Freddie Ljungberg will throw the shackles off and select an attacking Arsenal line-up.
The pre-match focus today will be on what team Freddie Ljungberg puts out against the Canaries at Carrow road today.
Ljungberg is expected to field an attacking line-up, more creative and players in their right position.
Bernd Leno will be the keeper, that is never really questioned, but defence is a whole different matter.
I am fairly confident he will start Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin on the flanks. The central defensive partnership is tricky but sadly, I think he will stick with David Luiz and Sokratis. However, there is a slight possibility that Luiz may not be fit following his knock Thursday night
I am certain he will start with Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka in midfield with Mesut Ozil just in front of them. Torreira will finally be played in his defensive midfield role and Xhaka the link between defence and the forwards. Obviously, Ozil is there for his creativity.
Upfront I think Freddie will go with the threesome we have begging for, Nicolas Pepe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. The big question is who will Freddie put in the central role, I suspect it will be Lacazette with Aubameyang slightly out wide.
So, this is the line-up I expect Freddie to go with.
Leno
Tierney
Sokratis
Luiz
Bellerin
Torreira
Xhaka
Ozil
Pepe
Aubameyang
Lacazette
There are obvious changes that can be made, Matteo Guendouzi and Joe Willock could easily be prefered. Same applies with the central defence but my feeling is that Freddie will not make too many changes to what we have seen before. It will be the instructions and tactics that will be the big difference.
Willock instead of Xhaka.
Willock was a bull for Freddie in the U23 and i can see Freddie getting the best out of him.
Leno
Bellerin holding Luiz Tierney
Guendouzi Torrera
Ozil
Pepe Laca Auba
Chambers instead of Luiz. Guendouzi best left on bench. Only pass he knows is sideways.
Guendouzi is one of our BEST midfielders
Better than Xhaka any day of the week
@SAGooner: Agree. Guendouzi needs to be less tentative. He just takes too many touches after receiving the ball and gets surrounded on all passing lanes and is forced to play back or sideways. Slows down the game. He wasn’t like that when he started playing last season really. Emery seems to have done a number on him. Guendouzi really needs to sort that out.
@Daulat & SAGooner
If you pay more attention to the play, instead of the player, then you you would have notice how Matteo looks for runner to either run into space or who are in space already. Usually our players just stand around flat footed not knowing what to do… IJS
I watch a game at least twice and I’ve been watching Guendouzi especially with greater attention this season as I believe he has the ingredients to be a great player someday.
If you seen the last 7-8 matches, you’ll see a very tentative Guendouzi, very unlike how he started the season, or how he was least year. I don’t know if that was because of Emery’s tactics or whatever. But there were many spells during those games, Guendouzi took way too much time and brought the press unto himself and was either fouled or forced to bass back or sideways. Either way it kills the momentum going forward. And he also falls to ground way easily, that kills the forward momentum too.
I think Willock will play, probably as an AM.
And Freddie might play Ozil deeper with Torreira and Xhaka, with the responsibility to build play from the back, as well combining with Willock and Pepe to carry the ball forward. That makes the center midfield trio of Ozil, Torreira and Xhaka, with Torreira sitting deeper.
And Pepe will play with either Laca or Auba up front.
Leno
Tierney
Luiz
Chambers
Bellerin
Torreira
Guendouzi
Wilock/Ozil
Pepe
Aubameyang
Lacazette
No one knows, right now, who Freddie will pick but please God he leaves out both the wrestler and the poser, AKA Sokratis and Luiz. Xhaka too must never be played again instead of either Guendouzi or Willock. Nor should Xhaka ever play again, a dire injury crisis apart. I would greatly prefer even the mistake ridden Mustafi, once fit again, to both the wrestler and the poser. Thess two charletan so called “defenders” make even the string of hopeless CB ‘s Wenger brought in look competent.
My start eleven today would be Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Chambers, Tierney, Guendouzi, Torreira, Ozil, Auba, Laca, Pepe. And attack fullout from the start. We are playing Norwich for goodness sake, not BARCA! The out of his depth Emery thought every opponent we had was BARCA, more fool him!
I’d like to see holding and Chambers partner in CBs. Is holding injured?
Why are u guys mentioning willock?,what is he better at,a boy that loses control everytime hes with d ball
Bel cham hol hie
Luiz tor
Pep. Willo auba
Laca
I have seen a report that Tierney didn’t travel to Norwich. Why not?
Kolasinac again?
I want something newer like the last game. Luiz in midfield. Xhaka and Torreira proven impotent in there.
I don’t think Laca and Auba will both start, one able striker is enough if players behind are capable of keeping the ball possession in the other half of the pitch. And both Laca and Auba aren’t exactly spectacular with their ball playing, so playing both we risk losing possession more often.
Norwich are notorious in keeping the ball really well, and they can work around high pressing situations. They have a better one touch passing game than we possess sadly. So we need more players in midfield to be in control of the match.
So Freddie might go for more men in the midfield, to keep possession and control. Ozil and Xhaka can provide the balls forward, while Torreira will clean up behind them and Willock playing box to box assisting both in offense and defense. Pepe will need to drop to link with Ozil and Willock to create chances. Or Xhaka can provide the long balls alternatively or move up to attempt shots himself.
Mustafi at cb for me been our best one so far this season pair him with holding. Play Guendouzi Chambers Ozil in the midfield. Pepe and Martinielli on the wings Abameyang upfront.