Predicted Arsenal team v Everton – Pepe, Ozil and Lacazette to start

Just one change from Arsenal team that beat Newcastle United 4-0.

I wrote down the Arsenal team that I believe Mikel Arteta will go with to face Everton and at first glance, I thought it was identical to the one that faced Newcastle, once I double checked I realised that there would be just the single change, Alexandre Lacazette in for Eddie Nketiah.

Normally there are changes from one game to the next with the odd surprise thrown in, I just do not see that happening this time. Arteta has made it clear he will pick the best team and I cannot see why he will not go with the same team that beat Newcastle United, Neketiah apart.

Obviously, anything can still happen before kick-off, Mesut Ozil may still be left out for understandable family reasons, certain players may need a rest after their exertions in Greece on Thursday night but as things stand right now, this is the team that I reckon Arteta will go with.

Leno
Saka
Mustafi
Luiz
Bellerin
Xhaka
Ozil
Ceballos
Aubameyang
Lacazette
Pepe

The reason I feel that Lacazette will come in for Nketiah is that he is on a roll now and I doubt that the manager would want to interrupt that at this moment in time.

Bukayo is playing too good for Sead Kolasinac to be given the nod over the teenager, I do not see how Sokratis can dislodge either Shkodran Mustafi or David Luiz and I see Hector Bellerin as a shoo-in for the right-back slot.

The Mesut Ozil Dani Ceballos combination worked against Newcastle and so why would Arteta change that?

Granit Xhaka is a given in front of the defence, Nicolas Pepe was benched against Olympiacos deliberately in my opinion so that he would be fresher for the Everton game and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a nailed-on starter.

I think this is one of those very rare occasions when the team almost picks itself.

30 Comments

  1. We will have possession in this game so its ok to go with the same team.

    Not sure about Ozil.And if ozil is not playing willock/nelson/pepe can be the 10.Ceballos should be used deeper.

    But laca will have a chance to play but nketiah did good in the newcastle game and laca missed some good chances in greece but was able to provide the winner so it is tough to guess.
    Saka must start whenever he is available.He deserves rest but he has to start because kolasinac’s end ball is not good and his defence is not very solid either.
    Bellerin had some problems against newcastle so AMN could have a chance but i think MA will go with a natural player.
    Everton are very a good counter attacking side so its tough to guess torreira/ceballos/xhaka

        1. A person in his/her right senses knows willock isn’t even half as good as ozil, I want ozil out of the team because he doesn’t offer much when the team is under pressure, but saying willock is better than ozil I doubt anyone here without an agenda against ozil would agree with you

    1. Nkeitiah did nothing in Newcastle game. He still has long way to go. We invite more pressure without Laca in team. His link up play and hold up play is way better then any striker in the team.

  2. Lacazette still needs to be benched, he was wasteful against olympiacos

    Would go for a front three of

    Martinelli – Auba – Pepe

    Auba shouldn’t be playing on the wings to accommodate anybody

    1. Yes, yes, yes, Hydro. You’ve nailed it. That’s my team as well. Lacazette can be the supersub like OGS was for ManUtd. He does not deserve to start just yet.

  3. There was no Ozil-Ceballos combination, but instead Ceballos was pulling the strings in middle of the park. Ozil was just hiding behind the performance of Ceballos. I don’t know why Xhaka is always in the starting line-up. They put him there so that he pull other players with their shirts and back passing

      1. @Will Exactly, some fans don’t really understand football, @Top gunner ozil and xhaka would be starting and there’s nothing you can do about that other than sit and watch

        1. Up until Ozil kicked it up a notch around 30 minutes in we were poor. As soon as he settled and dictating play it improved the rest of our midfield – even Graham Souness who is consistently critical of Ozil pointed this out.

    1. There were lot of combinational play between Ozil and Ceballos. I have been pointing this out for some time now…Ozil needs a good CAM behind him to operate, he is not the kind of midfielder who dictates the tempo of game and controls it. He is the kind of midfielder who is at his best when supported by good cast and who can produce those magical passes but rely on him to play like carzola is naive. In a way he is like auba, who scores very consistently but does not offer anything else. If Arsenal fan observe the games when he has played with a proper CAM instead of all DMs, he played fantastic. I am not saying he is world better n we should keep him but certain players have certain qualities which they don’t have they can’t offer you. It’s like most of the fans expected Giroud to run half of the pitch n score a goal., They were not happy with his performances but that is the kind of player he was. You can not expect to buy a dog and hope for it to turn out a lion.

  4. If i was the owner, I’d just give Ozil and Xhaka for free. Arsenal will never be the same as long as Ozil and Xhaka are commanding the starting line-up

    1. Well if you own your own football club, you can let your players leave for free!!

      Some fans are just clueless

  5. I am happy with the lineup, I think it’s a good sign that Arteta is moving away from playing two DMs even three in previous regime. I agree with him playing Xhaka as DM in home matches because Xhaka is more adventurous in terms of passing then Torreria and Guendozi. So him n Ceballos in middle provide us more attacking football. But in away games he should use a proper DM Torriera or Guendozi to pair with Ceballos. We desperately need to sign a good CM because all the permanent ones we have are DMs n no one form Academy we can rely on yet to play in middle. Before fans jump on AMN support, he has no passing range, he is not quick with his feet, not a two feet player n he does not have the vision. He can be a good DM but not a CM.

    1. You’ve nailed it,this is one of the best commentary I have come across recently on this page. Ozil surely unleashes his magic passes when let free supported by a cast that can translate his tricky moves that he displays almost in all the games he plays. Only Wenger and now Arteta are the two coaches who know how to get the best from the boy. He displayed this in his assist to Auba in Arsenal’s famous goal against Leicester that nobody wants to ever talk about as the dull Emery rewarded him with a seat on the bench after that fantastic game. It has been a classic Ozil bashing since then whether valid or otherwise. Lastly,when you watch keenly, most of the team’s goals are from moves that are initiated by his skillful passing especially as being the one who feeds those who assist. You will see this in many of the games he has played this season not mentioning the lack of creativity the team endures whenever he is substituted and t that is how Arsenal lost most those matches
      that they conced goals towards the end of a match. I’m glad the coach has seen this and has corrected it by playing the full 90 minutes in most games but few of the mob fans see this.

  6. clean sheets against weak attacking sides doesnt mean this defensive line up works … and would be massively exposed by everton that have more attacking options … but if he goes with this then torreira should replace xhaka as he provides much better defensive cover than the hapless swiss whose clumsiness just leads to yellow cards which will eventually turn reed

  7. Lacazette off the bench

    Striker
    Aubameyang up front

    Midfielders
    Torreira
    Ceballos
    Ozil
    Pepe
    Martinelli

    Defenders
    Bellerin
    Mustafi
    Luiz
    Saka

    Gk
    Leno

    1. At Innit
      How would you defend set plays. Xhaka brings balance in more than one way not saying he’s good but the best we’ve got.

  8. I would play Kolasinac as LB, then sub Saka on as a winger later in the game, just to see how well he would perform there….. or move Saka forward later in the game, then sub a winger for Kolasinac…….. he virtually plays as the winger anyways, he just starts the game from LB…. Xhaka moves into his position whenever he’s attacking, to cover for him and he’s a major attacking outlet in the team…. but with all this talk about the wings being his preferred position, why not give him a shot at it

  9. I want Arteta to experiment a bit now that we don’t really have anything to play for in league. He should atleast try our future front attack. Saka on left, Martinelli through middle n Pepe on right. Attack supported by Ozil behind them. Guendozi n Ceballos in middle. Holding n Mustafi as CBs, Tierney as LB, Bellerin as RB n Leno in goal. Most of the team I listed are young n if things go the right way they might be here for a long time. They all have ability n skills to succeed. We can have a title winning side in near future if we keep these players together n invest in right areas. …Mustafi replaced by Saliba next season.

  10. Martinelli instead of Laca sounds a better choice, Pepe and Ozil next to each other with Ceballos help will make a piece of huge attack information for us.
    Keep Laca for the second half.

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