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Confirmed Arsenal XI for today’s trip to rivals Tottenham

The teams are out for tonight’s big North London Derby clash, where Arsenal are hoping to secure a win over Tottenham which will secure their place in the Champions League.

The two sides come into this with differing form, but with home advantage and with so much motivation for victory, it would be naive to expect anything from today’s matchup.

We were well aware that both Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney were to miss out, with the pair still unlikely to feature again this season, but Ben White and Bukayo Saka were doubts for the selection according to the boss. With this in mind, we opted with the following predicted XI earlier on today:

Ramsdale
Tomiyasu Holding Gabriel Cedric
Odegaard Elneny Xhaka
Saka Nketiah Martinelli

As you can see below, we was spot on.

How do you expect the fixture to play out after seeing the Gunners starting XI?

Patrick

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Tags Spurs Tottenham v Arsenal

274 Comments

  8. I really hope we win this but seeing Cedric their is not giving me much confidence. Tonight Tomiyasu should play any wing Son plays.

  9. Son and Kulusevski are way to quick and clever for Holding. Huge defensive weakness. They are lined up to defend strongly while Arsenal flail in attack. Maybe a lucky goal like pool got. Conte can count on 2 on counterattack and 1 set piece . Arteta is giving them 3 pts and hoping to beat the others. Ramsdale can save the day.

        1. As much as ir pains ne to say win or even get a point away tonight would be incredible.

          Fgh and 3ffort gets you so far but I dint think too many would disagree that spurs front 3 at least are far superior and deadly compared to ours.
          Given the choice of Kane son and Kulesevski I’d have Son every day.
          A lethal front 3.

          Praying for q point and hoping for a win coyg!!

    2. Bar early goal we are not playing a very high line
      Holding is still our best defender for me
      He may not be fast or flashy but he sure can defend

        1. We are gonna need him to be as Kane the Arsenal reject always is up for it when playing against his rejectors!

  10. Ha I don’t like this formation o. We should have showed Spuds some respect and go with the same formation like Chelsea. It’s easier to beat spuds playing them at their own tactics. I see a week link in C Soars his positional awareness is poor I hope Saka is fit enough to help out. This attacking formation may leave us open at the back. A 3-4-2-1 could have been better. I am not too optimistic I hope Arteta proves me wrong. I see Guadiola’s error in ArtetA I sincerely hope I am wrong

    1. I agree with you. I would have gone for 3 – 4 – 3.
      3: Tomiyasu, Holding and Gabriel
      4: Cedric, Elneny, Xhaka, Tavares (I know but he is only wingback not leftback).
      3: Saka, Nketiah & Martinelli.

      Hope Arteta proves me wrong.

    2. Sylvia
      Perhaps Arteta will play a 3-4-3 with Saka right back.
      I also don’t want us to leave any space open to Son

  12. We won when Tierney and Smith-Rowe skinned Doherty on the left wing. I think we should’ve fielded Tavares to help Martinelli give Royal a torrid time, but Tomiyasu could be very useful and dangerous in set-pieces

  13. I worry as Saka is reportedly not at 100% match fitness but still starting the match. But let us see if he’ll be in the driving seat for Arsenal in the match but not a passenger in it for us. Why didn’t Arteta move Martinelli to the rightwing to start and ESR to leftwing to start if he doesn’t want to start Pepe at RW?

  14. We have to be careful with SmithRowe, he is far too good to keep being benched, when you consider the likes of Nketiah, Xhaka and Elneny are playing ahead of him. I know positionally he is not the same, but the manager needs to be able to find a way to play his best players.

  15. Support the Arsenal! Cmon guys support who is playing. This is the big one. Arteta decides who plays and how we play. In arteta we trust!!! Come on you GUNNERS 🤮🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

  16. Nice line up, I suspect Arteta is trying to play on Spurs intelligence,
    First he makes them believe Saka is out, now he makes them feel he’s playing a 4-2-3-1 but I feel on the pitch the formation will change,

    Spur’s attack is their strength, frustrate Son and Kane and Spurs will fall,

    I just feel Tavares should have started, he adds aggression and speed to the team, though his prone to wrong passes, which could cost us a lot,

    Either way, we should win, Spurs are weak mentally .

  20. Come on boys,we believe in you, don’t let us down please.💪👊 COYG!
    I probably shouldn’t be drinking coffee before or during the game.

  27. Well he hadn’t scored in the last 2 NLDs… so he had to get a penalty… which looked like a dive to me

                1. same Kev. You could just tell by his reactions to everything the ref was doing he wasn’t in the right frame of mind for this game. I did not see Holding going 90 minutes the second he got his first yellow.

  30. Hate to say it but told you the dodgy referring would matter at some point. Neville was 100% convinced without a replay seriously. We will still win but the bias is real.

  32. Trying to be too clever and not doing the basics . Got found out! Just what we need the crowd getting behind them having us silenced the spuds and crowd..

    You watch . They will hit us on the counter now.

    Bad move.

    1. Arsenal is always lost when they conced the first goal
      In all our 4 winning run we are the team to score first

          1. Arteta should have seen Holding was pumped up like a nutter but did nothing yet we all see he should be replaced.

              1. I think the game is done Sue onto the next one and let’s hope Burnley give them a better game than we did.

      1. Elneny joining in now with let’s give the ball to the opposition.

        And Gabriel off….

        Bang goes 4th

  39. Spuds on the march and growing in confidence. We however can’t manage a piss up in a brewery. Holding is another idiot.

    1. Kick off goal!!
      God conte and spurs as a pair make me sick.
      Dint like the guy but he knows how to get teams playing.

      Could be 6 or 7?

  43. I just dont understand how our players behave. You are on a yellow card, you have to have that in mind

    1. Shut up other teams don’t get those cards they don’t I’ve monitored it all season. League wants a showdown.

      1. that was a 2nd yellow. And Holding was fouling all game. Rattled just by Son’s precense. Which is why I really wanted White ready for this one. Holding is not at this level.

  45. @kev82
    Not horrendous fair he’s booked holding for persistent fouling.
    Hopefully we can target Davies and get him.semy off for 2md yellow.

  46. And that’s why I’m not exactly sad I can’t watch the game. Let’s hope the floodgates don’t open.

    1. Which is why MA needs to stop counting on youth too much. Arsenal about to get a mauling..

      1. There always needs to be a calm head in a defensive line. I dont think Arsenal have any. If anyone it was White who could not start today. The rest of the defenders are riddled with panic every other game. So worried about Son when he hadn’t done anything all game besides one run.

    1. Keep quiet….It was the same tram that was winning ….the same team that won the last 4….I don’t understand whatsup with people…you have no point here

  51. Game over. Season done!

    Bottled it. Tried to be too clever and giving passes away to help your opposition get the ascendancy.

    1. Not one bit surprised by this crap
      Embarrassing and it will get worse it could be 6 or 7

      1. P*ssed off Sue! Arteta did nothing when Holding was a certified red card and gets called a genius yet bums like me can see he needs to come off! Not watching anymore of it.

          1. Yeah smug little git 😑 the whole media wanted that lot to win and we show up clueless as per usual

                    3. Gearing up all day to watch NLD to watching Rob & Romesh and ordering a takeaway the life of an Arsenal fan 😂 yeah I heard Wade had a heart attack or something in Germany 😯

                    5. Not even I haven’t had dinner yet 😂 oh well it’s Arsenal Sue it’s expected it’s been like this for a decade or more and I’d expect more of the same for the next 3 years I’m sorry I just don’t rate Arteta but nothing can be done now.

                    7. No not eaten much today 😑 read xhaka got booked so I think he’s banned for 2 games and Gab M hamstring absolute disaster top 4 is probably gone now.

                    9. I give up expecting anything from that team anything that comes good now will be a pleasant surprise right Sue ?

    2. I was terrified for this game after watching spurs push pool the other night. The spurs front 3 are fierce and with Moura to come on if needed. Could be a cricket score.
      We need to win both of our last two games period.

      1. I still hope we return 2nd half Sue, the ref looks sus but Holding’s one felt deserved….
        Hope someone somewhere conjures up a miracle in this game

    1. That may very well change in the future, momentum might be with them for the run in…. I hope we can still salvage something from here..

    2. Yes Dboy, but what if goal difference comes into it at the final reckoning. They could get an extra hatful before the game ends.

  57. Notice we do this in most of our high pressure games. I think it’s to avoid responsibility sometimes. These guys cannot handle the pressure. I can’t envision them in any major final, let alone a title race.

  58. Any manager that plays xhaka as an attacking midfielder has no business managing a top club in my books

  59. I can’t watch this anymore. I am not expecting them to win, so better save energy for Newcastle game. Emery season flashbacks are coming.

  61. this ref is shit.

    probably been instructed to make spurs win so it comes down to the last game and makes epl more popular

  62. I know we can still get Champs League even if we lose tonight. Do you think Silent Stan will feel he’s been bit premature in giving Arteta another contract before it was secured.

    3. Not one bit. In giving him a contract because we had mad ‘a’ European competition tells all about the level of ambition of this club under Stan ‘I’m not in it to win it’ Kroenke.

      This is why we haven’t been in the champs league for 14 years and when we were we o it maw up the numbers bar the early opportunity in the comp.

  63. So disappointed!

    Still a point ahead so we have to beat Newcastle & Everton or that’s it. Still in our own hands tonight isn’t the night!!

        1. SueP, Newcastle if they play the way they played against City for the opening 10 – 15 min, there is only little hope. It would be really harsh to loose Champions League now. The only consolation is we never expected this much at the start of the season.

          1. It’s gone tonight
            Can only hope for 2 more mature performances than we’ve seen so far

  66. HOLDINGS WOEFUL LACK OF QUALITY SHOWN UP STARKLY! I COULD SEE THAT SECOND YELLOW COMING. IT WAS OBVIOUS, STRAIGHT AFTER HIS FIRST. HOW WE MISSED WHITE.
    GAME ALREADY LOST AFTER 37 MINS. 2-0 DOWN AND OUT!

    1. jon, didn’t we know tho that Arsenal winning and not giving us panic attacks the final 2 games of the season was too good of a fantasy. It’s more of a disappointed but not even SLIGHTLY surprised mood for me.

    3. And to think that Holding was probably on for a new contract and Saliba was probably going to be sold. I wonder what will happen with them both now Holdings been clearly shown to be a non-top four player.

    4. yes jon.

      Ben White is much calmer and composed.

      Holding has been in this squad for a long while. He should have been wiser. Having been booked, you have to be composed.

    5. Bit reactionary, Jon. Holding has played well in plenty of big games before. He’s lost his head here (I thought initially he was trying to rattle Son)
      This just seems like a backhanded way of complimenting an arteta signing at a strange time. If we lose this badly, arteta still has to accept some blame you know – he prepares them for the game

      1. Same thought Davi. I remember Holding trying to get in Mane’s head at one game… similarly here I thought he was trying to put off Son from his game but sadly it was not to be…

        1. Yes, I thought it was working earlier and Son showed frustration and was actuary at fault for their second coming together, but Holding has messed it up now, obv. It can be a fine line, but he should have calmed down after the yellow.

  67. Arsenal have given the Spuds, media and pundits what they wanted. An Arsenal team that collapses under pressure. I just can’t believe what I’m watching. Where was the brains? Where were the tactics? Where were leaders. Holdings lack of intelligence has possibly cost us CL football.

    1. Spot on, GunneRay! Knowing what’s at stake, it’s absolutely ridiculous..
      A Manc said to me we’d bottle it, but on the final day 👀

  68. Son worls class and hard for any cb to handle, they needed to win and had rhe fact we pushed back on this fixture before and beat them 3.1 at ours to use a motivation.

    Let’s finish the season and get to the transfer window, heard we bid on Gabriel Jesus today, another Gabriel!!

  70. Love the slow down replays to pretend they didn’t just bump into each other. They start it just as the contact is about to happen and slow down. If you watch it a few frames back son just runs into him. The fact holding puts arms up is constituted as an elbow when son literally forced his arm back into his face earlier…is a joke.

    2. It’s all in your MIND Angus. You’re doing everything in your power to convince yourself and others that that was not a send off. Get to learn the rules of football

    3. Angus, i marvel at the level of officiating in the EPL.

      The season Liverpool won the League, i lost count of the number of times, Mane would elbow an opponent full back and the rf just looks on

      1. I agree. I didn’t say he didn’t deserve to go. He knew he was on a yellow and does that crap. He was more interested in intimidating Son than playing the game.

    2. There was no need for Holding to be so tight and niggly with Son. Holding lost his head. He may have cost us CL football?

  72. A game like this was screaming out for your top players in the right positions .. arteta as a nervous novice opted for continuity with a team that had been outplayed at home by a 10 man relegation bound team … what could possibly go wrong !!!!!

    1. I am not an Arteta fan, and I have many times calls for his sack but this is not in any way his fault. Holding and Cedric already cost us the match

      1. Thank you have no problem with people that don’t rate Arteta if they judge on what happens not made up fantasy.

    2. Said I was done replying properly to idiots but curious which more experienced players would you have replaced holding/Cedric with? Given they are A some of the oldest players in the squad and B had no experienced alternatives.

      1. To add your supposed to support the team, if we lose then we just need to win the next 2 against bottom half teams to get cl. So its rally round time not try to gloat about your own personal pet peeve time. You’ll have all summer to slate Arteta. Fans like you obviously would prefer we miss out on top 4 just to be right. Depressing.

        1. Angus
          Please
          We all feel your pain
          It’s our pain as well but try and moderate it a bit

    4. Angus you seriously need to stop telling people who have been on this site a lot longer than yourself to shut up.. these people are entitled to their opinions.

    5. Bloody hell i thought angry Angus had got moderated Adpat
      How many fellow fans as he told to shut up again ?

        1. Yea sue and Kev
          He completely goes off on one when someone says something against his views
          At the end of the day even if we lose it’s still in our hands ,it’s gone wrong we go again .

          1. If I was in his company during an Arsenal game I’d be decked out in full chain mail Dan 😛

  73. I honestly can’t blame the referee, Holding has been battling with Son even before the first yellow card. The last foul was really unnecessary because Son can’t even get to the ball.

    2. Son hit Holding’s elbow, not the other way around. Holding just raised his elbow slightly

      The penalty decision was dubious

      1. Try telling some people that. Win the next two it’s over and the usual suspects will complain it was lucky or something else. Fail and we’ve got a summer of negativity despite the young team, fun.

  74. Calm down everyone, Holding deserved it, yes we are down to 10 men and yes we will lose this game, likely heavily but we are still 4th and will be whatever the result!

    1. Agree but hard to see the woods for the trees right now. Still, would rather be in our shoes (after tonight is over that is)

    2. It’s about bottle and we don’t have it as evident today. Therefore we will bottle it again when push comes to shove and there is actually something to play for.

      Been like this for yonks..

  75. I can’t listen to this commentating team – very pathetic!

    Holding is monster. He practically turned Son to dumbbell.

    How was that a penalty? I can’t see anything.
    The corruption is back.

  76. Two days ago I saw the worst 20 minutes of a professional footballer at Leeds when James was so pumped up he got sent off.

    I love Holding but he’s out-Jamesed James. Stunning lack of composure from one of our most experienced players.

    Before that I was feeling relatively calm that we would peg it back – despite Neville’s punditry hat everything good was done by a Spud.

  77. Well we are in for a hiding if things dont change… minimal hopes for a second half comeback except if the whole Spurs team somehow got drunk. Will it be final day madness then?

      1. What happened to the Emirates cup? No teams to win now that Real and PSG are also using same sponsors? 😂😂

  79. Arsenal players need to sit down with a sports psychologist before every high intensity games where stakes are so high. Why do we most of the time end up with giving away penalty and red card in these matches? This has been going on for long time now specially under Arteta we see players making stupid decisions on field. Arteta needs to get to the root cause of this and needs to pit things right.

  80. This is why I sometimes dislike soem Arsenal Fans…though I am one. We were controlling the game until the refree decided to be the hero…How is that a penalty.
    Didn’t you notice..He blew the whistle for handball…but he had to change…you can’t tell me that nudge was good enough for a penalty.

    Calm down guys…Anyone that sees all the rantings will think we are the 5th. This is pure robbery…It’s the premier league’s doing and we played into their hands.
    Spurs can’t win their last 2. Quote me…
    They won’t beat Burnley…

    1. The game is rigged. The penalty decision and Holding’s second yellow card were harsh

      1. GAI
        Regardless
        Holding wasn’t level headed at all. He’d have got a red card sooner rather than later

        1. He could have been more composed if the referee didn’t send him off, but the damage is done. Arsenal should complain after the game, because his second yellow was an unfair decision

  81. the amount of times ive seen Kane take a PK against us is just insane. It’s a yearly ritual.

  84. The assault on Son was a straight red!!!
    I don’t know what Angus is watching, but it isn’t the one I am.

    Why blame Arteta? He kept a winning team together and Holding let us down.
    Simple as that….. And now it’s 3-0.

      1. Can’t you? Not at all? (is this sarcastic?)
        I mean, maybe, but it is possible to get players too riled ahead of a very big game

    2. Assault really in the next week I’ll prepare videos of sons arm in holding face, the subsequent time he pushes his elbow back in holdings face when they are the ground and the collision you call assault expect the apology when I do and the video will get taken down for copy-write fairly quickly after.

  89. I think we will win the next two matches to make it into champions league as we only do dump acts in matches against top 6. Next season we need to get a proper LB as Tierney is another diaby, he spends more time on table then on field. Also why oh why would you let Saliba go on loan while keep holding. Saliba is even better then white n Gabriel, he is calm and don’t rush in heat of the moments like Gabrieal does in lot of matches.

    1. This is not France. Saliba still need to prove himself in the Premier league. And if he was thrown in the deep end and messed up you would be the first to tell him how useless he is. So the loan was good for him, it helped him a lot.

      1. Where was Gabriel playing last season? White only had one season in EPL that too with a poor team. Saliba was sighted as better n more talented player then both. Also he has played on international stage for a team like France who currently are if not the strongest then one of the strongest teams in world. Your just annoyed I raised finger at your precious Arteta lol!

  90. All about avoiding huge embarrassment of an avalanche of Spuds goals now. And avoiding key injuries!!! . Holding will be no loss at NEWCASTLE anyway.. He will surely be sold in the summer and better be.

    I’d gladly take”just” a 4-0 loss after the third just went in. Disaster night, made worse by MA ‘s stupid delay in sending onWhite.

    1. He’s not brought White on because he’s ensuring he’s 100% fit for the Newcastle game …this game is over.

      1. Arteta must have been hoping White could give him a 15 minute cameo a la Holding in a five at the back. Let’s hope he’s fit for Monday.

  91. Burnley, help us! You’re our last hope because….. I don’t see this team doing what needs to be done. What’s more annoying is that there is always massive buildup to these games, then Arsenal ends it in the 1st half by getting reds and there is no point watching the rest 😂

  92. No they were not, it was a clear penalty and holding is lucky to get a yellow that was a straight red.

  94. @ken1945

    I agree but my only argument is why was aryeta saying were going to go for it? With son up front you need to expect a battle and need a fast cb to go up against him.

    Why did we not set up defensive with 5 across the back and try and sneak a goal through set piece or break away?
    This is naive and could be huge in terms of motivation and confidence for the final games.

  95. Clueless
    Gutless
    Spineless
    Are we all still happy with arteta.
    What a great idea to give him a new contract before the season ends we are useless

      1. So ask fellow fans is 4th good enough? Bearing in mind the amount if money we spent and as we were not I Europe so had to play less games. I remember a lot people said if we were out of Europe we can mount a series title charge like Liverpool did under BR, now all of a sudden I see same fans who were after Wenger’s neck are saying 4th is big achievement and 5/6th is still acceptable.

  96. @logic

    Doesn’t make sense buddy!

    We are impossible to predict that’s what’s so frustrating.

    Who would have said aftet losing against Palace Brighton and then the saints we’d beat Chelsea and Man U. #totally unpredictable

    What we need is an older head at the back to calm things.

  97. Just seen Nketiah’s name mentioned on the bbc match live text. First time he’s been mentioned. How little must he have seen of the ball in the first half.

    1. may as well take him off. he’s only our striker and cant afford to lose him…. oh yeah laca is on squad…. so def take him off. 🙄

  99. Screw referees, screw arguements, we are still 4th regardless. Win the next two game over. Get behind team, settle scores after.

    1. Angus, nothing to do with ref. We are crap tonight and it’s all of our own doing. Still fourth by the skin of our teeth.

      2. Missing the point of that post and also wrong we were the better team before the pen and after the pen spurs created zero before the card. Wasn’t performance was decisions if right it’s on this specific players if wrong on the refs, certainly not performance.

    2. Yeah , most probably we will be beating spurs to 4th and have the last laugh but the way we implode in these matches against big teams needs to be addressed. When I say implode I mean we inflict self damage by giving away penalties n earning red card.

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