Freddie has to get the Arsenal midfield right against Man City to get anything from the game.
There will be a change to the Arsenal midfield against City on Sunday to the one that beat West Ham last Monday evening. Granit Xhaka will not feature due to concussion and that means there will be a change in the centre of the park.
Additionally, I suspect there will be a change in formation from the Swede, a more pragmatic approach is likely considering the opponents.
I suspect that Lucas Torreira will be given the defensive midfielder role again, he is far better suited to that role and Freddie probably knows that full well now.
Matteo Guendouzi is likely to be drafted in to replace Xhaka and Mesut Ozil will be given his free role once again. However, I feel that Freddie will bring in one more midfielder, which will obviously affect who lines up in the forward positions.
I am of the opinion that Freddie will give Joe Willock another go in midfield. The young lad was poor last time out against Brighton but he is hardly the only Arsenal player to have had a bad game.
Freddie has to have his midfield competitive otherwise City will just overrun the defence, there has to be some sort of barrier and that is why I am convinced he will go with four across the middle.
So, this is the four-man midfield I reckon we will see take the pitch against Man City on Sunday.
Lucas Torreira
Matteo Guendouzi
Joe Willock
Mesut Ozil.
No willock plz, he is utterly useless. Creates nothing, gives away the ball n scores nothing. I think he tries to be like Ramsey but does not have the finishing skills. I’ll go with Guendozi n torreria in middle with Ozil Infront of them. Only way we can win this and I have been saying whole season with the crappy defence we have is to out score the opponents. No point of setting up too defensive we will not get a clean sheet. I would like to see Guendozi tried as B2B player he has got the engine n eye to make good forward passes. Please Freddie play torreria as DM not as CM …we are wasting him when we play him as CM.
Willock would most likely not start because of his errors in the last two matches
About Torreira, I can’t imagine how he plays if he becomes a CDM. He will lose all aerial battles and might get bullied by bigger opponents
Kante also never played as a CDM either. CDM needs a taller player who tends to be static in front of the CBs and possesses good passing ability, such as Matic, Fernandinho, Fabinho, Luiz and Chambers
Kante is a CDM n that how he has been playing for club and country apart from last year where Chelsea deployed him more as ACM. You don’t need tall guys mikeleli , gutuso (wrongly spelled names) where one of the best CDMs ever n all of them where not tall.
A four man midfield looks ok as far as a barrier for the attacking Man City players is concerned. Pragmatically and logically it looks right. But that would mean with Auba selected, either Saka/Martinelli/Pepe/Nelson will start. Most likely it will be Pepe if he is fit or Martinelli. Also, as a opinion, I felt ESR played quite well on Thursday, so he can come on as a sub at some point.
I hope he doesn’t go with four midfielders tho. Either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3.
City’s defense is probably at its worst in the past 4 years and we can actually take advantage of that. We have the attackers to do so, reducing our attack just to add a man to the midfield will be suicidal.
With our midfielders, by now anyone should know PEA will be invisible if he starts in that 442 formation.
Besides, City are in the most vulnerable right now.
Go with the same attack that played against West Ham, and same midfield, except Mateo for Xhaka.
What could possibly go wrong that’ll be worse what we’ve seen for the past 16months?
Plus it’s at home.
Four man midfield means he’ll go diamond, which leave us more vulnerable.
I ain’t saying City is an average team, but at least if we go out, we go out fighting with our best options
Eddie am afraid that no amount of midfielders we use against city we can’t win, wilock he work hard but he’s poor, gueondouzi he was bright at the beginning of the season but he’s been poor for some weeks now, Ozil enough said about him, he’s been average/poor for 3 seasons now, which leaves Torrera has the only real midfielder who can challenge city midfielders. Our best option in that match is to use auba Martinelli and Pepe, the coach should not make the mistake of even dropping any of auba Martinelli and Pepe if we are to stand any chance.
Leno I don’t really expect a win against City. My point is no matter what, Let Freddie stick with the same team from the WH game. At least it’s the team with our best attack. We might not win the City game, but the match is something we can use in judging our attackers
I think we should stick with 4-2-3-1 formation cuz our defence will not be good enough to stop man city even if we add another midfielder.So i think FL will have to be brave trust torreira, guendouzi and ozil to deliver some nice football.We need to attack,attack and keep on attacking.Like what man utd did.
I agree, but will prefer Willock to Gendouzi for his work rate cos having Guen & Ozil Means Torreira will do the marking alone
I know it is not going to be an easy game as Man City will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Man U, but I will Freddie and the players luck.
I’ll go with the same team that faced WHam. Maybe Saka/Laca coming in if Pepe is injured. Kolasinac if Tierney is injured which sounds like the case. It’s good to have something on the bench, Laca and Guendouzi could be useful from there. I want to see Martinelli and Auba getting at that defence, and putting the work in. Pepe would’ve been good too, but Saka should have some confidence, better than a reshuffle if it’s Laca because Auba’s talents are best suited in the main role, you want chances falling to him esp if it’s a few. Martinelli might make something happen, he positions himself like a pro, killer instincts.
Ozil doesn’t defend….but gud to switch from defence to attack….the right or left wingers must be prepared to run their hearts out to help defend and attack….torreira as DM….guendouzi as b2b mf….can pepe and martinelli/saka defend ?….
Personally I think it would be best to pair Torrera with Luiz in the defensive midfield role, with Ozil at the peak.
Also, considering the injury pile up, I suggest we use a flat back 4 of Niles, Chambers, Sokratis, & Kolasinac; and the front 3, should be Pepe, Lacazette or Aubameyang (but personally prefer Laca), Martinelli.
Ljungberg would most likely go with two central midfielders. A nonchalant no 10 is not a midfielder to me, because he is not willing to win the ball himself:
…………… Leno
Niles . Chambers . Sokratis . Kolasinac
…… Torreira ……… Guendouzi
Pepe ………. Ozil ……… Martinelli
…………. Aubameyang
I wouldn’t start ozil in this game waste of time. Play Martinelli Pepe Lacca with Abameyang free role poacher. Atleast with Lacca behind Abameyang we can retain possession further afield better and can play with place down the wings.
Think this team can win….
Leno
Amn. Chambers. Sok. Kolas
Torreer. Luiz
Pepe. Lacca. Martinell
Auba..
Unless Torreira comes right very soon, he should be kept awsy from the team. Sideways and back-passing specialist only. Cannot keep possession or beat anybody. Takes 2 or 3 steps too many.
What, Torreira? I bet you meant to say Guendouzi.