CONFIRMED Team for Arsenal v Reading – Giroud on bench

We all knew that this was going to be a completely different team to the one that faced Middlesbrough at the weekend, but Wenger has really pushed the boat for this League Cup game.

It looks like Emilio Martinez is our official EFL keeper, and we definitely expected Gabriel and Holding to be the centre-backs. Gibbs has already been named captain so starts on the left, and Jenkinson will be on the opposite flank.

Elneny needs more game time and he will be given a much-needed run alongside Maitland-Niles, while the Ox moves up to the wing.

Jeff Reine-Adelaide has been told he is playing and he will be lining up alongside Iwobi and The Ox up front, with Lucas given his first start of the season as centre-forward, with Giroud on the bench…

Martinez
Jenks – Gabriel – Holding – Gibbs
Elneny – Maitland-Niles
Ox – Jeff – Iwobi
Lucas

How does that team look to you? Is it good enough to go past Reading and into the quarter finals?

27 Comments

  1. Didn’t Lucas start as a forward against Saints and Forest?

    Anyways, a win will do. COYG!

  2. Not sure about Niles but the rest of the team looks great

    Hopefully, we will score early
    I see Perez scoring

    1. @Arsenal_Girl
      The Kid is as ready as he’s ever gonna be. He did good at right back. Real solid defending as well as getting forward.

      1. What’s with Martinez playing in these games? Does that mean one of our top two are leaving next summer? Otherwise what is the point?

  3. Ok! Maitland-Niles.

    I thought this was going to be the game we’ll experiment a little with Iwobi in that Cazorla spot. But it seems we’re going with Ainsley instead. Let’s see if some good can come out of this.. my concern is also for the long-term.

    1. Let’s have two goals each from the Ox, Lucas and Iwobi, then bring on my namesake to miss a few sitters lol

  4. I really ike Lucas starting this game. Maybe, he can show that he is very much a strong competition for Alexis Sanchez as a CF in our new-found system.

  5. We want ALL of these players challenging for a first team spot.
    Win well tonight. Then let’s have some real competition.

    1. @G-Rude
      RealTalk…
      Time for the subs to step up if we’re going to be seriously challenging on all fronts…

  6. EFL management will never like Wenger for ever treating the competition with levity.
    He never rate the compo.
    Thus he never win it too.

  7. THERE YOU GO OX! If the opposition is begging for you to score, you go and score!

    Great finish!

  8. Maitland-Niles is looking really good, i just want Lucas to score a goal or two tonight though, he needs to be more confident

  9. There have been a lot of nice safe passes but there is not quite the spark of the first team. Not enough confidence maybe?

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