failt.

  39. 2-0. about right. Arsenal just aren’t a team you believe can get back into a game like this. Much much work to do. This performance has not been good

  40. Arsenal had plenty of time to to get aggressive and pressing but that shows no attitude change ..no motivation no heart no goals no nothing
    M.City 2 Arsenal didnt show up

    1. Just don’t forget that we are playing against the team who has broke every record in League… In terms of Points, Goals and Money as well

      1. dont give me a lecture we are 11 against 11 and we should prevail in our own field not loosing this way without a fight till the last minute

  41. 70th minute and another big game is going by where Ozil has not been good enough. And that’s down to him. Bad decisions and poor passes.

  42. First it was Ramsey with give away possession
    Second it was Still with give away possession.
    …….,…
    Third ?

    Still loading. ……….

  43. Annoying as it is losing, Man City are the reigning champions and we are in a transitional period, its going to take longer than the first 90mins of the season for Unui to get these players playing the way he wants and more than one transfer window to get the players required and the useless ones out.

    1. Exactly – they have proven form along with a winners mentality while on the other hand we’re still trying ie to find a recipe for success…

      1. In this match ?
        Hell no sir !!!!

        I don’t think Guendozi can get 4/10 in ratings as at this 80′ minutes point

    1. Which game are you watching? If Emery has any better sight than you, he’ll never play him again in PL

  44. Lichtsteiner has probably been our best player today, needs to start, even after we get a LB fit again

    1. He’s been solid….. also think Laca should start. We lost, I’m gutted…… just glad Emery subbed Xhaka & Ramsey…. let’s batter Chelsea next week COYG

  45. We have to be the most deluded fans no offence, I said earlier during pre season that our quality does not compare to City, pool, Chelsea, even utd and spurs.. But I was labelled a pessimistic. Now look at the shitshow we are displaying here.

    1. Aaron Ramsay only attempted 11 passes in this game,his previous lowest in the Premier League for Arsenal was 26 against Liverpool in 2016 (minimum 50 minutes played)

      #Opta

  46. playing like usual loosing as always it will take time
    to improve possible months forget about today looking forward to better times……

    1. Well said.. Nothing gonna happen in an overnight…
      We are not City to throw 300 Millions in single transfer window.. And even after throwing so much of Money still they have not won CL..

  47. why are so many ppl hating on ozil today? He wasn’t that bad. And how come nobody mention miki? He has been absolutely dreadful.

  48. I don’t know what you guys were expecting…but it wasn’t a bad match in my opinion.. the guys could definitely do better..but no one was honestly expecting us to beat man city….let’s stay positive and keep cheering the team…it’s a long way from were we want to be…try remembering how it was for kloop in his first season….
    I think the new guys did ok…and we should get better with time

  49. So many really gutted Gooners , most of whom were unrealistic in their expectation before the game. I was not at all surprised and expected no more than we got. Good to see the first sub brought on in 54th minute ,NOT the 70th as in Wengers years. Much to do yet, clearly, but there were signs of organisation, shape and we were playing against an extraordinary team, as most choose to forget. Realists though, do NOT overlook the obvious gulf in class. Much better when the mobile LACAZETTE came on for the dreary RAMSEY. Emery was always going to need realistic time to clean up WENGERS MILDEW AND GET RID OF HIS DEADWOOD. HE WILL DO SO; OF THAT I AM SURE. Keep the faith and adopt realism. It helps both you and the club.

    1. I meant , of course, the first sub used for non injury. We are unlucky with the LB situation but I would have started Lichtsteiner there anyone, not AMN , who was clearly not right in that position.

      1. There you go again this season. You aren’t going to let go of Wemger’s past. IWnat’s wromg in a tactics that could have given us at least a draw today? Should the new coach not have been able to come up with such tactics? I am sure people like you would soon label the new coach a genius with the once he gets the first win(or the first strings if wins). But don’t forget we saw ALL of that under under Wenger. A coach will become a genius once he achieves MORE than Wenger with SAME caliber of players and SIMILAR spending philosophy as under Wenger. And if the board changes and starts to buy big players (check up City’s line up and at the bench)and the new coach achieves success – hopefully better than under Wenger – then it is still going to be nothing new; that will be expected. What I am saying is, what needs to change FIRST, is spending philosophy regardless of change in coach.

        1. I have no idea what your gripe with me is. I HAVE TO ASSUME THAT YOU ARE ONE OF THE VERY FEW STILL, EVEN NOW, ENCHANTED BY WENGER, even til the bitter end, when tens of thousands of absent season ticket holders regularly showed their disgust at how he managed. You have my pity therefore. I have every faith in Emery but recognise, as a realist , that he will need some sensible amount of time to clean up the mess left behind by WENGER. VIRTUALLY ALL GOONERS AGREE WITH THIS REALISM.

          1. Emery was out outmaneuvered by Pep. Wake up.

            Do you know why Czech trying to play the ball so much?

    2. Emery started 2 players different to Wenger. Those 2 are new signings and both were dirt cheap so no reason to believe they wouldn’t of been signed or played otherwise. Ramsey started and EMERY CHOOSE to start him. We lost 2-0, last time we lost 3-0 under Wenger not a big a difference. The 2 times before under Wenger we won 2-1 and drew 2-2 but don’t let that get in the way. Emery needs time, I’ll back him the same way I did Wenger but you guys are embarrassing with your hypocrisy.

    3. wenger ‘s first match as arsenal coach
      arsenal 2:0 Blackburn rovers(champions in 1995)
      emery ‘s first match as arsenal coach
      arsenal 0:2 man city(champions in 1998)

    4. Wenger inherited a team that finished 12th in 1995 below the likes Leeds United, QPR NOTTINGHAM FOREST, BLACKBURN ROVERS, , a team in total shambles, a team that had 3 managers in a year, yet the man we all insults took them to 3rd on arrival and won his first double in his first full season, @ Jon fox ur hatred for wenger is legendary lemme remind u again @ Jon fox, wenger remains our greatest ever legend! The golden trophy, 49 unbeaten run, taking us to our ever champions league finals, giving us 20 years consecutive champions league football ,expanding the fan base and improving the value of afc will always will ever remain memorable in the heart all true gunners, no amount of hypocrisy, insults, lies and propanga will change facts,

  50. Welcome to the new EPL season. My first posting here in several weeks. Not too surprised to see the display today. I believe the new coach will surely come good as he understands the players better and gets more opportunities to change players down the road. I know some of the old players still either need to come to the party or be sold. However, one point I have made severallly in the past is that, what needs to change FIRST is the “club philosophy” on spending – the quality of players. The EPL is growing in quality and you need to rise up to that accordingly, Not every coach can work, leave and achieve some things with certain caliber of players. Anyways, we are in it…let’s see how Emery responds in the next couple of matches and perhaps seasons to come. COYG!

    1. Who is going to give Emery money to compete with City, United, Chelsea or even Liverpool? There is a chance to any game, but not against Pep and City. Chelsea has some turmoil, and there might be pick up… next week, but Emery needs better strategy.

  51. I think if you are a true fan you would of seen that we had more fight today we was winning a lot and could have had a few goals. We lost but what I saw was a positive! The new kid in midfield made some mistakes but also done some fantastic stuff shutting attacks down and winning the ball for the team we looked stronger and were not bullied by city like we have been in the past by other teams and I think the future is looking bright. Like others had mentioned earlier we are playing against the champs, one of the best teams in Europe and I think we done well. We had our chances. I think Xhaka, Bellerin and Ramsey should take a break from the first team to see if they have the fight to improve and get back into the team and if you look at Liverpool three strikers up front we need to play that way also Lacazette abam miki. We lost but I saw a promising Arsenal that will only get better from here. We beat Chelsea next week!!!
    L

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