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Official Arsenal team to face Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup

On the face of it, Arsenal was handed a fairly easy draw in the third round of the FA Cup but it would be foolhardy to think that Championship side Forest will be a pushover, especially in the FA Cup.

The oldest football competition in the world is notorious for upsets, just look at Newcastle United yesterday at St James Park against Cambridge Utd.

Mikel Arteta has obviously not gone with his first-eleven but the team he has gone with should be more than good enough to despatch the two-time European Cup winners.

However, they must avoid complacency at all costs and fully respect their opponents if they are to avoid humiliation and a third-round exit.

This is the team Arteta has selected and there are no real surprises, it was what we have been expecting all week.

What is your opinion of the starting XI? Let us know in the comments below and give us your score predictions. Personally, I am going with a 3-1 win.

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161 Comments

  1. Hope ESR, gets his full fitness before the weekend against Spurs and hope Xhaka and the others are okay too. Quick recovery to everyone who tested positive.

    We should win this game in a convincing way if we fight for it.
    COYG

  3. Can’t wait to see Hutchinson get a crack alongside the senior boys too.
    If you were aware of the times I picked out Saka as the one to watch out for before he got blooded in, believe me Omari Hutchinson is the next one you want to keep an eye on while Patino gets all the attention

    1. Xhaka and Balogun have tested positive for COVID-19. Smith Rowe out due to a tight groin, while Tomiyasu is out due to a tight calf.

      1. Damn were going to be short for midfielders..

        Partey, AMN, Elneny gone
        Xhaka out for at least a week?

        Leaves us with Patino and Sambi!

        2. yea didn’t think we would need a loan at first, but looking at the squad again, we definitely do. If Xhaka is out then we really dont have much experience. But hey, our youngsters have been taking their chances very well over the years and Patino could make his mark. Still, a natural ball winner in our lineup is needed and we dont have one at the moment with Granit out.

  6. I am a happy guy, happy for Charlie Patino. Also I’m stoked we may see Salah Uddine. Watched him and he has a great future too. COYG.

  8. I really wanted to more of our youngsters in the starting lineup. Since there is 5 man substitution, senior players could come in for reinforcement if things don’t go well in the first half.

  10. The stupid deal is costing Mari his future at arsenal and I think we are preparing to welcome Saliba, therefore, Mari may be on the move this January or summer.
    Leicester at home after win tonight, what a draw

  12. If Xhaka has tested positive then that is the second time🙄. Lucky for him he wasn’t badly affected the first time

    1. Mate of mine (unvaccinated) has tested positive for the 3rd time, difference is this time he is in hospital….silly boy.

  17. Nervous start … phaps expected … but need to get passing game together … and can we hire a throw in coach

      1. Tavares wanted to get forward but Arteta keep telling him to sit back ,they had words 5 mins beforehand ,idiotic decision to take him off and one that won’t go down well with the player ,to top it off Tierney looks bloody awful since he’s come on ,it doesn’t help having your manager shouting none stop in your ear ,every telling you how to take a bloody throwing FFS .
        Sit down Arteta and STFU and let the players play .

        1. Dan, it seems you are implying players should be allowed to play what they feel ok but not to the coach instructions?
          We have Martinelli on that wing, who imo doesn’t need too much help to make things happen, Taveres has been out of position a lot of times, running back to get pass and misplaced passes

        2. Nuno was extremely crap in that half, how you can say MA was wrong to take him off is mind boggling to me

          1. So taking off a player in the 35th minute is a great decision is it Val .
            He was out of position twice what I saw and no danger came of it ,the problem is he wanted to get forward Arteta wanted him to stay back ,we are playing forest FFS one shot on target in the first half what’s the problem of letting a player get forward .
            Anyway I’m going to watch the rest of the free flowing football on show .

            1. if hes playing like a heroine addict thats had 20 pints then yea
              he missed placed EVERY GOD DAMN pass, conceded a needless corner and just isnt at the races at all.
              his attitude and performance stinks

            2. He looks very low on confidence. Misplaced passes. He lost the several on occasions. Really don’t know what’s going on. Uhh

  19. The games passing Patino by, although to be fair most of the play by us has been awful. It might take a Forest goal to wake em up a bit.

  20. Awful 45 minutes of slow sloppy and aimless football … seen enough of nketiah to know he’s not a solution to our lack of attacking edge … also patino out of his depth

  23. Rob Holding showing why we need to recall Saliba and promote Ballard asap.

    Tavares will now need to watch his step with Arteta, he hates petulance, just ask guendozi, Ozil and Aubameyang.

    All in all a shambles of a first half

    1. He is a ruthless coach. That’s what arsenal players needs, we were too relax under Wenger ‘fatherly love, and pampering’
      When you perform rubbish you are back on the bench, that is a statement to others

  24. Awful. Was Tavares drunk? He was miles off pace. Even I could’ve gone past him.

    We dont look like we want it at the moment. Sambi was IMO the best player on.

  25. Holding was shite 4 years ago 4 years later he’s the captain he’s fucking worse,, to think saliba no its not worth it,, cedric LOL

    2. Mate of mine (unvaccinated) has tested positive for the 3rd time, difference is this time he is in hospital….silly boy.

  27. hooking players off even before HT is a big call, but Tavares was ALL over the place. Moment Tierney comes on, that part of the pitch stops being a giant outlet for Forest. Midfield is just inexperienced and it shows. Lokonga and Patino can really only execute very basic passes so everything is just in front of Forest. Partey is going to be such a miss this month. One thing that is also obvious, is that whatever striker we ar searching for needs to accel in being able to link play together. Saka and Martinelli look much less potent with a striker just hanging in the box and not really offering anything. Hopefully second half we can get things moving faster.

    1. Tierney lost the ball 3 times in 2 mins
      The problem is Arteta constantly in there ear ,wish someone would slide tackle him into row Z absolutely stupid to take a player off in the first half

      1. Tomiyasu said everything they do they discuss tactics in the dressing room and when they get on the pitch it’s all them as Arteta and the rest of the staff told them to be themselves and express themselves on the pitch, and said Terta is actually the one pushing for a United squad and prefers the players applaud each other when they do something good and caution themselves too, but according to you Arteta is a bad man manager and he hates the players.
        You are even defending vtha awful performance from Tavares there and attacking the manager for it.
        Says a lot IMHO

        1. Lol
          Tavares wanted to get forward and Arteta keep telling him to stay back
          They had words before he took him ,you can defend him as much as you want but that was pathetic taking him off ,there was no danger from any mistake Tavares made wolves he now take tierney off because he looked even worse when he got on .
          Pathetic decision and even more pathetic you defending him .

          1. Nope, what’s pathetic is you attacking the manager every minute you get, yet you’re supposed to be a supporter and fan of the football club.
            Not one single person on here is saying Arteta did wrong to take him off except you who that derives pleasure in attacking the manager whenever we play.
            I can’t believe the standards you demand, yet you you’re applauding that awful performance from Tavares just because you don’t like the manager.
            Enjoy the rest of the game Dan

            1. We are talking about the Tavares decision why are you bringing up your own personal opinions about how I should support my club and a manger that you try way to hard to defend ,get back on point buddy if you want to carry on the conversation .
              If you think taking off a player in the 35 th minute and being all Jose like is a good decision then it just proves my point .
              I mean it’s really changed the outlook of the game hasn’t it taking him off

              1. I am normally agreeing with you Dan but not on this occasion.

                The right call, although it did not have the desired effect on performance.

                maybe the weak midfield is causing unbalance.

                Nkeitah showed why he is not a starter in PL.

    2. Patino is struggling without a ball winner next to him. With no real ball winners on the bench I think we should move white into midfield and bring Mari on or bring Chambers on. Maybe bring Mari and Chambers on for Patino and Sambi. Play White and Chambers in the centre.

  28. Arsenal needed Xhaka’s playmaking, Partey’s skills and Magalhaes’ passes through the left side of the field

    Patino was too green, Lokonga was too slow and Tavares’ decision making was bad and Holding just couldn’t pass near the left touchline as Magalhaes did. Mari would’ve been a better replacement for Magalhaes, but maybe he’ll be shipped out soon

    It’s just a matter of time until we score, but we should’ve made a few shots on goal in the first half

  29. Tavares showing exactly why you can’t make exactly expect these kids to do all of the time.
    Not everyone ould be like Saka.
    He was bloody awful and all over the place, also wasted a couple of balls. He’s yet to still learn he has to be calm on the ball and he needs to stop rushing himself into decisions.
    Good call to get him off.
    Midfield looking light and weak, but expected.
    Hoping ESR and Xhaka can make it on Thursday against Liverpool please.

  31. Pretty poor from both teams. The most blatant shirt pulling on Ben White. It IS a penalty!!!! Gotta be better in the second half. If the ref didn’t give a no brainer pen, what will the second half bring?

  32. These games are always bigger for the smaller team, and less so for us. I don’t see nothing unusual so far, we are controlling the game most of the time. Get through it, move on…

  35. It’s holding who’s drunk, disgusting player my as 4 eddie plz let him go with cedric💩

  42. I don’t know whats the reason behind selection of nketiah , patino is young thats ok but where is the enthusiasm of young player i didn’t see in him

  46. With this midfield we never gonna win any of our match, decision to loan out maitland niles with out signing a back up will be a disaster

    1. So so bad I cant find any positives from this. Even if we win which looks so doubtful why has this happened again.
      Can we blame arteta yes but what an absolute awful performance AGAIN

  51. Covid, afcon OK but how could you defend this dross, first time in yonks I couldn’t care less

    1. It has to be goodbye arteta because if you can defend this then you truly do not support arsenal

        1. What a bloody ridiculous comment! Well it’s just the CL, we were in it for 16 years, why the Heck are we trying to get in it again! FFS, got no idea, you just show your ridulous range of thinking with every damn comment.

      3. Got what we deserved and proves that we need a midfielder this window and that Eddie is not worth keeping. League cup against lower opposition, England u21 there is his level.

    1. Where are the toss pots who support this clown. It’s funny how quite they are when we watch this crap

  61. The boys went to sleep today..
    Time to focus all our energy in getting to the champions league

  62. By the way on the subject of Tavares I wanted him to start the game but he was terrible, mistake ridden and got himself booked. Good decision by Arteta to get him off.

      1. Marginally but not really so, was just saying Tavares had to be hooked. In fact no one really performed today, a very puzzling game on our part.

  63. At least we can concentrate on getting 4th and playing in the Champions League next season, however briefley.

    1. What sort of moron say we can concentrate on 4th. I’ve never heard such rubbish you obviously dont support the club or are you just a mug

  64. I would have been pissed if we had won with that kind of performance. Seems like city loss has taken us back to default settings. No need blaming this on absence of some players. Players on the pitch were more than capable to get the job done. This shows we are just not ready for the champions league.

  68. Now they’ve switched the Milk Cup semis around does that mean Pool can benefit from away goals if the 2nd leg goes to extra time at our place.

  69. Without Partney, we are lost in midfield. Nkethia strolls around the pitch like he’s Ronaldo. Tierney passes backwards alot. I actually prefer tavares going forward.

  70. Well done forest this crap team got what they deserve so many snails in this team, maitland niles will do better things than these current midfield players , this will be a warnig sign for arteta

  73. MA this is what happens when you give reserves like Lokonga almost zero game time even in games where we are cruising by 3 goals! Everyone is so rusty!

  74. This is up there with the Everton, City first leg and Brentford games as the worst performance of the season

    1. where have you been the last 5-6 years? There’s a whole bundle to choose from. This doesnt crack the top 5.

    1. Didn’t even turn up.
      Cheats
      Frauds
      Embarrassing.
      If you can defend that crap then you will be embarrassing yourself so dont bother

  77. MA this is what happens when you give reserves like Lokonga almost zero game time even in games where we are cruising by 3 goals! Everyone is so rusty!

    1. Yes PJ. I agree with you. Lokonga was rusty. Cedric has concentration issues. Nketiah should be sold this January.

      I would rather play Martinelli as a CF and get a top quality winger like Kingsley Coleman
      We need to make 3 signings.

      Gigi Widjahun
      Asensio
      Kingsley Coleman

      That Is football. You win some and loose some.
      We move.

  85. Imagine u are a player without any ball control skills collecting wages. Forest defenders were laughing when they saw a non footballer Nketiah is a striker. Please can we delete his contract?

    1. Typical performance from Nketiah, never good enough only Arteta thinks so.

      Wow, terrible game, everyone looked terrible even manager. Holding, my oh my, pub team looks better than this lot.

      Should all be too embarrassed to collect wages for this week, even Arteta.

  86. We are gonna get slaughtered for this. Not the result… but the performance.

    I’ve seen this too many times under Arteta.

    Sorry to say, but I told you so.

    1. shows how crucial having our midfield starters are. Everything good has come from Partey/Xhaka as the platform for the rest of our attack to play off of. Odegaard was the ONLY player on the pitch attempting to move the ball with any pace today. I have a theory that everyone had their water spiked with drugs because its the only explanation for such a steep dropoff from our recent form. 😂

  87. There were moments in this game that it seems like some of the players didnt even want to play. How can some of our players do so much of nothing with posession of the ball? Holding, Cedric especially that was some of the worst football i’ve seen in a while from any top flight team.

  88. And are we still to “Trust the process”?
    Arteta will only ever bring this club down. He is utterly clueless. We played a very average Championship side and were made to look like a Sunday pub team. And yet some still believe in this novice.

    1. Hi Phil

      That is football. You win some and lose some.
      Same Arteta won the FA Cup 2 years ago.
      A painful exit it is. But we move to the next game. This FA Cup loss should not be grounds to sack the manager

      1. @Skills1000- really mate? This is the same manager that fcuked up last season at Southampton and yet somehow has managed to embarrass himself even more. For all those who were dreaming of this NOVICE being capable of getting us a top 4 spot this season just wake up!!!!
        Good managers get results. We were embarrassed by a very average Championship team who are going nowhere. Which is exactly where we are going all the while this clown is our manager

        1. I get you Phil. And I agree with you. Funny enough AMN is on the pitch presently for ROMA. I don’t understand why we decided to sell him before this key game. We have seen enough of incompetence and poor decision making from Arsenal.
          The club won’t sack Arteta at this stage.
          We just have to support the team and hope they make top4 at the end of the season.

          I am really disappointed and this exit hurts me. But I’m trying to find any positive. Top4 is the minimum target for this season

  89. E M B A R R A S S I N G !

    Well done to Forrest though who actually looked like a team that wanted to win. Arsenal looked like amateurs in most parts. Even Saka had a bad day. Where was the energy and passion?

  90. This club lack common sense. What will it cost them to hold to Niles for just this game before sending him out knowing fully well that we are short in midfield.

    Ok we are having 2 of our senior midfielders leave for Afcon and there is no plan to cover for them. Latino and Sambi has no aggression at all to stand these games. I’m not sure who to blame but this was a perfect game for Niles.

    1. You do not want an unhappy player in your squad. AMN was asked by the manager to stay and obviously he is not responding well, so it’s of he goes bye bye. 🖐️🖐️

  91. I feel sorry for Patino. I’m not really a Xhaka fan but he would have been better alongside him than Lokinga who needs help himself.

  92. Dreadful today goes to show how we still are a weak young side and against just one level down group of men we get showed up.

    They wanted it more we expected it to happen.

  93. We will continue to support the team and the Manager. Trust the process. Just goes to show we need more depth in our squad. Those who keep calling for academy youngsters to be played, need to learn that they are not ready yet. Tavares need to be disciplined if he does not like it, sell him. I like what the Manager is doing. No nonsense approach is what we need. Pampering players is what got us here. 100% Behind the Manager. You don’t win the league and trophies with that kind of performances.

  94. At least we’ve got our Arsenal back.

    Now hopefully people will understand that the likes of patino Tavares and sambi are not ready yet.

    Holding, Cedric and even Leno are not good enough.

    From here on in we have to play our best available x1 every match including both semi-finals. We need to try and sell Nketiah, Pepe lacazette and Aubameyang immediately and buy 2 new strikers, one that can play wide.

    We need to replace maitland-niles and Elneny now, not wait till the summer. Next 3 matches against Liverpool and Spurs if everyone is fit and no one is signed the team should be:

    Ramsdale
    Tomi white Gabriel Tierney
    Saka Odegaard xhaka ESR Martinelli
    Lacazette

    1. Atid I agree with everything you said. However selling players is not that simple. The player must want to leave in Jan. Some of them are sitting out their contracts because after this they will be earning less. Unless another club can convince them to leave in this window.

    2. @ Atid,
      It will be very NAIVE AND STUPID of Arteta to think this current squad can get top 4 without buying in January.

      IMO, We should sell Xhaka this January.
      The guy has cost us more points. Very clumsy.

      We should have sold him to Roma in the summer.

      We can’t afford to wait till summer to make signings.

      My wishlist

      January

      Out: Xhaka, Aubameyang, Nketiah
      IN: Sterling(loan), Gigi

      Summer: Asensio, Kingsley Coleman.

      Gigi is a must buy this January. He has EPL experience.

  95. LENO APART, THE TEAM LOOKED LIKE ZOMBIES, DRUGGED, UNABLE TO MOVE AND UNFIT TO WEAR THE SHIRT.
    ZERO EFFORT, ZERO MOVEMENT, ZERO WILL TO WIN. UNACCEPTABLE!!!

    I seriously cannot recall a single performance as bad throughout the team as this, Leno apart, in my 63 years watching.

    Essentially the team was fullof cowards and they cheated we fans .

    I would stop the entire wages of all save only Leno, AND REIMBURSE THE TRAVELLING FANS THEIR ENTIRE EXPENSES, INCLUDING TICKET, TRAVEL AND FOOD/DRINK.

    This team does not deserve passionate fans and they were beyond a disgrace.

    1. Yes Jon. I agree with you.
      The first 20 minutes should have been a wake up call to the Guys.
      Nketiah walks around like he is some Messi. No desire.
      I hope there is no injury to Tomiyasu. Cos Cedric will be found out.
      Poor delivery. No cohesion in the final third.

    2. And Jon- let’s just remember who it is that “Coached” this team for a full week shall we.
      The same NOVICE who you are so up his arse it’s embarrasing.
      One day soon you will do your usual PAL. And we all know how often you are found out done we

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