Arsenal welcome back Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and David Luiz for Burnley clash
The transfer window is now well and truly shut and we can get back to sanity and start focussing on the actual football.
Arsenal travel to Burnley tomorrow in what promises to be a tough game but one that Arsenal should collect all three points.
Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno will obviously start, only an injury or a suspension would rule him out of a Premier League game.
Defenders
Bukayo Saka will start on the left once again mainly due to lack of options, however, he has been playing very well while deputising for Sead Kolasinac and Kieran Tierney so it is hardly a disadvantage.
Hector Bellerin should start on the right side, he is the first choice in that position and he will be better now he has had some game time under his belt following his return from injury.
Calamity David Luiz is almost certain to start in the centre of the defence, Mikel Arteta appears to have faith in the walking talking all-dancing liability.
I suspect that he will be patterned by Sokratis. I cannot see Pablo Mari starting, Shkodran Mustafi will probably not be fit enough and Rob Holding probably needs more time.
Midfielders
I cannot see Arteta not starting with Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira. Both players have improved massively under the Spaniard and if they are fit, they start.
Mesut Ozil has the confidence of the manager for now and so he is very likely to start and I reckon that Arteta will stick with Nicolas Pepe as well.
Forwards
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a guaranteed starter and it is just a question who will start alongside him. I would go with Gabriel Martinelli all day long, however, I have a feeling that Alexandre Lacazette will get the nod.
So, this is the team that I feel Arteta will go with, it would not be my choice but I am not the manager.
Leno
Saka
Sokratis
Luiz
Bellerin
Torreira
Xhaka
Ozil
Pepe
Lacazette
Aubameyang.
I think the team admin has picked looks likely the one Arteta will choose. I would like to see Martinelli instead of Lacazette but I think this game will be a battle and perhaps Laca just shades it in physical presence.
Much easier picking Arteta’s line up!
Yes, I believe that will be the line up… and apparently Kolasinac is ahead of schedule, so may make the bench 😁
Just read about Mavropanos’ debut on Thursday – one to forget – conceded a penalty and they lost 4-1 😳
I also predicted almost the same starting line-up. But I think Pepe would be sacrificed for Martinelli, because Pepe is still very inconsistent, almost didn’t contribute anything in the last few matches and he lost the ball possession frequently
I would hope he will go a bit more physical than ozil and I can see kolasinac playing instead of saka. He might go 433 with Niles playing.
Leno
Bellerin Sokratis Luiz Kolasinac
Maitland-Niles Torreira xhaka
Martinelli Lacazette Aubameyang
Martinez holding guendozi willock ozil Pepe nketiah
I’d like to see this formation too, but I don’t think Arteta would ever have the balls to bench Ozil
A possibility would be to leave out lacazette and play 2 up front with ozil behind them.
Burnley’s defence severely lacks pace, so it will be interesting to see what he does
Well, if you remember gotanidea, he benched him for the Bournemouth cup tie, along with a few other first team players.
As this was considered a great success without those players, why is no one suggesting we keep that line up?
I wouldn’t argue with that kind of thinking.
Too defensive… no creativity through Midfield if we choose Niles, Torreira and Xhaka all together
I thought we should use martenelli on the left and Auba up front, not to sacrifice Laca but to have some experience on the bench too, and hopefully he can then score the goal he so desperately need…
I have a feeling Pablo Mari will start… And i wont be surprise if Cabellos also start ahead of Pepe,I actually hope so…
Burnley is a physical side so i dont mind if we can get more midfielders.I would love to with 4312 or 3412 formation.But i think MA will stick with 4231.
Laca should not be dropped because he has many qualities a striker need to cope with the burnley side.Martinelli may or may not get a chance ,and if he gets a chance the player that should be dropped is pepe.
And MA will have to get a good CB pair to hold chris wood and rodriguez down.Positioning and aerial ability is a must for the 2 CBs he picks.
And i dont think ozil will be dropped,he was rested in the midweek for a reason.And if ozil is substituted i would like MA to bring willock instead of ceballos.Ceballos is not a 10.But must say Ceballos and ozil has great chemistry,the link up play in the games they played together is superb.
This is our first team formation in Arteta mind but I think it has evolve a bit.
If he considers last game; he can see difference he made from first winning to second mediocre losing half.
Once he switched Xhaka and Saka positions; the all game reversed from attacking to defending & struggle!
Xhaka played LB with Saka infront of him, Martinelli as winger above Saka who was in a attacking midfield role, making that wing impossible to defend with Martinelli. All danger was coming from there.
When he moved him to RB, he was not so free to run forward, Xhaka back as DM had us defend and lose all our 1st half’s magic.
Just common sense, we went from an attacking midfiled to a DM; balance then leans towards defense and we can’t play our football. When we attack, they defend and can’t threat us as much.
Gendouzi is more than enough as DM, allows other midfileds to focus playing forward, makes us more attacking team we area!
If he lines up Torreira & Xhaka as DM, we will lose or draw, playing defensive game in our half.
I’m no genius nor can read in future; I just look at formation and result which is always same one! Draw!
New CB or defender won’t change that, only coach!
Guendouzi can be developed into a frenkie de jong.
I don’t want to see Lacazette in the line up, I kno his fans are still supporting him. martineli Auba pepe
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn’t David Luiz get a 3 match ban against Chelsea?
How come you have him in the line up for today and he is yet to miss 3 games.
It was only a one match ban, Abel.
Ah,cos I too have been wondering o
Nice one this is a good sellection for u thanks
Ok, Sue, thanks
Yea it’s agood one