Newcastle versus Arsenal is the biggest game this weekend. The Gunners will be hoping to go to Saint James Park and do what only Liverpool has managed to do this season: leave there with all three points.
The title race is over to some, but to Arteta and his boys, it is not. That is why they are on course to win each of their remaining games to be able to steal the title from Manchester City if they slip up.
After failing to win in four, Arsenal beat Chelsea 3-1 a few days ago, and they hope to build on that victory when they face a hard-to-beat Newcastle. Artreta must deploy his strongest lineup to dispatch the Magpies on their turf. So which team would he field? If I were Arteta, my lineup and substitutions would be as follows:
- I would start Ramsdale in the goal.
- In defence, Ben White (at right back) and Gabriel Magalhaes will start as they always have, although Gabriel could miss the game and be replaced by Holding, alongside Jakub Kiwior. Kieran Tierney will start at left back to deal with the attacking threat of Kieran Trippier and Almiron or Murphy. I would be introducing Zinchenko in the 60th minute to change the game and breathe some energy into the team.
- In midfield, I would start Thomas Partey, Martin Odegaard, and Granit Xhaka. Partey may have had some reflection after the Chelsea miss; hopefully, he steps up, although a Jorginho substitution is something to consider in the second half.
- In attack, I would bench Bukayo Saka to start a Trossard-Jesus-Martinelli forward line. I know it is criminal to bench Saka, but can we agree he hasn’t been at his best in recent weeks? So Trossard starts on the right, and then early in the second half, Saka is subbed on?
That’s my team to beat Newcastle this weekend. What changes would you make?
Daniel O
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I’d keep Zinchenko in the starting line-up, because we need to dictate the tempo at St James Park. I don’t think Tierney can do it yet
On paper and when we don’t have the ball, our shape will be 4-3-3. When we have the ball, it will be similar to Man City’s 3-2-4-1:
……………….….. Ramsdale
……. White … Holding … Kiwior
………….… Partey …… Zinchenko
Saka . Odegaard . Xhaka . Martinelli
………………………. Jesus
Gai, Saka has been poor last few games I will rest him for Trossard or Nelson. I can also try ESR for Xhaka and on form I prefers Jorghinho. To Pathey.
In my opinion, conventional RWs like them are better used in the last thirty minutes of the games
So Jorginho is on form because he played ok (not even spectacularly) against the worst team in the league ?
I don’t understand the thinking sometimes
Ramsdale.
White. Kiwior. Holding. Tierney.
Partey. Xhaka.
Ødegaard.
Trossard. Jesus. Martinelli.
Same line up for me saka needs a rest been poor last few games Trossard definitely deserves to start!
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Apologies
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It has been completely removed until the ad men fix the CLOSE button….
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Start Tierney,kiwior,holding,white
Xhaka, Partey, Odegard
Martnely, Jesus ,Trosad
Then bring Saka, Nelson
Bt u have also to remember that Gabriel has been covering both zinchenko and holding for long so without Gabriel we are at risk of losing this important points
3-4-3
GK: Ramsdale.
3: Gabriel Kiwior/Holding Tierney
4: White Jorginho Partey Zinchenko
3: Martinelli Jesus Trossard
Interesting idea – has trossard played wing back before? He’s pretty reliable and could be an option at right wb to allow white to move into central defence, which could give us more balance (perhaps with odegaard starting as a nominal right winger?). Can’t see us making such a big change, but I’d like to see it tried.
A draw is as useless to us as a defeat is. Both ,mean any remaining lingering hopes of thr title are dead. Surely that’s obvious!
So is throwing away the game in the first 20 minutes. That is why a balanced approach works as it keeps things interesting until the last 15mins. Then it could go either way depending on the substitutions.
For Davi
In this White and Zinchenko would be the wingbacks with Jorginho as the tempo setter and sitter with Partey making a double pivot in front of a back 3. Trossard would be a left winger.
Jesus would have to be the floater into midfield and making runs into the box with Martinelli being the right winger.
Your idea of a back 4 with a right wing back would also work but that would make it a little lightweight up front unless there are midfield runners into the box.
Draw would be good result, win is impossible.
A realistic fan
I won’t say it’s impossible
But we don’t look like the better team presently
A draw would be we giving it our best
It looks more like a Newcastle Win Or Draw
Ramsdale
White Kiwior Gabriel Tierney
Party Xhaka
Trossard Odegaard ESR
Jesus
Ramsdale
White. Kiwora. Tierney
Ode. Partey jorg. Zinc
Tross. Jesus. Martinel
Why not play Tierney at centre back.
If it’s Kiwior – Holding to start can we just stop putting out what “BEST LINEUP” we can play
Cos that’s already a “BAD LINEUP”, we would be serious beat if it’s Holding-Kiwior at CB
See …
I don’t think we’ll even win if Saliba-Gabriel starts
Not that they’re not good
But on present form: Newcastle are on the rise, we’re on the Dip
Forget Chelsea, that was not a rise, if there’s anything to it even – I saw a reduced confidence in our game against Chelsea.
We were simply playing against someone whose own confidence was below zero
So the Chelsea game rather showed me that we won’t be up for it against Newcastle.
Our midfield is our main problem, Saliba seems to have been supporting Partey on the right as we have Odegaard who lacks stamina, Holding hasn’t been so good with that,
I believe Trossard should be in for Odegaard to inject Strength and pace in the midfield.
Ramsdale
White, Kiwior, Gabriel, Tierney
Party
Odegard, Xhaka
Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Trossard for Saka at around 65 min, Jorginho for Party at around 75 min. Zinchenko for Xhaka if we winning for the last 10 min. I think we need a solid defence today and feel Tierney gives us more than Zinchenko defensively.
I would have dropped Saka after liverpool for a couple of games and reintroduced him against Chelsea as a sub to be ready for today but as that hasn’t happened, he plays today as we need them doubling up on him to give Jesus more free space to cause havoc. Today, I predict a Jesus resurrection (pun intended)- we will see our star forward burst back onto life, bag a hatrick and take the matchball home. We win 3-0, Jesus scores all three, left foot, right foot and a header!