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Official Arsenal team to face Olympiacos – Arteta puts out a very strong team

Mikel Arteta is taking no chances this evening against Olympiacos.

Mikel Arteta has gone with a very strong lineup for this evenings Europa League second leg clash against Olympiacos.

The Gunners lead 1-0 from the first leg and have one foot in the next round, however, Arteta is not taking anything for granted with his team selection.

Winning the Europa League will not only put European silverware into the trophy cabinet, something that Arsenal is very light on but it also provides entry into next seasons Champions League.

Are you satisfied with this team from Mikel Arteta? 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 match preview here
JustArsenal predicted line up here (for comparison)

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138 Comments

  7. This team should be able to finish the business barring any complacency from overconfidence, in view of the fact that football is not mathematics.

  8. With an FA Cup tie against a “lower league” team to come it makes sense to play a strong side tonight.Pleased to see AMN on the bench.

  9. This cup match will be good to boost the first team’s confidence, since it would most likely be an easier match than the first leg

    However, Martinez should have played, unless he is not fit. We could lose a good GK in him next season, if he is not given fair chances to compete with Leno

    2. Because he isn’t our best player at any position. # love the competition for places in the team keep going saka one more assist.

  13. Strong team out their though could have wished to see martinell start, hopefully will see him at start of 2nd half and him scoring 😀

  14. I don’t want to jinx it but I worry Saka has been playing too much,he was meant to get a bit of a break last week but for Kola getting injured but I guess right now we don’t have the luxury to rest him.

  19. Is it just me but everytime Pepe gets the ball in the final third of the opposition I feel like something threatening to the opposition is about to happen. Nice to finally have a real winger who’s a real threat 🙂

  21. Until arteta works out that Luiz bellerin and xhaka need to be moved out we will have a disjointed team … credit to mustafi for improving his game but we are still a long way from being a dynamic and coherent team

  22. I’m sorry, but Xhaka is atrocious. Stupid fouls, so slow on the ball, doesn’t play the pass that is on, stray passes… Really frustrating to watch.

    1. He is just one of our four timid attackers tonight

      No one dares to race with Olympiakos’ fullbacks, including Bukayo Saka

      I really miss Tierney’s pace and guts. Nelson is too slow to replace Pepe, but Martinelli’s pace could be more useful on the right wing

  24. OT: Bruno Fernandes of Man Utd moved from Sporting Lisbon to Man Utd this past January. Sporting was in the group stages of the EL and so was Man Utd and they both made the knock out stages. Aubameyang, when he moved to Arsenal, was playing for Dortmund in the UCL but when he moved to Arsenal, also in January, Dortmund was relegated to EL so both Arsenal and Dortmund were now in EL. As a result we were told by UEFA that Auba can’t represent us in EL.

    How then is Fernandes able to play for Utd when both Utd and Sporting are in the knock out stages of EL (like Dortmund and Arsenal were)?

    And yes, I have read on Wikipedia the changes made to the cup-tied rules on 27 March 2018 but they still don’t give clarity to the issue above 🤔

      1. Yes and the rule changes state that “player can for two clubs in the same European competition (i.e Europa on this case) so as he was not fielded by the other team in the competition (i.e Sporting in this case). Fernandes scored 5 goals for Sporting in EL this season so he was obviously fielded but yet there he is playing for Man Utd. I smell a UEFA rat here ….

  25. Another hapless 45 mins of football … bring torreira on asap … xhaka just a gift to the opposition to take control of midfield .. it’s not just he lacks skills but is brainless and clueless

    1. No. We need a left-footed DM like Xhaka who can cover Bukayo Saka

      Better replace Pepe with Martinelli, since Pepe is unwilling to go to the byline and cross with his right foot

      2. Xhaka provides zero coverage zero … he’s a hopeless liability .. would like to see martinelli replace lacazette and move auba to middle

      3. Nonsense you and your cover sako spiel. You blast ozil yet defend Xhaka who is easily the worst Arsenal player ever…..ever.

  26. Bad decision making in the final third is stretching this tie out. Ozil and Pepe have had so much of the ball but have achieved so little. Mustafi looking good again though. We should be able to put this to bed though with all the possession and control of the game we have. Better 2nd half to come gunners

    1. Ozil and Aubameyang are invisible in the first half

      But I believe Arteta would give the team a pep talk in the break and lift the team’s spirit

      1. I still stand by Auba being played through the middle. Lacazette sits like a stone in the box while Auba has better movement for crosses and to recieve the ball. Ozil wasnt invisible, just made the wrong passes. He was also making decent runs that Pepe wouldn’t notice because he always wants to dribble. He needs to lift his head up more and have more purpose when in posession.

  27. What a boring half, MA needs to tell Pepe to move the ball along, he slows up the whole game…just pass de ball dude. He stands on the ball like he is Messi or something waiting to go through 5-6 players then when every opponent player is in position he passes it back. I am amazed why non of three managers he has been under at Arsenal pointed this out to him.

  29. Arsenal did’t achieve nothing in the first half now is coming Arteta SHIT to the players and we are ready for a second half team

  30. All guns blazing in the 2nd half!!

    ION – the goal machine (aka Odion Ighalo 😜) has scored for the Mancs….

  31. We need a gifted n eligent CM in summer for sure, I am amazed why we didn’t go for Bruno Fernandez. He is exactly what we need in middle of park. Get rid of Xhaka please he is too slow n send Ceballos back to Madrid this summer..I hope we dont buy him. We have too good and young DMs now put some money in and buy a class CM. Stop looking for cheap loan fixes who are not up to standard.

    1. RM will surely overcharge for Ceballos too so they can go on a spending spree. I doubt we make Ceballos permanent as well.

      1. That’s true but I really hope we are scouting or have a plan to buy a tachincally good and magic moment kind of CM. This teams needs it bad and we have been struggling since carzola left but some how the board and coaching staff fail to realise that. A good CM is like a thread that keeps your team together n makes it look pretty.

    2. Fernandes is a no 10 and we already have too many players who can play in that position

      Ceballos is good enough to be a deep-lying playmaker and he is an excellent no 10. We have to get him if Real Madrid can give us a big discount

      1. If Ceballos was an excellent no 10 and a good deep playing play maker as you suggest then why has Madrid loan him out baring in mind Madrid has an aging Medfield? If my memory serves me right he only come good in 2 matches in while season so far that’s not the kind of quality that will lead you anywhere. He does not have quick feet and neither he is a magical moment kind of player. There are better n cheaper option out there.

  33. A bright few minutes followed by possession but no clinical finish. Boring, boring, boring. Ba should have been sent off for the foul, but Arsenal have been far too passive.

    I’m not surprised Olympiacos scored… a great save just now from Leno… but Arsenal need to get a grip

  39. My comments disappeared this afternoon while replying an article that said “we will beat olympiacos”. I said that was a bit too presumptious. You only need to see our past games with olympiacos to know they are a massive threat to us. We’ve never beaten them home and away before
    They always find a way to win one. Though I feel this match will end in a draw maybe in extra time.

    1. Which brings me to making a complaint with Admin. Please look into whyy comments disappear. Sometimes I spend time painstakingly replying an article or comment and then my comment vanishes. It’s frustrating

  43. Ceballos !!!! This guy has lost the plot … but need a clear out in summer or our future is that of Milan … mid table mediocrity for years

  46. I think the other day it was innit that said the jury was still out on Arteta, I was trying to support that while everyone else was blasting him for saying that. My comments disappeared again. In that comment I was gonna highlight the fact that Arteta doesn’t know when to make substitutions. We played 70mins with 0 shots on target and Arteta doesn’t think there should be a change in tactics? Despite trailing by 1 goal. I say the jury is still out… Martinelli, nketiah (who is beaming with confidence now) could come in and change the game.

    1. Absolutely right! Pussy footing around in the first half and not a shot on target.. Higher tempo now, but its past the 85th minute!!

  53. this is what happens when more than half of the starting 11 shouldnt be classed as professional footballers, let alone be on the pitch.

  57. I just don’t understand how this team constantly seem to stumble and fumble through so many games and never learn or improve on areas that are simply “sunday league” mistakes. The football is boring and suffers from a lack of creativity and urgency. The final ball has been laughable!

  58. Bloody hell and another 30 minutes of it!! Wasn’t expecting such a poor performance, with the line up and being at home! 🙈

    1. The fans are getting impatient! They can sense the usual sucker punch counter attack as we fail to create or score..

  60. I’m not even seeing the game, haven’t seen any Europa game.
    With the comments I’ve read it seems so far Mustafi is the saviour.
    Also I keep reading Arsenal become complacent?
    Lol… Right from that article I read today that Sylvester said we’d be winning easily and ran his mouth.
    I felt this overconfidence won’t be his only problem but it’ll affect the team too.
    I hope they make it out…
    Enjoy the game lads

      1. Lol… GunnerRay I can sense the dreaded happening.
        If we get kicked out, be ready to read fans coming for Arteta’s head

  62. Lose in extra time or lose on penalties? Either way wouldn’t you prefer to have less fixtures so that you can concentrate on getting top 4 via the league?

    1. Pardon me, but I’m just curious….. are you an arsenal fan?….. been reading your comments, but you don’t strike me as one.

  76. BBC are calling it “Heartbreak”, nah, can’t ever feel sorry for this lot. Except Arteta maybe, guy’s only there to steer the ship & being out of Europe won’t reflect badly on him.

    1. I dont see how it’s heartbreak either. Olympiakos has always performed well against us. Said this exact thing when we drew them… Arsenal were not nearly good enough and Olympiakos stepped up when it mattered. Congrats to them. We didnt deserve it and were bad today. And ive been saying this entire month as well not to get carried away by any other these players performances. They are trassshhh.

      1. The defense is still crap and always will be until it is changed. This lot are not even food enough for EPL! Luis, Sokratis, and Xhaka are not up to it and Leno should have wellied the ball sooner!

  80. I feel for Auba having scored the most unbelievable goal. But his miss at the end should not be the talking point. It was the dreadful passive drivel in the first half which allowed Olympiacos back in. We never kill a game off.

    1. Lacazette should not have been near the lineup. Wasted 1st half, dire 2nd half. So much happened before Auba’s miss, agree. The fact this team soley relies on him for goals too is terrible. Pepe was a disaster today and produced a turd. Horrible.

  83. Stupid team, you are playing 1-1 with a team from a lower league, amd you feel so relaxed to foolishly and needlesly pass to keeper

  84. Well that was disappointing. Didn’t deserve to win. Arsenal were lethargic. Perhaps should selected martinelli and Wilock from the start. But wtf was luiz doing by not heading it away… Smh.

  85. Got an idea. Your man played his usual backless and cost us the the…..no way we will get to 5th in the epl with his team selection and tactics

    Side to side and slow not the way to break down a parked bus, still havant learnt from his Wenger days. Arteta not for us but who will come to us now?

    1. Arteta not for us because he has to manage garbage? I think he made lineup mistakes but the players stink, there’s no debating that. And the loss falls on them more than Arteta. Pepe, Auba,Laca,Ozil should be a good enough attack to beat Olympiakos AT HOME.

      1. Who chooses the team and makes the subs? Tactics? No press languid slow build up. No discipline in holding leads. Who drills these into the team? Manager?

        1. How many players did he buy out of this bunch, remind me again?? How many months has he been in charge? Sorry that a magical miracle worker did come out of nowhere. We werent in 10th place for no reason…

        2. Pepe had 20+ goals last season, Ozil a world cup winner, Laca a France international. All were garbage today and have been garbage majority of the season. But they play DECENT for two EPL matches and everyone raves about them. This is why people say form is temporary…. Because truth is these are not quality players anymore. And Pepe is quite simply a mistake and Gervinho 2.0. We’re all thinking it…

  87. What a difference martinelli made when he came on…pity the usual suspects screwed it up for us…Xhaka and Luiz
    Who picks the team and makes the subs? Manager..

  88. Hahaha….😂🤣😂🤣…it was writing on the wall. Since team came back from holiday we have been really poor. We were lucky to win against Everton n were really poor today as well. I don’t know the reason but looks like they over trained or something I’m Dubai or probably are still stuck in holiday mode. Arteta has been poor tachincally as well last two games so this loss is on him as well. Now ppl who were calling other fans stupid at half time for complaining about poor showing by Arsenal this result is for you.

  89. Bellerin was useless and has been for a while now .
    Pepe made me miss Gervinho and i see why Nelson gets a start ahead of him . 72 million wasted cant shoot with his right and gave the ball away too many times.All he did was run to the byline and give the ball back to Ozil
    Xhaka went back to his default settings .
    David Luiz I call him the double agent all that experience yet complicates everything .
    CEbellos doesnt just have the physicality to cut it at arsenal and we are tired of inconsistent players.
    Willock even though on for a short period should be playing in the championship with his brother .
    Ozil A few good movements and has improved but boy does he slow down the game .
    LAcazette should remain on the bench till when sold Nketiah gets the nod ahead of him . He is meant to be on for his hold up play which he offers none .
    Leno Lost us this match .Though he is a good keeper he reminds me of Schezney before the smoking incident very unserious most times .
    Saka the only outlet
    Auba showed his class
    Mustafi the man of the match
    Martinelli made his case from the bench
    Arteta I felt sorry for him he wont be the first coach let down by his players .HE needs a total revamp .
    Congrats to Olympiacos a side who clearly studied their opposition and played like men against boyz

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