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Official Arsenal team to face Newcastle United – Pepe and Ceballos in

The Arsenal team to face Newcastle United has been announced

Mikel Arteta will be looking to pick up all three points against Newcastle United at the Emirates today and has gone with a very attacking line-up.

With Man City facing a two-season Champions League ban and the very high possibility that fifth position gets qualification to Europeโ€™s elite competition then nothing short of a win will do.

As expected Mesut Ozil retains his place and Shkodran Mustafi and David Luiz partner up in defence. Bukayo Saka keeps his spot ahead of Sead Kolasinac and Nicolas Pepe gets a start, as does Eddie Nketiah.

It is a little surprising to be honest, especially with Gabriel Martinelli on the bench.

So, what do you think to this team? Has Arteta called it right? 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 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)
Pundits predict Arsenal v Newcastle here

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131 Comments

  2. It’s a bold decision to start Nketiah ahead of Lacazette and Ceballos as no 8, but I guess Arteta wants a quick goal

    Looking forward to see Pepe’s training result

    2. Hi babe. I havenโ€™t seen you since the new site, but I havenโ€™t been very frequent anyway. Arteta has put his faith in Ozil again Sue, I hope he repays him with a solid performance. Loves

  5. Not as confident without Torreira at the base but very glad Ceballos is getting a chance to prove his worth and faith shown in Nketiah shows there is some degree of training-based meritocracy being developed. You train well, you play. Top stuff.

    1. Same thought exactly… If Xhaka happens to drop to LB and Saka venturing forward as is Arteta style who’s gonna secure the middle? Ceballos or Ozil? Unless he has a new tactic… Let’s just see how it goes…

    1. Don’t bring your brother’s confidence down on this popular platform. Help him.
      The game did not even started lol
      However I respect your view.

  8. Looks a good line-up, but I would have preferred Torreira starting over Xhaka…… and Mari still isn’t even on the bench?!……. I hope we play brilliant football, and win by a reasonable margin….. we are really going to need the confidence boost for the rest of the season….. COYG!

    1. Oh!….. and Martinelli for Nketiah to, so that Aubameyang can play as 9…. anyways, once again, I hope we get all three points convincingly… COYG!

    3. its amazing how other teams january signings hit the ground running where as ours always seem to languish in physio room or bench …

  10. Ceballous and Xhaka at the midfield, ozil in front, I am think of Torriera or Guandozi . well let’s see how it goes

  13. no guendouzi in squad ??? ozil starts playing with 10 men from the get go,,2 clowns at the back..COYG

  14. Ozil, Xhaka, Mustafi in one lineup? Nketiah over Martinelli and Lacazette?

    I disagree with this lineup BUT hope we win anyway

    I hope these players reward Arteta’s faith in them

  17. Not sure why Torreira is suddenly is out of the picture after performing so well, whilst Ozil, who offers literally nothing, continues to start?

    At least Laca is dropped, which is something. Very interested to see what Ceballos can do under Arteta, because he has been poor so far.

  21. I don’t know what to make of this lineup. It doesn’t make sense having a fit Kolasinac on the bench while playing Saka out of position.
    I hope it works but Arteta should be reminded that this is an EPL match and they are no easy games for experiments.

  24. Very attacking line up…arteta take too risk. Hope the lad will play without fear and show their talent.

  25. A more attacking team gets selected, everyone still keeps questioning the selection. It’s not even as if these guys are even playing poorly in the game.
    Fans tho

  26. We play 3 games in 8 days, he rotates, right to do so.

    I’m trying to figure formation. Seems to be xhaka at DM. It is indeed attacking and traditional 433 with a number 8, a 10 and Xhaka as a 6.

    I just don’t feel Ozil & Ceballos and Pepe will defend enough, puts us at more risk. Not well balanced in that sense… Playing Auba as a left winger simply doesn’t make any sense; formation is wrong again!

  32. Why put our best striker to the winger, and put young nktiah as solo striker…..
    We alredy see many times, auba is bad as winger

  36. It’s all very languid. Not moving the ball around fast enough. No one making runs. It’s the same as the Burnley game.

  39. The obsession with Nketie, Willock, Nelson will either make or marr Arteta. There’s nothing special in these academy players. Why is this difficult to see.

  40. Amn, guen, not even in squad&these frauds play, xhaka red card on the way.. A blind man could c it

  41. No disrespect to Arteta but with the players we have I would field a better team than what we are seeing.
    If this is the best Arteta can do for team selection then I am so worried. He won’t last long.

    1. Itโ€™s not pretty is it?
      Even after the keeper fluffed the cross we still couldnโ€™t put the ball in the net

      1. @SueP to be honest I expected a better game after such a long break with the players rejuvenated.
        We have better players in this team and this lineup borders an embarrassment to the Arsenal.Arteta should just get serious with his work.

  44. With the way everybody keeps fussing about the line up you’d be forced to think we don’t have a more important match on Thursday where Martinelli and others would be most useful.
    Everyone seems to forget we have a match on Thursday and it’s important

    1. this one is just as important. our epl form has been horrendous and we dont score. What Auba is doing out wide again, I dont know. He should be in middle especially if Lacazette is not starting. All these players are coming off of a break and should be playing with some intensity and we are playing nothing like that. Slow, slow game, so poor.

    2. No doubt that Thursday is important but the performance today should be better than this 45 minutes. Play well today and confidence begins to be restored but Iโ€™ve not seen anything so far that gives me the belief that enough improvement has been made

    1. We watching same game. Indeed yet a fare and generous draw to us in first half!

      Also see how easy we are to break, nor reassuring at all.

      Arteta lifting spirits for games is useless if he can’t put right formation on pitch.

      Formation makes no sense, unbalanced! Not about players but how he plays them, all wrong!

  46. Formation is right, tactics spot on, lineup very attack minded, we have to start questioning the players now, Maxim looks way better that Pepe,

    1. That’s because he is better and Pepe has been nothing but a flop this season. He hasn’t shown nearly enough signs he is cut out for this league. Every game he tries the same tricks and fails every single time. This will be his only contract at Arsenal and likely another player that will go much cheaper than we bought him for.

    2. You are no Prof for sure, formation is completely wrong!

      It stars by playing best players in right positions insuring right balance.

      It takes to make choices. Auba can’t be playing in left flank and Nketiah ahead of him as a CB!

      Saka has nothing to do as a LB but should be playing as a winger….

      He got middle all wrong again! It should be a B2B knowing, who defends more than Ceballos and runs forward.

      Gives more balance and threat.

  48. Pepe defended well… but when is he going to attack. I like what Danny started to do after 30 min …he looks like he will create something. Dono why Auba is not playing central…it’s the only thing bugging me right now.

  49. we must just accept the fact that arsenal are no more top team in Europe anymore, even Newcastle players are more ambitious than our players. On the table we are where we deserve

  50. Since Arteta insists on using 4-2-3-1, he had better replace Ozil with Ceballos and Saka with Kolasinac

    Ozil is not effective as no 10 and Saka seems to be playing with a brake

    Pepe also doesn’t give us any penetration, so better put Martinelli or Nketiah on the right side

  51. Ozil has been very impressive on and off the ball in this game. Our best player thus far, done everything an attacking midfielder is should do except shoot(one of his flaws). Pepe deserves a mention too. Eddie sorry to say is not close to Arsenal standard, the pace of the game has consumed him.

    1. Sol…you are the man. Very observant and understand the game unlike many posters here. There was a reason why even a championship side would not play Nketiah and from his last few gamed we know why.
      Also what does arteta see in Xhaka? He is like an appendix in a human, useless and can be life threatening

  52. 1st half match: 68 percent possession, 9 – 4 shots, 3 – 1 on target, 7 – 3 chances created. I enjoy this game. Only goal is what am waiting.

  53. so arsenal has 2 center forwards in good goal scoring form (auba, martin) yet we keep playing laca and now nkeit. There in no movement from this front 3, no runs in behind Newcastle’s def but of course everyone will blame ozil for this.

  54. This team is so disgusting, too slow to move the ball forward infact slower than snails. Just pass the ball backward , sideways and long ball periodically so annoyed to watch

  55. Half time and rank poor! TWO TOTAL PASSENGERS IN NKETIAH AND EVEN MORE SO IN PEPE. I would change both at HT, and surely Martinelli must come straight on. Little cohesion, lots of slack passing and slow pace, A mere touch better from the half hour but way below expectations. For me, Ozil is our best player but from a very modest bunch and no one stands out as a possible MotM, so far anyway. Big improvement needed!

    1. Agree, ozil done the best so far, Xhaka SLOW on the ball as usual and picked up a dumb yellow card. Pepe disappoints too, and that seems to be a regular thing. Stronger end to the half but a useless 35 minutes of football before that, and I dont understand why we struggle to play with intensity. Convinced some of these players dont care because i cannot think of another reason for these performances.

  56. I think it will be very difficult to penetrate 5..4..1 formation with inexperienced Nketia as lone striker. Push Auba forward and substitute Martinelli for Ozil/Ceballos

  59. Read all the crap about Pepe and look how he could’ve gotten two assist under ten minutes if Nketiah had scored

    1. Pepe has been so crap and the fans are saying it as it is.
      Today though he must be commended for what he has done.I hope he maintains this performance.

  60. A classic play, football when simple becomes easy, a cross and a header.. With Auba it does look effortless.

  66. OZIL AT IT TODAY. I ALWAYS BELIEVE IN YOU MESUT. PEPE will leave up to expectation. Give him time.

  67. Moan moan and moan…. Arteta changed the team and everyone starts complaining calling out Pepe and others…
    yet people forgot we were getting nothing but draws with Lacazette.
    Ooooops!! Pepe has a goal and an assist, Mustafi is playing well as usual under MA.
    People will always run their mouth, Arsenal fans will be Arsenal fans

    1. yup, one game against Newcastle vindicates the entire season of poor performances. 7th win of the season (maybe still), and it’s mid February. Im happy we are actually winning but you are doing a huge disservice by acting like Pepe, Mustafi and others havent been bad all season. Dont be one of those people who use one game to act like a player is good… Okay, thats my schpeal of negativity/realism…

      1. Pepe isn’t a bad footballer.. like every reasonw person keeps saying including the coach you’re all jumping on him as if he’s been year for years and acting like he’s always been a terrible player all just because of the amount we paid for him.
        No I’m not saying he’s been fantastic but I’ve always called for patience with him.
        Hazard worse way more in his first season for Chelsea, I won’t even mention Henry and Pores.
        Suddenly because we paid 72 million we jump at him every single time as if he’s meant to be Messi or Salah.
        Why not leave him alone till next season? after all that was what everyone was saying about Emery’s first season.

        Also, are you gonna pretend Mustafi has been the poor player we know under Arteta?
        You’re gonna pretend Mustafi just started playing good today?.
        My comment spoke about Pepe and Mustafi and I stand by my comments.
        Give these two guys some break FFS.

        1. Just because other players had poor first seasons and got better, doesnt mean the same will happen to Pepe. You have no proof of that and all we can do is go off of what we see of him. And no, people are not wrong for putting pressure on players that the club has invested high amounts in. Nobody on the planet expected he next Messi in Pepe, but we definitely expected better than what he has been showing. Why not leave him alone? because he is earning big wages weekly and is expected to do his job well, just like any other person who is employed. Also, not even going to bother going into Mustafi. Any reasonable person knows he isn’t good enough. If you think he’s Arsenal quality, that says more about you.

          1. Once again you make little to no point.. Nothing wrong in expecting Pepe to deliver but the likes of you keeps acting like he’s a confirmed flop, also as much as I don’t know if he’ll better in his second season, you don’t know if he will be either, so what’s the point in kicking the man as if he’s a failure??

            Again nobody ever said Mustafi is Arsenal quality.

            โ€œMustafi is playing well as usual under MA.”
            is what I said. If he’s playing well and keeps playing very well then he’s welcome to stay!!! What we want is performances solid once. No one gives a Fuq if he was error prone before, if he fix himself then he’s welcome to play for us

          2. Lmao, okay if you are still being fooled by Mustafi, then that says something about you!! If he stops being error prone???? What a fantasy you’ve imagined. And yes, Pepe is flopping, and I’m not afraid to say the truth. If he turns it around, great, but his first season has been poor and many gooners would agree with me. You’ve said nothing to persuade me otherwise. All you can say is next season he might do better. And he might, but he might not. Doesn’t matter when currently he is underperforming and has been for all season.

    2. The first half was poor and as supporters we post on here to praise when good things happen and to show discontent when the team play badly
      Pepe has been underwhelming but scored a great goal from a great cross. Iโ€™m pleased for him

      1. well said, Sue. Don’t know why this is hard to grasp. Arsenal have been frustrating all season and it was another frustrating half, so fans were frustrated. Hardly news.

  68. ozil started poorly but from 30 min onward has been very good. ozil plays bad when he gets the ball, sees the run and hesitates to make the pass thus keeping the ball too long and being dispossessed. When he plays quickly, he instantly plays better.

  71. LACA with a small taste of what coulda been the whole game based on his link up play. The flick and spin was purposeful. Give the man some respect and some proper football around him and watch what happens.

  72. We came back and Arteta found right words to Ceballos who was coming deeper, to then play forward. It changed balance.

    Look like different team but same with better balance. All over sudden, everyone looks good ; Ozil able to display his class!

  82. Never knew that camel milk has this much effect ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚
    Watched a great game after years…

  85. Finally….. A WIN!……… and it was convincing, just like I had hoped…… let’s hope we build momentum from from here.
    Winning streak: 1 and counting…… COYG!

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