As expected by most Arsenal fans and watchers, the manager has rung the changes for the EFL cup match at home to Southampton because of our numerous injury problems and also to allow a few of the key players to get some well earned rest after a hectic fixture schedule.
The visitors have also made some changes but nothing like the wholesale rotation we see from Arsene Wenger, with the Sainys side including Forster in goal, Van Dijk, Bertrand, Long, Clasi and Yoshida, while the only Gunner to keep his place from the Premier League win against Bournemouth is Mohamed Elneny.
The Gunners line up is not all kids though, with regular first teamers like Ramsey, Iwobi and Coquelin all starting and others like Gabriel and Gibbs having plenty of experience if not much recent game time. The fit again Lucas Perez is back to lead the attack and young Reine-Adelaide starts in the EFL cup once more, as does the newly contracted keeper Emiliano Martinez.
Martinez
Jenkinson, Holding, Gabriel, Gibbs
Coquelin, Elneny
Reine-Adelaide, Ramsey, Iwobi
Perez
subs: Macey, Bola, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Xhaka, Bielik, Maitland-Niles, Mavididi.
Let’s hope that these young and lightly used Arsenal players are determined to show the boss what they can do and put in the sort of performance we want to make sure that Arsenal and not Southampton will be two games away from Wembley after tonight.
Bob.