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Official Arsenal team to face Dundalk – Balogun on the bench

Arsenal is looking for their sixth straight win in the Europa League when they take on Irish side Dundalk this evening.

There is no point claiming that a win will be a boost and so on because no matter how well we do against these teams in Europe it has done absolutely nothing for us in the Premier League, in fact, it has just given us all false hope.

Here is the Arsenal team that Mikel Arteta has gone with for this evening.

What do you think to the team that Mikel Arteta has selected? Are you happy with the changes he has made? Who would you like to have seen in that line-up?

Leave us your comments below and maybe predict the score at the same time.

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

JustArsenal predicted Arsenal team (for comparison) here
JustArsenal match preview here

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Tags Arsenal Team Dundalk v Arsenal

123 Comments

  2. Very good line up
    Very young..
    Excited to see ESR
    Don’t worry high position he is playing…
    Hope he plays as number 10

  3. It looks like Pepe up front. If he succeeds there, he only has to sit out the next match before potentially benching auba And laca for a while

    1. No it doesnt he is on right with Nketiah as striker, Idiot Arteta has ESR on the left too instead of 10.

  4. The midfield trio, I like very much.I assume ESR will be playing wide in the front three and that Kolasinac has been injured in training like Nelson?

    1. Nice Line up ESR exciting to watch as number 10
      But I follow your thought ESR deploying as wide player..
      Or it could be 4-3-2-1

      Willock AMN and Elnney as those 3

      Pépé and ESR behind Niketiah

  5. If I was Balogun I would hand my transfer request in immediately. Absolute bloody nonsense he isnt starting.

    1. Well I hope he gets more than 10 minutes this time. 1st team needs a boost and someone like him or ESR *could* provide it if Arteta is brave enough.

  6. Good line up! Nice Maitland Niles will have another run in the mid-field. Happy to see Emile Smith- Rowe starting! 3- 0 to Arsenal!

      1. I’ll have a butchers after this, Kstix.. been pushed for time today and I have to study certain predictions first and then keep changing my mind 🤣🤣🤣

  9. It’s a 343 formation.
    AMN at LWB, Elneny and Willock in the middle.
    Pepe and ESR out wide with Nketiah upfront.

    1. Thought the same, 3 cbs so the wingbacks can attack more and send 89 Crosses. Good thing is the Nketiah can head a ball.

  12. I think saka should have started this game so that he won’t come&mess up the few chances we will create on sunday

  14. I expected to see underperformers like Xhaka, Bellerin, Auba, Willian to start or at least be on the bench. The thought of seeing them start against Burnley is scary.

  17. Arteta surely knows how to encourage Balogun, if the boy cannot start against this team then when is he going to.

  18. It seems we are playing 3-4-3
    With Chambers Mustafi and Mari as CBs
    Cedric AMN Elnenny and Willock as Midfielders
    ESR on left and Pépé on right

  34. I think we need a change of way here, one issue I see with Arsenal team playing in league is confidence n with losses the confidence dips further so I think what we can try is play the same team we play in league in Europe as well in current situation let them win few matches get the confidence up so they have some results and performances on their back when they play in league. When we start winning in league then play the youngsters in Europe again. Part of problem is most players who play in Europe are not played in league n the youngsters are not ready for league yet, this translates into no confidence gain on part of experienced players. So we should have probably let the experience players play in group stages let them win by good margins …thrashing lower quality teams. This would have given then confidence to play and show their game in league.

    1. I really want to believe it was to get Mari and Chambers match fit, considering the fixtures coming in this month.

  37. Are we being robbed off our Thursday night joy as well? For me it almost looked like Sunday night except for the goals.

    2. Probably Arsenal can now buy Cebollos because the way he has played so far this season he won’t even make it into Madrid B team.

  39. ok pepe cost 70 million dundalks players combined cost 10 bob hes been atrocious closely followed by willock,soares,mustafi as the worst players on the pitch

  41. After the second goal, there was no urgency again from Arsenal, and that let th Dundalj back into game.
    I know this is just a formality having topped the group already, but Arsenal seriously needs to distribute the ball quicker if they don’t want this match to wash away boring..
    I’ll need Nelson and Balogun to come in.

  42. Really pleased for BOOMohamed Elneny… smile on his face lit up the stadium!!
    Now come on fellas… more goals please!!

  43. I’m not a huge fan of 3 at the back but must admit the players look a bit more comfortable in their roles in this formation.

    If Arteta goes back to it, I think Chambers is a good shout on the right. He may need more time to get up to speed but arguably was our best defender last year before his injury.

  44. I known the pitch is bad, I know it’s a game of nothing but my goodness I know the football is poor. It’s the system that Arsenal are playing that is shit poor!

  45. Ooh back passes in Europa! Guess we can’t forget our roots, lol.
    Also I dont think Nketiah is a good link up player. He is best as a fox in the box/ poacher only. Some of his touches and passes are wanting.

      1. Honestly he is pretty good in the box. If we get the ball to him he does something with that and in that regard I like him. But he may not be able to create for himself, so a more creative partner would be good for him maybe.

    2. Also Dundalk are kind of good to experiment pressing on. The front three should atleast press as a unit. Sometimes only Nketiah seemed to press..

    2. Yeah his touches look good. But in terms of pressing, Eddie is better. Balogun might be better for quick link ups and fashioning chances.

      1. Agree Eddie is a work horse and poacher but not much more.

        Balogun’s assist for example, Eddie would have tried to spin and shoot not pass

        1. Yeah, you summarised both of them well. Balogun better for the link up and fashioning chances, while Eddie better as a pressing outlet(if thats a term, lol).

  49. As much as I like him, Cellabos really adds nothing to Arsenal. Thank goodness we didn’t sign him permanently.

    1. Probably Arsenal can now buy Cebollos because the way he has played so far this season he won’t even make it into Madrid B team.

  52. Quality goal!

    I also wouldn’t mind seeing Mari, Gabriel and Chambers as a back 3 (if we goingtoplay 3 at the back)

  54. This is just so booring football no imagination no beautiful passing moves. If we can not play attractive football against a team like this what do we expect against teams in league. It feels like everytime you can get the ball just shoot n you will score a goal. It’s a Sunday league level football. UEFA really need to look at this competition bec the quality level specially at group stages is just beyound pathetic. They should really have less teams with better quality.

    2. Better just scrap the UEFA cup altogether n just keep champions League. It will bring more competition to qualify for the champions League raise the standard of football. On top it will stop managers moaning about too many games to play in season.

        1. I agree on the finnecial front but probably they can find another way of pumping that money into small clubs areound Europe. Getting rid of this competition will have two adavnatges

          1) teams won’t have to play on Thursdays n jump into league matches after 2-3 days.
          2) less games less injuries. Specially if you play against some of the teams who have awful playing pitch.
          3) to be in Europe, teams will raise their quality so overall the football quality will get better.

          1. 1) teams already have to do that in the CL if they play on wednesday then Saturday

            2) fair point

            3) how can the smaller teams increase quality when they have much less revenue to do so, the teams already in the CL will continue to earn extra revenue this widening the margin of disparity.

          3. Mohsan the whining little sad man,
            1) teams won’t have to play on Thursdays n jump into league matches after 2-3 days. – ARE THE ONLY 11 PLAYERS PER TEAM
            2) less games less injuries. Specially if you play against some of the teams who have awful playing pitch. BORING
            3) to be in Europe, teams will raise their quality so overall the football quality will get better.
            NOT REALLY JUST THE REGULARS WILL GET CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.

      2. That is a good idea. Maybe expanding UCL to more teams would also help more “smaller” leagues experience stardom and the underdog stories would be so much better!

  55. Another one for Balogun. I have high expectation for the lad, better that Eddie IMO. I really hope he signs an extension.

  58. We almost could have been on a beautiful break but for the final scoffed pass. Azeez is good though. So calm under pressure.

    1. Have to agree, first time I’ve seen him and he’s so calm and doesn’t waste a ball. Hope to more of him in the knock out rounds.

      1. Me too. Maybe if we develop him well, we get a proper deep lying playmaker in the future, something which would look like a more agile and pacey Xhaka, with those hollywood turns and pings.

  60. the boy azeez impressive would b a big upgrade on xhaka ok 10mins but very good,balogun the same lot better then eddie cottrell lower league player.pepe laughable 70 million

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