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Confirmed Arsenal team to take on Villarreal for first-leg clash

The teams are out as Arsenal look to earn an advantage from their opening leg of their Europa League semi-final clash with Villarreal.

This will be the first time that the Gunners have come up against their former manager Unai Emery since he quit the club 16 months, and also the first time that the two sides have met in the Europa League.

We will be hoping that there isnโ€™t another first this evening, with us unbeaten against the Spanish side in four previous encounters.

Mikel Arteta revealed important team news when revealing that all of David Luiz, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Kieran Tierney and Alexandre Lacazette were all in contention to feature this evening, although how fit they are remains to be seen.

With our understanding of the team news, we predicted the following XI to take to the field from kick-off.

Predicted Arsenal XI from earlier on today:

Ryan
Chambers Luiz Gabriel Xhaka
Partey Elneny
Saka Odegaard Smith Rowe
Lacazette

How do you see this encounter playing out after seeing the line-up?

Patrick

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Tags Europa League Villarreal Villarreal v Arsenal

292 Comments

  1. The Red Devils also switched off! The absence of the supporters at the stadiums have affected some players badly

  2. So far so bad. The idea of persisting with Chambers as a fullback is an idiot move, while the Xhaka experiment is also on the skids. Doesn”t say anything for Arteta when his only attacking weapon has been Tierney’s overlapping which has allowed Saka and ESR to find more space. Not today though. Mikel; Where is your plan B or C? I guess its with Pep, hoping that he”ll take you back.

  3. We don’t really know what we want for this football club, we as Arsenal fans. If some of you can believe in this team and the way Arteta is messing up with people ‘s emotions by playing his favourites ahead of better players all through the season.

  5. Aubameyang, Martinelli, Nketiah, all on the bench. No Balogun and Arteta is using Smith as a striker. What a shame.

  6. Trying to set up Arsenal like City is a big shame on Artea. For God sake we have 3 strikers on the bench. What is this rubbish? Nawa o!

  7. That 1st offside call on Pepe wasn’t offside though.
    And the handaball call – the ball hit the players’ hands, so no handball.
    Var we know always does us…

      1. Imagine getting out played by the worst manager in our clubs history and fans are still making excuses for Lego hair

        2. Those fans are really blinded by faith or illusions! its unbelievable that they support a failed rookie

  10. Unlike city last night we just donโ€™t have a team of competent ball players under pressure.

    Our possession is mostly without any kind of penetration going from left to right and back again in a obvious fashion. Despite our reputation as a possession team we are pretty impotent despite having the ball.

    Absolutely madness not playing with a recognised striker also.

    I see Villarreal getting another from their 3rd attempt on goal;)

  11. We are playing a bang average side and making them look like world beaters. Substitutes please before it’s too late

    2. ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃthe ref is a twat but he only has himself to blame

  16. Arteta should have pulled cebalos off obvious he was on a yellow and hea a hot head obvious hed go soon!

    2. Mate ,he should have been taking off after 10 mins ,heโ€™s shit and to make it worse heโ€™s a bloody hot head ,but I suppose this gives the path Arteta fans an excuse now .

      1. I am confused. I remember it was him who called it and then I saw kev comment above. Maybe they both called it?

        1. because of you i went and searched through all the comments from Dan kit (as that was much more interesting than the bloody match ๐Ÿ˜‚) I think it was only kev who commented that ๐Ÿค”

          1. Does it matter Who called it sigmois?
            If Kev can see it why canโ€™t our amazing manager see it .
            Ceballos ilas cost is all season and heโ€™s not even an Arsenal player

  18. Not a second yellow. But then, you make no sub on a player who was already a few fouls away from getting into trouble again and was adding nothing to the game. Total amateur. He’s got to go.

  20. Why on earth did Ceballos stay on the pitch after his early second half foul? Immediately, I expected Soares to come on for him and Xhaka drifts to the middle.
    Arteta is not getting it right in any way.

  22. Mikel Arteta is just a con man. Coming to tell us what will make us happy. “They are all in contention…” Get him and the Kroenkes out now.

  23. Completely obvious to anyone with eyes Ceballos was a walking red card. Why wasnโ€™t he substituted? Shocking management. We absolutely deserve to lose this match.

  26. Just watch it the 1st foul partey will make he will get sent off. Ref is a biased tw@t. Got a yellow for protesting ceballos red card

  27. Please Guardiola take Arteta back with you must need someone to collect the balls from the training pitch cos that’s all hes good for!! Where are all the Arteta fan club now gone into hiding not mentioning any names but one one particular stands out!!๐Ÿค”

  29. So out of the last cup as well, let’s list down all the Arteta fan boys excuses in advance

    – Cebollos got a red that is why we lost.
    – Laca did not play, bec that is what we do when we have a player out all of sudden he is deemed as the go to player.
    – Luiz was injured.
    – Tierney was injured.
    – biggest one of all this Arsenal team is worst then Villarreal.

    Truth is #fakePep tried to do what city did yesterday even though we had three strikers on the bench and failed miserably. You can not play the city system because our midfield is not a goal scoring midfield like city. Arteta has made Partey into a championship player. He used to play under a great manager like Simone to shxt like Arteta.

  30. …told this stubborn manager to change Ceballos and Partey. Now see.
    He’s not even helping his case at all

  31. I have intense dislike of Ceballos not as person but because he doesn’t put heart in playing for us. Even players on loan make an effort but this person take us like a city boy who has gone on a holiday to the village.

    1. The same week he says his game isn’t fit for premier league and he wants to go back to spain…. Arteta plays him in our most important match of the season. Ceballos should’ve been ditched ages ago. I was NOT in favor of him coming back a second season either. He was only good for a few months, but people LOVE to jump to conclusions about players if they are half decent for a short period of time.

      1. the truth is not a single player on the pitch has been good for an extended period of time outside of Saka, who is finally dropping form… He’s a teenager lets remember who we are putting all our hopes in.

        1. RSH, you beat me to it – the player has said himself he wants to go back to RM and yet he is selected to play!!!!
          Complete madness when Xhaka should have been playing in that position anyway.

          At least we have a chance to win the tie, with Tierney, Lacs and Aubameyang all 100% fit.

          What a ridiculous decision not to have a LB to cover for Tierney.

    3. @HH. I used to think you had a football brain but your last few comments tells me maybe an off day today?
      Ceballos is a good player but again when you have to play in front of or with xhaka means you need to do more work.. He and partey having to play to the novices tactics guarantees their poor performance.
      Not one commented when I mentioned LAST SEASON on the novices side to side and back to move 1 yard tactics.
      Now you can all see??

  33. Lets be honest.. the second worst manager in our history is about ten times better than our worst manager in our history.. and Villareal is NOT better than arsenal its just about the manager, even with emery as manager we would have destroyed Villareal but the wannabe Pep is just a rookie who thinks too highly of himself

  37. I wouldn’t give that as penalty.
    B I’ll take it anyway, having been cheated on a number of calls

  39. Just going through the countless comments from fans on here to take ceballos off will make you understand how inept Arteta is.
    He is totally clueless

  44. Anyone else get the feeling we just can’t score from open play?

    Let’s the how this new development goes tho

  46. IMO even if we draw this match / irrespective of the result we should kick arteta out and try to find a top manager before the next leg as to still have a chance in the EL because there is NO PROCESS so dont trust it

    1. Arteta will linger until mid-next season unless ownership changes. Even thoguh he’s been exposed time and time again as not good enough.

    2. Never gonna happen.

      Not saying it isnโ€™t a good idea but itโ€™s just not the clubs way.

  48. Shouldn’t we just get another red card if that will bring us another goal. It seems we can’t break them down level on men

  49. That ref is looking to be the star of the show its bloody obvious. Look how he gets in the face of the player to give the cards. The ground slippery as hell yet giving cards for player slipping.

  50. Why would arteta not use any other subs? Take Pepe off Nelson? Partey for a midfielder. Someone thatโ€™s hungry sitting on the bench wanting to make a name for themselves. Think about the players on the bench knowing the opportunity is never coming there way.

    1. Nothing like being pessimistic about the the future
      Crazy defending cost us but we have KT back next game
      Nothing in this game showed us that we have any thing to fear
      We looked better we went down to 10

  54. We were playing better after that “known accident waiting to occur,” was red carded. Then Arteta boom bring on Aubameyamg…

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