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Official Arsenal team to face Brighton – Ozil on bench and Pepe starts

Arsenal needs to bounce back from their humbling 3-0 loss at Manchester City and they have a good chance of doing just that today against Brighton if Arteta gets the team line up correct.

There was definitely split opinions on the team that Arteta went with against City, eyebrows were certainly raised over the Mesut Ozil omission and the non-use of Nicolas Pepe and Alexandre Lacazette.

There have also been a piling up of injuries with the defence in particular badly hit.

This is the team that Arteta has selected for the visit to the Amex Stadium today.

What do you think of this line-up? Let us know in the comments below.

Links to streams will be put in the comments where to watch the game live and free so keep checking in.

Also, if you go to the official Arsenal website here you will be able to get live commentary text and radio.

JustArsenal predicted line up (for comparison) here

JustArsenal match preview here

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Tags Brighton v Arsenal Official Arsenal team

135 Comments

  2. That’s better ain’t it?! My boyfriend returns… ๐Ÿ™‚ Hope Holding has a good game ๐Ÿ‘ COYG
    Excited to see PAL….

  3. Good to see Lacca back his work rate is good and yes he misses chances but at least he is in position to take them chances more than I can say for some

  4. Maybe Arteta thought he was going to lose at Etihad stadium anyway, so he kept most of his first team players for Brighton match

    I hope Lacazette or Pepe could play well as a second striker and hopefully they could quickly change to 2-3-2-3 when possessing the ball:

    ……………. Leno
    Bellerin . Mustafi . Holding . Kolasinac
    …….. Ceballos …. Guendouzi
    Pepe ……… Lacazette ………. Saka
    ………….. Aubameyang

  5. Arteta is obviously being careful with Tierney and restricting him to one game per week at this stage of the season.The midfield trio looks more balanced although we do not have a ball winner in that area.I think we will win.

  16. That is better line up in the back, forced to do so by injuries. But middle is not right. Ceballos – Gendouzi are both obliged to defend most game. Ceballos is not a defensive player, has to do more of it as Pepe doesn’t. Balance on that wing is not good. Brighton plays there for that.

    We not commanding at all. Leno injured on that weak wing. He should not be there but defender & midfield!

    What’s blow!

    1. Ceballos guendhouzi is neither an attacking nor defensive midfield … auba and laca donโ€™t work together … and no working central defending pair … Itโ€™s a team without any spine

  20. Arteta finally uses 4-3-3 with Ceballos and Saka as half-wingers, as what Guardiola did with Man City three days ago:

    ………………….. Leno
    Bellerin . Mustafi . Holding . Kolasinac
    ………………….. Guendouzi
    ………. Ceballos ……….. Saka
    Pepe …………………………… Aubameyang
    ………………… Lacazette

    However, Arsenal players are very fragile. Two away games, three injuries

  21. Leno was livid on that stretcher
    I thought it was a foul but obviously not
    Martinez made a confidence building save
    Shame for the team

  22. Pepe doesn’t defend nor Ceballos good at it. Needed to play Niles and Nelson who would be more damaging and defending.

    Leno
    Bellerin Mustafi holding Tierny
    ………………………..Gendouzi
    Niles. …………………………………Willock
    Nelson……….Auba ………..Saka

    He just can’t get it right! Ceballos is useless in this defensive role at all… Can’t blame him, he is an attacking player…

    1. If I were Arteta, I’d keep the same 4-3-3 formation and line-up. I predict a goal for us in the second half

    2. Just take another look at your preferred lineup. Willock, Niles and Nelson? You need more understanding of this game.

    1. Can’t blame him neither, an assistant coach thrown in a top club in middle of season. No experience as a head coach manager…

      Great assistant knows how to deal with players and unite. But can’t pick team nor tac tic…That was Guardiola job. Can’t blame Arteta doing his best with what he can offer….Kroenke saved money for himself…Brought cheapest option!

  24. I’ve lost count of how many players we lose to long term injury, it’s no coincidence that a high proportion of injuries happen on our watch. Name me one club that has this happen to them yet still wins trophies.

  25. Am so bored and disgusted by the numbers of back pass am seeing by this team. What a shamble so irritating. This is championship level team

    1. Again we need to learn to make use of those spaces that Pepe creates. He draw away 3-4players each time, it’s a shame we have no proper mf to make use of the space

    2. We certainly could have killed off the game Akajim. Sakaโ€™s effort was superb and Lacazette should have scored

  28. Boring boring Arsenal keeps stockpiling injuries – I hope they don’t break record this time around.
    And the refrees will never change.

    And what is Aubameyang doing on the left forwad?

    1. You guys talk as if, those injuries were script played, am sure everyone is angry at our bad luck

  29. What is difficult in trying to locate players up front? Why all the back-side ways-passes? Why can’t Bellerin and Kolasinac take on their opponents or try to find attackers instead of backwards passes?

    1. Because the have no confidence in our Dm and cb, joining attack will leave them exposed and a loss of possession upfront could lead to goal. Cebalos is key to today game, Guedozi can’t do the job

  30. We not dominant in anyway, looks like a draw project.lpsy more than a win.

    They are back.im.secomd.hald.to win game. Coach reminding them they can be 18th.with a lost, equal.poimts with 19th.!

  33. What is all this passing back Negative football Holding looks like a Championship player Pepe I would not give you ยฃ72 for F**king rubbish

  36. Alright, that’s Pepe special he is known in France from. Must defend more and he be fine. Not have this goal waisted…

  37. If Pepe can get consistent he has the ability to be a top player … great goal but frustrating

    1. He can only be consistent if he gets to play regularly … a player of his caliber deserves to start every game

    1. But I knew…
      Such a frustrating nowadays to watch Arsenal…
      Such a poor footballers we have..
      Aguero come on as sub in Man City team…
      And we have Eddie Niketia
      All blame to owners..

      1. This is exactly how it is for us Gooners
        We have to through this edginess almost every game. Iโ€™m always on tenterhooks

  45. Prove me wrong, but take off two attacking wingers and replace with an average one plus defensive midfielder – does Arteta want to win this?

  46. That wing was fine… No need make it more defensive. Anyhow Willock Nketiah Nelson bring something

  47. Only person I wanted to see on – Martinelli – hasnโ€™t been brought on. Clearly we are not looking to win this game

  48. Wow, Auba can’t get a start centrally despite being one of the top strikers in the world. Not surprised if he goes, Arteta wasting a top striker on LW so he can play Edie.
    Sound familiar? So frustrating seeing it repeated. Martinelli can’t get a game either.
    Arteta looking out of ideas, and we look the same drab, toothless paper tiger we were before the virus hit.

    1. Can you believe it – mid table will be a good finish for us if we play like this….

  52. Good job arteta

    You guys call Pepe lazy but the fresh wingers are doing even less in defending

  54. It’s just not surprising anymore. A win these days is more of a shock. Bad everywhere as usual.

  56. I hope arsenal get relegated so any rycoon can buy arsenal, kick all team players and buiid a new team.

  57. Brighton did the double over us and they’re fighting relegation!! We really are absolute ๐Ÿ’ฉ disgusted and embarrassed! I just want a hole to swallow me up!! I’m done defending this lot…

    1. I completely expected that Sue, I said as much on here the other day… We are an extremely poor team! Nothing will change except maybe get worse until Kroenke sells up that’s the reality… I don’t even get angry anymore.

        1. Until we get Kroenke out we have to accept this as it is Sue.. I knew we wouldn’t be in front for long, how bloody predictable are we ? ๐Ÿ™„

  58. 100% ร–zil at fault here, he did NOTHING! Even though he earns 350k per week.. what a disgrace

    Brilliant arteta.. 5 subs allowed but he keeps 4 of them till the 88. Min

  59. Arteta out get rid off this rubbish manager what a load of crap he is and if anyone thinks aubameyang is worth signing on you need to have your head examined. Shocking performance by a very average side and get proper manager in

  62. Not only do we have to deal with Covid, even worse, we have to watch Arsenal finish the season…

  64. Same S##t different day. What pisses me off more is that this lot will all get their fat paycheck regardless

    1. Ya…. I believe they should change the way players are paid. Money is killing the passion in the game. I think it would be better if all first team players all earn the same base salary, and whatever they earn on top of that should be performance based bonuses. It’s sickening watching the players play with zero enthusiasm, knowing full well that they’ll receive their pay regardless

  65. 30 year gunner i just dont care anymore,never thought id say dat,,,,weak liverlilly shower

  66. Really Arteta?

    Keeping Ozil and pulling the only playmaker we have when we needed someone to create a half-chance at least?

    No Saka + No Pepe while playing Nkeitah and Auba Infront makes no sense!

    And what about Martinelli as LW while keeping Auba in the center with or without Laca? it doesn’t look like the right action?

    HARD LUCK again ! we don’t deserve to qualify for any European competition, focus on building a team with the right players first!

    1. Enough with this Ozil rant. The team is in shambles regardless of him or not. Can we let this rest. This players are shameless

      1. This. I dont understand why people think it really matters which bad player is on the pitch. At the end of the day they are across the board failures and we still would’ve lost this game. It’s nice to think about how Ozil can create all these awesome chances, but he doesn’t. It’s nice to think about how Laca’s goal tally from last season, but he’s garbage and cannot score away from home. Holding is average, Bellerin is the definition of useless without his pace. Just disasters all over the pitch. Ozil not getting the start isn’t the issue.

  67. Am really confused, can someone diagnose this arsenal team no matter how poor /average you call our players, I dont believe this Brighton side is better than them so, why does is look like we are the weak team. Maybe we should get this players sold to buy Brighton players, anyone agree?

  68. Has it sunk in yet?? They did the double over us!!! Omg…. I really am lost for words, every week this team shock me even more… how is that possible?! Don’t deserve to be in Europe, I doubt we’d even cut it in the championship… smfh

    1. Hi Sue, so disappointing.

      Our midfield is static. I dont know why he took off pepe. tactical changes should have been to move him close to Aubameyang in the opposition box. Pepe is more composed. when he gets into the box, he will surely convert his chances. Pepe is a better finisher than Lacazette.
      Sell Guendouzi. This guy is just too childish and overrated.
      a build up is slow. unnecessary side way passing.
      We must buy players. i dont care if Aubameyang wants to leave. We need a complete overhaul.

      1. Hey Skills… the way I feel right now, get rid of the whole bleedin’ lot of them, I don’t care anymore…. I’ve had enough…

  69. If we dont invest, we will keep seeing results like this. we keep going into new heights of mediocrity. A surgery is needed in midfield and defence. we have to be real.

    In: Thomas Partey, Asensio, Fekir.

    Static midfield. No intelligence. disconnect between midfield and attack. defenders have lapses in concentration

    No composure in the opposition box.

    What else can we say.
    Mustafi has no pace. Guendouzi is not a Defensive midfielder.
    How did Arsenal loose home and away to Brighton?

    Very embarrassing.

    The board has to invest. And why did he take off Pepe. Pepe has to be involved more in the opposition box. He is more composed than Lacazette in the box.

    1. It’s not about the money. It can’t buy us leadership. It has to be nurtured from the ground up. A good way to start would be our injury record, right now prospective players are thinking “I’m not going there, I’ll lose my knee.”

      1. Hi S,
        It is about investment. That is the name of the game. we should be realistic here.
        Liverpool were not fools when they bought a defender for 72m pounds. Bring in Asensio, Fekir, Thomas Partey and see if things would improve or not.

        Can you compare any of our midfielders with Man City KDB?

        Why did arteta take off Pepe. do we just make subs for the sake of it?

        I keep saying we should play pepe close to the striker. He is intelligent. all his goals so far were well taken.
        Give him a free role. you cant just play in so far from the box

        Can you ever compare Guendouzi wih Thomas Partey.

        We are going into new heights of mediocrity. we have to say it as it is. we will struggle to get into europa league.

        the second goal was purely concentration issue. not allowed in this level. mustafi just allowed the player to go past him so easily.
        This is a personnel issue.
        This is just too much to take.

    2. Yes there is need for huge investment but eh! Do we need mercy to win relegation battling team?

        1. Exactly. This is a team we should be beating 4 Nil. we need wins desperately and we ended up loosing to Brighton.

          OUT: Aubameyang, Lacazette, Mkhytaryan, Ozil, Mustafi, Guendouzi, Elneny, Socratis, Luiz, AMN.

          Yes.. sell the above 10 players.

          IN: Asensio, Thomas Partey, Nabil Fekir, Thomas Lemar

          This is needed. we need character, aggression.Players with Personality. Asensio is Quality. A game changer. he scores and dribbles.

          How can Guendouzi be a regular in a DM role in a team like Arsenal. He does not have the pace. Why is Torrera out. why do we have players who we cant use at the critical time
          of the season? Arteta should demand a complete clean out. He also has to get his first team and substitution right. No need paying Aubameyang 350K if it will prevent us from getting highly skilled midfielders and pacy defenders.
          This is tiring.

    3. A change of culture is needed at the club. Maybe even more than new players. Everyone who seems to come here just seems to sulk around like losers. This club is so complacent.

      1. Exactly, most of our players were brilliant players before coming to us, but immediately the came on, they revert to the default system. Seems it’s beyond individual

  70. Well, well, well. I am getting tired of this to say it lightly. Loose concentration so many times. There is no leader on the pitch, lack of leaders off the pitch. Sack the lot of them and start again. Rotten to the core.

  71. Hah. Even the guy who kicked Leno off the pitch and scored the winning goal is sticking the boot in on us post-match. A bunch of pussies who cry Racist instead of having a backbone on the pitch.

  73. Not Eddie Nketiah, Martinelli in Aubas pos on the left wing, move Auba centrally and no more subs – What the hell?????? Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. Thanks Arteta

  74. nice goal pepe but no better then dat southampton fraud all those years ago

  75. Our coach is useless I don’t understand why my follow gonner can’t see that. It’s clear Arteta is out of his debt.

    2. Absolutely spot on. Mickey mouse manager at a Mickey mouse club. If that was my Sunday morning team the player who injured Leno would not have been on the pitch to score the winner, no guts or leadership, no balls or steel

  76. I thought the first half should have put Arsenal out of sight. We had excellent chances and a couple should have been taken
    Typically, we allow the opposition back and lose impetus
    Losing Leno was bad but no excuses for not winning when we took the lead

    1. That’s what you get when you allow this small teams play you draw at ht, they start to believe they can get something from you. Am done for the season. Enough

    2. We havent been clinical all season. If our defense is going to be this bad, we at least have to put chances away. You’d think Pepe/Laca/Auba on the pitch would make for a good attack, but they need so many chances to actually put it in the back of the net. It makes them useless against most sides. You will simply get punished if you dont take chances in EPL.

      1. Pepe is not effective in that wing. move him centrally. we also should realise we cant play the 3 together. it is not working. if we play a 442, we need a very mobile DM. also, Pepe should have been in Lacazette position. Pepe is a better finisher than Lacazette. he can dribble and will surely draw fouls in the box. Arteta should learn this. Make your 72m pound invested work. We are a joke. Hard work in training is not enough. A skillful player will always show it in matches.

        Pepe is quality. but he wont give you the required performance when he is far from the box.
        at 1:1 we should have gone all out attacking. and not bringing in another defender.

        At 1:0, we should have gone for the killer if we had midfielders who can dribble and move with intelligence.

  77. I can’t blame this players anymore because you can’t give what you don’t have. This team is the reflection of Mr Kroenke ‘s ambitions. When other teams are strengthening every department, arsenal relying on a player who could not even get a spot at Leeds United. The back passes today were about 70% of their total possession. And I don’t know what crime martinelli must have committed against Arteta that have made him cast him out of his team totally. This football club should be bought by another billionaire.

    1. My question is, we’re this player so bad that they can’t outplay Brighton, soton Norwich players? Are they all average players be4 we sign them or the system we are playing rendered them useless . Remember this is a team with some international caps and honor

  78. brighton would not have conceded those 2 goals no pub team would have simple as

  79. ARTETA IS NOT THE MAN! Emery did make changes before 70th minute at least. What is Arteta ‘s beef with Martinelli? What’s the obsession with Willock and Nketia? They should be on loan to league one at best.

  80. Arteta is not to be blamed but Kroenke who hides behind this fall out since Wenger who fought to build this club and stadium

    Why fire Emery? Replace him with Eddy didn’t change or Arteta. wouldn’t be here. Brought him but not better than Eddy. 12 games, 4 wins, lucky ones for most!

    Next Norwich, another desperate team to win! Then foxes, Wolves, Spurs, Reds and desperates Villains in relegation fight as Brighton but way more dangerous

    We can find ourself in relegation zone after these 6 games!

    To me, we will fight as we been because we have no coach. Can’t gwt starting line up nor subs right. Got 3 attacking players for 3 minutes left. Conceiding for weak defense and that same weak wing!!!

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