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Official Arsenal team to face Chelsea – Bellerin only change

Just the one change from the Arsenal team that drew with Sheffield United at the weekend.

Arsenal will be looking to inflict a long-awaited defeat on Chelsea in their own back yard and Mikel Arteta has gone with almost the same team that drew with the Blades on Saturday.

Chelsea is fresh off a loss away at Newcastle and are apparently looking to take their anger out on the Gunners. For their part, Arsenal will be looking to avenge the unjust loss to the Blues when they met last month.

Anyway, here is the official line up-, let us know what you think in the comments section below. Do you think this is the team to beat Chelsea or has Mikel Arteta got it wrong?

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 Arsenal.com you will be able to get live commentary text and Arsenal radio.

JustArsenal match preview here
JustArsenal predicted line up here (for comparison)

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181 Comments

    1. Starting Ozil and Ceballos together will sacrifice Xhaka or Torreira. I don’t think Ceballos could be as combative as any of them in deep midfield area

      Ceballos hasn’t got enough chance to start as no 10, but maybe he would get it in cup matches

  5. They will over run midfield … More pressure on forwards who will have to track back to cover for woeful midfield and defence … Will be happy with a one one draw but seems unlikely … Would have liked to see Ceballos s start but obviously lacks match practice

      1. is it becoz arteta is better than lampard or our players are better than theirs? which of the above is giving you that feeling? elaborate

        2. You think Chelsea players are superior to Arsenal players? You wanna compare them individually let’s see who’s better.

  6. Maybe Maitland-Niles is unfit? Apart from that, this is the best roster Arteta can put in 4-2-3-1 formation

    2. Better roster would have been Nketiah instead of Lacazette. I really really hope Laca proves me wrong.

      1. Nkeitiah is not ready yet for primer league, his ball retention n linking is still to be desired. He will learn but in due time.

  10. I am not expecting too much from Bellerin on his return and hopefully he will pace his game and focus on his defensive responsibilities first and foremost.I would settle for a point.

  13. TBH We got screwed by injuries i wont blame anyone not even Mustafi for our loss i’ll just enjoy MA’s tactics then focus on our next game.

  14. I like this formation and believe this is the best we got for now Beside i always trust MA so any result that came out of this game tonight i still believe in the lad,gunners for ever COYG

  15. Lol. Same wrong formation all season long. I read comments on a more attacking side, great formation, this and that, all hyped up!

    Not at all, this is same exact formation for lost or draw when we manage to score! Same Torreira and Xhaka to help CBs weakness and defense. Starving Ozil from ball, no transition possible to lounge attack, play forward. Crazy!

    What does Arteta expect? To change spirit? What about team formation for results?

  17. dont feel like AMN deserved to be dropped. Besides that, this is as strong as our lineup gets unfortunately. Can’t say it gives my confidence.

  21. Reminder: if Everton & Newcastle draw, Southampton win tonight and Burnley win tomorrow…
    We Be 14th. Four spots away from relegation.
    This Is The Brutal Reality Of Wexit.

  23. Completely mustafi lots of hearts and balls but no concentration.

    Is it me or Leno isn’t recklessly coming out to catch crosses and free kick like before.

  25. Why they keep putting Mustafi under pressure, why can’t they just clear the ball.

    Don’t get that so irritating

    2. he shouldn’t have to anticipate Mustafi being unable to make a simple pass. Now that I type this out, maybe he should have lmao.

  35. All we do is defend, bc 2 midfields; Xhaka & Torreira there to do so! We can’t play forward Same formation issue with 2 mudfuelds defending. No way for Ozil to get & give ball further up! Attacking players are useless and look that way. No transition from middle!

    Here we go! Luiz out, penalty! Game over after 25 mn but we were already out of it! 1-0!

    1. This could be worse than the 6-0 here a few seasons ago. You know, a match Arteta started. Sometimes you only need to be reminded on order to lose all credibility.

  36. What an absolute sh%% decision by Luiz should never play again
    Awful performance so far
    Ozil on holiday
    Usual misfit Mustafi

  37. Yearly trashing by Chelsea continues… This is why Mustafi’s performances are laughed at. Not that we were going to get anything out of this game anyways. You could tell before that even happened that this team was not up for a good performance today.

  38. Well.. lets be honest.. arsenal are bottlers its not about the manager, somehow in too many games against chelsea we concede penaties or red cards or both of them.. the players are just too weak in mind and concentration.. the best talent doesnt use if the mind isnt there

  39. But remember all tgebidiotsbonbthus dite sayingbthe defence wasn’t the problem … can’t make the dumbness of some supporters up u really can’t

  40. It s all Arteta fault!
    Why play a player who you wanted to sell?
    and his name is Mustafi!!!!
    we should sell Laza and give Auba all the money he wants. Play Eddie and Martinelli instead.

    1. why do we keep giving trash players unlimited chances? I can name three players still on the pitch that have given more than enough chances. So why are they still here??

      1. If you refer to Mustafi and Luiz, it’s because Arteta didn’t have other choices. Holding is not match-fit

        Whereas Ozil is Arteta’s ex-teammate, so Arteta wouldn’t have the balls to bench him

        2. Not just this specific game, I mean why they are still existing in an Arsenal shirt. We had a chance to get rid of Xhaka this window and didnt take it. Mustafi, fine, hes so bad that nobody in world football wants him. Ozil, clown decisions by Gazidis and Wenger to give him that dumb contract. Luiz, stupid purchase if you actually want a defender who can defend. Why is Arsenal incapable of getting themselves together in recruitment, and when are they going to realize how bad they are at it??

          1. Xhaka is still useful, because he can play as left DM/ left CB and his aerial ability is very good

            Ozil’s big contract extension was a big mistake, but I bet Arsenal are still getting money from his shirt sales. The guy has been playing so bad and disappointed us in two ELs, but still has die-hard fans all over the world

          2. i dont care about his shirt sales. especially if the money is being spent on bad players. We could make more money off of buying lesser known but better players that can get us into UCL. So his shirt sales mean squat. Xhaka, I heavily disagree. He’s no good, even for backup. Error prone, bang average player that wouldn’t make it into any other top 6 side. I dont understand why Arteta was desperate to hold onto him.

        1. Do you need gas money for the drive @Sue?! Seriously we should open a GoFundMe to buy out Mustafi’s contract and this club off of his incompetence once and for all.

          1. 😆👍
            Exactly, QD.. we’d make the amount in record time!
            All joking aside, that’s it, he’s had chance after chance and nothing ever changes.. he has to go.

  45. What a joke.. and having to listen to their fans singing “David Luiz, he’s one of our own”
    So our wait for a win away at a big 6 team goes on….and on……and on….

    1. I suspect Luiz is getting some under-the-table payments from Chelsea to keep making blunders at Arsenal

        1. Cech gave up too easily at the EL final against Chelsea. Arsenal should have not gotten more old players from rival clubs

      2. David Luiz has only been red-carded twice in his Premier League career:

        9/17/2017 as a Chelsea Player v. Arsenal 🔵
        1/21/2020 as an Arsenal player v. Chelsea 🔴

  46. I guess MA wants to learn the hard way instead of learning from mistakes by his predecessors playing Xhaka n mustafi is crime in itself of highest degree. One is more threat to our goal then opposition n other is just plan useless. You can not have Ozil n Xhaka both in the midfield together that’s a bad combo.

    1. I’ve seen Xhaka do ok so far
      You don’t expect Mustafi to make such an awful mistake
      At least they’re giving it a go now that they have to

      1. SueP I really don’t get the obsession with people blaming Xhaka for every little thing.
        Even when he does absolutely wrong, he takes the blame..
        Hey I’m not his fan, but give the guy some break.. Geez!

        1. It’s not about going gun blazing after Xhaka, we should not be playing with two DMs n specially one who is static n not very mobile this limits our midfield options n leaves us with no creativity. It’s not about this match it’s about every match. As I stated in another discussion if you play Ozil n Xhaka together we are at double disadvantage. One provides no mobility n possession other does not help in connecting or dictating the play. Either you play Xhaka with another CM or Ozil with another CM. They both together are disaster.

        2. I wrote a reply to your comments which appeared further down the page
          I certainly did not blame Xhaka for anything

    1. Our next two EPL oppositions are Burnley and Newcastle, the relegation candidates

      If relegation can make underperforming senior players like Mustafi, Luiz and Ozil leave faster, I think Arteta could focus on rebuilding after that

  48. That’s it know more for me this season we need a massive clear out in the summer but I can’t see it this shower of shit won’t get in a championship team let alone arsenal but unfortunately we’ve become a small club which will finish in the bottom half of the league from now on so sad to see it bye bye the good old arsenal 😂😂😂

      1. He’s been invisible so far… I really really want him to go… God knows I’ve never faulted him because of what he earns, but I think he should move on

        1. exactly. Its been ages since he’s even been a half-decent player. He needs to move on with many others in this squad. But it seems like Arteta is making the grave mistake of favoring him. He cannot be relied upon.

          1. You guys must have seen what Ozil and his avid fans could do to his detractors. Even Arsenal and Emery couldn’t force him to leave, let alone his ex-teammate Arteta

            I think not even relegation could make Ozil go

          2. I’d just keep him benched or out of the side. He adds nothing. He has come back from being kicked out the side by Emery and has added nothing. The fanboys are afraid to admit Emery was right to do this.

  51. I said it before n will say it again our problem is too many back passes specially risky passes. We play with two DMs with first instinct to pass it back hence sustain pressure n hard to transition. We are in deep need of a good CM then even a defender.

    2. We have two DMs because we play with a double pivot formation, 4-2-3-1. That formation uses no 10 at the expense of an extra midfielder

      Had we played with 4-3-3 instead, we would have one DM and two midfielders. No 10 player is useless if the player can’t link the DMs with the forwards and if he relies too much on his teammates to get him the ball

    3. Thomas Partey. Rakitic and Lewis Dunk. We should sign the 3 players this January. And Ceballos should come in

  52. Yea Moshan let’s blame Xhaka for everything, including the incompetence of two bloooody twats we have… everything’s Xhaka’s fault

    1. It is xhaka’s fault because defence has one to pass to in middle Xhaka creates no space n is static, torreria plays back passes all the time because he is most of the time facing our goal. Defenders are defenders not midfielders if you keep giving them the ball n ask them to play cute passes this will result in mistakes specially with the type of jokers we have in defence.

  56. Lol same Mustafi different day can he please just leave!

    Also what is MA thinking taking Martinelli/Pepe off instead of Özil for Holding. Ozil is offering nothing, we need players who can drive the ball and Pepe/Martinelli are needed in this scenario

    Our team is actually trash. Kroenke has to invest or get out

  57. I thought double jeopardy rules (double punishment) was removed in football refereeing. Like you cant give away a penalty and get a red card. You only get punished for one. So if the fowl happened outside the penalty area and Luiz was the last man then yes it’s a red card. But in the penalty area it’s only a penalty and yellow card? 🤔

    1. No, if it’s accidental then you get just yellow but deliberate deny if goal scoring opportunity is a straight red.

  59. Why anyone would blame Xhaka for that goal is beyond me. Just before the mistake by Mustafi that led to the goal, the commentator said it seems Chelsea’s players were trying to close down every arsenal players once Mustafi was on the ball. He seemed nervous and Lampard boys knew how to capitalize on that.

  60. Excuse me Eddie but I think I wrote that Xhaka hadn’t done badly so far so please give me a break!
    I realise that tensions are running high tonight

    1. Lol…Tensions are running high?
      Not mine, like I’ve been saying before Emery left, this season is a write off already… so nothing gets to me, I’m just waiting for the season to end…also I wasn’t hitting at you for Xhaka, if you read it well you’ll see I said “I don’t get with PEOPLE blaming Xhaka for everything ”

      1. bit it rather read that I should give the guy a break. Anyway, we support the same team and words get misinterpreted.

  61. Our attack was supposed to scare the sheet out of opponents and ok Aubameyang is missing but Laca just runs around a lot and Pepe can’t even get a corner past the first defender. So another 3 match ban, in a relegation fight and likely to go out of the cup against a resurgent Bournemouth. Mustafi has misplaced so many passes in that half. People blaming Xhaka are biased, stupid, or both.

  62. Mustafi was an idiot but luiz’s decision is surely worse and more stupid.. just try to stop it and if not concede the goal.. luiz lost us the game

  63. Right this season is a right off. I won’t complain anymore. I fully support arteta so I don’t want to see his job made harder by fans having a go at him. That being said, mustafi really shouldn’t be in the team anymore. Next season neither him nor luiz can be anywhere near this team. I still think luiz is ok as back up but mustafi used all his lives up a long time ago.

  64. Some peanuts on here, blaming the midfield, back passes…. Please. I blame gunnersaures, the elastic in his pants are failing. Watch the game.

  65. Same sh*t, different toilet!!!

    Has been for years but this club will no accept that at least half of the team are not EPL quality and a massive clear out is required!

  66. I wish he’d change Ozil for Rob holding. Ozil hasn’t done any to help the team create anything. Am so disappointed in him.

    1. Pat, how’ve you been?
      Can’t imagine how disappointed you’d be regarding Ozil cuz I know you do stand for him each chance you get

      1. Eddie I think he should get zero for rating. He refused to move the ball forward even before we went down to ten men and he became worse as the game went on. He just hasn’t got any passion for the game today!!! I have been well Eddie. I come to read but I really don’t have anything tangible to say. 1-1

  67. The whole team display tonight has been dire. Mustafi is to blame for the mistake but the team in whole was poor up till then and a full second half of pain to watch. I really need to switch off and come back next season

  68. I think we should be patient with mikel arteta and this team untill we got relegated, how many matches we win under arteta. Look at the stats of other newly appointed coach. We need an experienced coach in this time, and we go for the cheap option . Look at our position now no change in that

  70. Ridiculous! All is needed is to se formation picked in central defense area, including Xhaka & Torreira combined to defend; result is same!

  74. I pity Özil if he would have went to some other team and not arsenal in 2013 he would be even more of an modern legend.. oh how much of a genius he would be in a team like city or juventus but he has to play in a team full of idiot where at least one half is stupid and some are average and every year 1-3 are talented.. and the talented ones leave and the only one who didnt leave is özil and dont talk of his wage he would have easily earned that as a free signing.. özil is too talented for arsenal he should have left

  76. Well we are 13th now. Worst position after 24 games for any supporter younger than 25 who doesn’t remember the last time 😉

    1. Lol. Funny comment. I dont understand why Emery did not play Martinelli quite often in EPL matches.

  79. Actually Xhaka has done very well when ever he is played as CB, should try him out there like mascherano. He is way better defender then the joke of defenders we have. We need to spend next summer that is for sure.

  84. Martinelli you beauty, the only player i will retain for this club , this lad has some talent and heart, others are overhyped

  90. Shame for Arsenal
    They tried so hard after going down to 10 men
    Whatever the outcome I felt they gave as much as they could…. yes!!!!!

  91. N mustafi strikes again…standing n watching….should give him another clean slate after this as well MA!

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