Tomorrow Arsenal and Chelsea finally go head to head for the Europa League trophy in what promises to be an entertaining and enthralling match.
Chelsea have nothing to play for apart from glory and another piece of silverware to stick into their cabinet but that is not the case for us, we need to win to play Champions League football next season and that is actually more important than lifting our first European trophy since 1994.
The last thing we need is for Unai Emery to put out another one of his dodgy teams and I am absolutely certain he will not, he will start with the side that most of us fully expect.
There is one downside to that though and that is that he will start Petr Cech in goal, that is what most expect him to do and so do I.
I cannot see Emery going with anything other than a back three of Nacho Monreal, Sokratis and Laurent Koscielny, I would be surprised if he started Shkodran Mustafi and stunned to the core if he found a place for either Carl Jenkinson or Stephan Lichtsteiner.
Because I expect the boss to go with a back three that means he will most likely have Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Saed Kolasinac on the flanks, it would be out of character for him to pick anyone else in those positions.
In the middle of the park, Emery is almost certain to start with Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira, I just do not see him selecting Matteo Guendouzi for this one.
In front of the midfielders it has to be Mesut Ozil, it would simply be too risky for the manager to go with Alex Iwobi in that role.
And of course, we will see both Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leading the line up front.
Predicted line-up
Cech
Monreal
Sokratis
Koscielny
Maitland-Niles
Kolasinac
Xhaka
Torreira
Ozil
Lacazette
Aubameyang
That is our strongest starting eleven, there is a chance Emery will surprise us and play one of, or all three of, Mustafi, Guendouzi or Iwobi, but I just do not see that happening.
If this is the team we start with then my confidence is sky high that we will emerge the winners in what could quite easily be a high scoring game.
Predicted Score
Chelsea 1 – 3 Arsenal
If you think Arsenal will win and both teams will score, then take the massive 5.50 (9/2) from Betway. That looks extremely overpriced to me!
I am sure Emery knows what he’s doing. Whoever gets selected should put in a good shift. We should back the boys to the hilt and hopefully we will be having a victory parade in North London.
That is all I am concerned with right now.
Hopefully the ONLY victory parade in NL ?
thumbs up on that one!!
Arsenal coach has the experience in the finals while Chelsea players have the same. This game will be open thus interesting.
I’m not mad at cech being in net, it’s his last ever match and I think he’s played well when being used sparingly. The rest if the team I agree with, he’s going to put his strongest team out bar cech. I also wouldn’t mind seeing Iwobi instead of ozil behind laca and auba because as I’ve said on a previous post ozil jogs about pretending where as if we are going to have a chance we need someone who’s going to stay touch tight to Jorginho all game seeing as kante looks to be out. We are going to win 2-0 Kos & laca scorers
Hope Niles played in mid to deal with speedy hazard
Bro I think u are over rating Niles
Well emery can’t make such mistake
Funny chelsea fan site wud b talkin abt hw hazard wud be motivated n hw weak our back line z.. If we allow hazrd into the game..we’d be ripped apart,i propose a man marking by torrera,we saw hw hazrd almst single handedly tore mancity back line in the efl cup final,the dude loves the big games,wish we had a dribbler too..
I predict Ozil would finally shine in this big game, because:
– We need him for the Azerbaijani support
– He would most likely start ahead of Iwobi, hence it’s his job to harass Chelsea’s deep-lying playmaker. By doing that, we can capitalize on Jorginho’s mistakes, to open the opportunity for our wide players
So all that stuff about “Iwobi-san being allowed to fulfill his destiny by channeling his inner Bergkamp in Baku . . . reflecting a Samurai spirit” etc and Ozil ‘sell him no matter Arsenal win EL or not . . . he slows down our attacks’ etc all meant absolutely nothing did they?
As they say, even a supermarket trolley has a mind of its own.
I feel like we’ve done this dance with him before tho. Hard to tell what motivates him.
Agree with the predicted line-up and score
But even if Arsenal get the EL trophy, we should try to sell our CAMs, replace them with skillful wingers and change the system to 4-3-3. aThe three-CB formations work pretty good, but we should avoid Conte’s problem in his second season at Chelsea, when his opponents figured out how to counter his 3-4-2-1 tactic
Guardiola also used 3-5-2 at the beginning of his second season, then switch to 4-3-1-2 and finally 4-3-3. I guess Guardiola tried to make his players accustomed to his concept gradually and I think Emery is trying to do the same thing, because Emery used 4-3-3 at PSG with great effects
Spot on
People keeps slagging Emery for the formation
He uses while I have seen many top managers do
Same it’s all about molding the team till u get a Balanced
Squad that can settle with a particular system
I agree. Ozil, Mkhitaryan and Iwobi are either not good enough or not consistent enough
With the salary we pay Ozil we could pay salaries of 2 wingers or CAMs
Also, i may be wrong but I think even Bellerin (5 assists) had more assists than Ozil this season
We can get a winger who scores goals and assists
As Ozil is not good enough or inconsistent who do you think should start in his place tomorrow?
@GunnerJack
I saw your post in a previous article allow me to respond here. I’d select the same line up @Admin has put out, maybe including Leno in the starting and leaving Cech on the bench. Contrary to what you may think, I do not hate Ozil, I would select him tomorrow as there is no one really much better at this point. Hopefully he will not give a “Valencia away” type of display, and for sure if Ozil orchestrates the win I will be here to give him full credit.
I second this. Ozil will start because we just dont have anybody better. That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement and it shows we need better players in this role, if we are going to stick to this type of formation. Personally, I would scrap the traditional CAM role. It hasn’t worked for us in a while and Emery seems to value industry over creativity (something Ozil has also been lacking in this season)
Thanks for the update QD. I’m pretty sure Ozil will play well if both Auba AND Laca also start, and preferably with UE giving instructions to some of the midfield to get forward now and then to help out. That way Ozil has some ammo.
On the other hand if he chooses one striker and a defensive line up then he might as well have left Ozil back in the UK for all the good he’ll be able to do.
Here’s hoping! 🙂
yup, that is gonna be the team! im worried with the 3 at the back, surely we need TWO CB’s this summer window?
Yes. I prefer 4 defenders to 3 CB and 1 LWB, 1 RWB
We have a solid defensive Midfielder in Torreira
With another attacking player
We should get at least 1 CB and 1 RB (sell Lichtsteiner and Jenkinson)
That is the line up I think we will see… as for the prediction.- I wouldn’t even like to hazard a guess (excuse the pun)
A lot of the time though, whatever I say, the opposite usually happens.. but through fear of jinxing things, I think I’ll keep schtum this time ?
Victory parade on Thursday Sue you looking forward to it ?
I’ll see you there, Kev ?
You’ll have to come out from behind the sofa first ?
Haha!! ?
Greetings Sue. If I start rowing now from New York USA, I should make it to old blighty in time for parade
Hi georgie, haha you’d better get a move on ?
How are things in the good old US of A?
Where will you be watching tomorrow?
Good evening Sue. I will record the game at home but plan on watching the game at a Mexican restaurant near home. They are all football crazed there.
My wife toured Mexico with an orchestra and went to the big cities. She plays the oboe. She said this restaurant has authentic food and good sauces.
Seems like tomorrow can’t come soon enough.
Well, it sounds like you’re in for a good evening then, georgie! If we win, that place will be rocking!!
Enjoy the game & let’s pray we’re victorious ?? COYG
That’s our best lineup I reckon with the players we have available
I agree with the predicted line up, though NOT the score, NOR that it is our best line up. The writer contradicts himself by saying Cech should not play, then calls it our best line up with him included. How come ?
Right Jon Fox, Always observant of the little important points. How can you say Cech shouldn’t start and conclude that the lineup with Cech is our best?
Also I believe to really press Jorginho we need to play TORREIRA to man Mark him and force him to make mistakes…
Either ways, a victory for the arsenal tomorrow night
Read the article again. The writer did not contradict himself.
Yes, he clearly did. How can you say that when it is blindingly obvious? First he preferred Leno , THEN LATER ON SAID IT WAS OUR BEST LINE UP. THAT IS A CLEAR CONTRADICTION!
Jon, talking about contradictions I’ve been asking some of those who dislike Ozil who they would prefer to see play on Wednesday. They either go mysteriously silent and don’t reply or they feebly and cowardly renege on all those many posts they put up here maligning Ozil over the last few weeks and say he should play!!?? How’s that for MASS contradictions and a complete lack of standing by your own beliefs? The most notable of them is of course gotnoidea (see his latest posts for confirmation) who has one foot firmly planted in the clouds and changes his mind as often as the wind changes direction.
It’s not a case of disliking Ozil. Anyone who likes football should like Ozil because he is a beauty to watch on his day. However, we must speak the truth that Ozil is no longer his former self. For a player who usually top the assists chart with close to 20 assists to finish a season with 2 assists while creating just 3 clear cut chances isn’t the best. We are hoping the former Ozil comes up tomorrow and not what we have seen throughout the season
I don’t think Ozil is the world-class player who can carry our team, or any team, in the same way, some other world class players can do. I also don’t think Ozil is suited to the style Emery prefers which I see as a more physical, pressing type of workhorse mentality game. Which makes sense to me because if you don’t have the talent you can only beat the opponent with intensity and tactics.
However, in the absence of Ramsey being fit, I would also think Ozil is our best option as a creative midfield player. This does not make feel warm and fuzzy given Ozill’s habit only infrequently producing the good and hardly ever in big games.
So yes, I would like to see Ozil play but I would also like him to be sold. I don’t see an inconsistency in that. If anything it speaks to the lack of depth we have in terms of creative players in midfield. Tell me we could rent Santi (even at the age he has now and I would prefer Santi over Ozil, same goes for Fabregas)
Mr ATC..very much endorse your views.
As some people may already know I have never supported ozil being in our team but for tomorrows game I can see it being Tailor made for him
Due to Chelsea’s injury list in the middle of the park I cannot see any of the possible 3 starters in the middle doing the horrible stuff or digging in and chasing back for 90 minutes.
If we are up and at chelski from the off which we need to be and cause them a bit of disaray then ozil will have bags of room in the middle of the park too pick his passes with no pressure.
We have already played them twice this season
Just lost the first one when we were far the better team. 2nd time we learnt our lesson from the first game and won comfortably.
Cant see it being any different tomorrow
Onwards and upwards
Come on you reds
Ozil should start. Only because his competition in that position is nobody. Even Miki is not going to be there. If Kos and Sokratis were both out, I would say Mustafi should start. Not because I think he’s great, but because he’s fit and available. This is the way ppl feel about Ozil. If we had somebody better, he would be benched. If Ramsey were fit, we would be debating Ozil’s place in this XI much more. At the moment, he has no competition b/c they didn’t travel or are not fit.
Jack, it is not about who we currently have who should replace OZIL- Mkhi is worse still and equally lazy and unreliable and absent anyway. IWOBI? YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS , UNLESS YOU ARE NIGERIAN , WHICH I MUCH DOUBT. The Iwobi “TALENT” is only recognised by Nigerians, it seems. But what I passionately want for next season is a new hard working creative, central attacking midfielder of top quality. There is not one here now who fits that bill, save OZIL, JUST ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, WHICH IS NEXT TO USELESS TO ANY AMBITIOUS CLUB. MY MAIN POINT ON OZIL AS WITH ALL PLAYERS IS THEY ALL HAVE TO WORK 100% EACH GAME. OZIL DOES NOT. SIMPLE AS THAT!
So if we win, Ozil still needs to go and if we lose Ozil still needs to go , is that what your saying Jon?
The Ozil boo boys will have a reason to ensure he doesn’t shine, whatever the outcome, just read the negative responses, yours included and that’s before a ball been kicked or the team selected
Jon, a couple of points. First if we play a line up which is both attacking and has an attacking attitude then I think Ozil will be fine. If we play with a defensive line up then Ozil should have stayed at home.
Secondly, I don’t think I mentioned Iwobi. However he did show some signs of hope in 2 fairly recent matches. If he does finally get his act together in Baku and contributes to an Arsenal win I’ll be overjoyed and hope he’s turned a corner and can go on from there. At least he has the guts to take people on, unlike the wimp Kolasinac, the back pass expert.
This is my first comment on here.
If someone told me 1 year ago that our lineup would feature the likes of Leno, Sokratis, Torreira and Guendozi, and that this lineup would put us 5th in the league and a final in the Europa League then I wouldn’t believe them. This team is a funky mesh of Wenger and Emery style. And even though we seem out of character and unstable at times, I do believe in the Emery project.
That’s why, based on the above, I believe we will sign several underdog type of players in the upcoming transfer window who will not be expected to do well but Emery knows what he’s doing. The players seem to be developing self-belief, courage and work ethic which are crucial ingredients we have been lacking over the years. No matter who he signs I will remain strong in my belief that those will be positive and necessary additions to the squad.
As for winning the League in 2020 the odds are stacked against us but I think we have a chance to compete. Tomorrow’s final vs Chelsea might be looked back upon in the future as the turning point from which we became true title contenders. If we win that is.
I wish we had found a Vieira/Gilberto replacement after those were gone. I miss the Invincibles. I wish Fabregas, Nasri, Cole, Clichy, van Persie etc valued Arsenal over money and other desires. I wish we didn’t let players run down their contracts.
Wishful thinking is for deluded humans. Times have changed. We are in a different situation now. Lets hope things have changed for the better.
Good luck tomorrow everyone!
Greetings, Bjorn !
Thanks and Good luck too Bjorn…
Nice first post Bjorn. Like you I am very much looking forward to what our manager does in this transfer window. Who goes? Who stays? Who comes in? What about the youngsters? The returning loanees? Which formation will he favour? Can’t wait to see the answers to these questions evolve over the summer.
There’s something about Xhaka if he’s not playing you will easily feel his absence but even when he plays you are not not too sure what he will do,but I pray the Xhaka that scores that stunner against crystal palace and man united plays,we seem to play better when Xhaka plays better.
We did not beat Napoli both legs and Valencia both legs(the same Valencia that beat Barcelona last week in a cup final) to now get beaten in the final,we are lifting the trophy tomorrow,come on ozil come on laca come one auba come on iwobi.
Absolutely 100% true ?
True. We’ve had the harder road. I’m glad we did play Napoli and overcome them. Accomplishing that makes me feel better about this final.
Personally, I would prefer this formation. We need to be strong and dangerous as much as possible. Lacazette will add to the midfield steel as well as attacking force. I trust Nketiah to do damage cos he would be unpredictable.
—————————Cech—————————–
——–Kos———-Socratis———-Monreal
AMN———Torreira———Xhaka——Kolasinac
————————-Lacazette—————————-
————-Nketiah———Aubameyang————-
hahahaha so you wanna play lacazette at number 10????
Yep……he will do better there too with his energy levels than any player we’ve got.
The game can be won by grand sweeping goals that is a typical,glorious team goals which Arsenal is famous for or something as simple as Ozil taking a corner instead of Xhaka one time.
Playing czech even though we know he will be working at Chelsea next season is ridiculous.
The lineup is not bad except our weak links will be Niles, xhaka and ozil as usual.
Preferred lineup:
Leno (no need for experiments with Cech)
Koscielny…. Mavropanos…. Sokratis… Kolasinac
Guendouzi….. Torreira….. Iwobi
Nketiah….. Lacazette…… Aubameyang
My God!!! How we need new midfielders who can hold the ball.
am glad you are not emery.
i’m glad HE is not Emery too. Kos at right back, at that age, with that technique, lol
Do you think it’s a friendly match
Mavropanos wasn’t included in the EL squad
There’s a reason why you cant just exclude players you don’t like from lineups. As much as Xhaka and Ozil aren’t favored, the alternatives are not superior. Niles has been doing just fine also. Don’t see how Kos at RB is a better option. He has never played that position in an Arsenal shirt as far as I can remember.
……………………… Leno
…….. Socrates…..Koscienly……Monreal….
…Niles ….. Xaka……. Torierra… Kolasinac
………..Welbeck….. Laca…… Auba
Ozil is not predictable to give a spectacular performance the last thing we need is a stroll walker… Welbeck will serve as a goal threat and you can as well see his defensive side when needed…. Those three will give chealshit defense a hell of a trouble…
Welbeck will put in a shift like never before since it his last game and probably his last European cup… I say he plays 70min or 60min then bring on Ozil or Iwobi as fresh legs
Buh I see Ozil and Cech starting the game…. I hope am wrong
providing welbeck is fully fit to feature in a match of this intensity i would love to see this line up. the pace and power of that front 3 would scare any defense. its also something i dont think Chelsea would be ready for in terms of who they think will play. Welbeck also provides much more defensive cover so AMN will be better protected than if Ozil was to start in the middle. My only concern is it leaves us light of attacking options off the bench. Cant wait now starting to feel the nerves COYG
Attack will be covered as per the bench… It not like chealshit also has a good bench…. With Iwobi, Ozil, Nkitiea, Guendouzi, Ameachi, Saka…
Bench is not that bad Attacking wise
A lot of interesting ideas on this thread, and some honest reasoning. I believe the team selection in the article will be the lineup – Unless Emery decides to surprise with a slight tweak.
Off topic but BBC reporting spurs have made an offer of £53 million for Argentinian midfielder Le Celso of Real Betis. Unusual for BBC to get things wrong so how can they bid that much when apparently we haven’t got a pot to piss in?
Kocielney must play in the centre of the back three .The prospect of Socratis and Monreal trying to cope with Hazard and William fills me with dread but unfortunately ,in the absence of Bellerin and Holding,Emery has little alternative.Despite his numerous critics,it would not surprise me if Iwobi starts instead of Ozil.Whatever team is picked I really feel the wins against Valencia will prove to be a huge boost in confidence and I think we will edge home.
Sarri now saying Kante injury not serious and he’s 50/50 to play.
………………………Leno
Amn,……….Sokratis…….Koz…………Monreal
…………………………Xhaka
…………Toreira…………………….Ozil
Welbeck…………..Laca………………..Auba
For me we need a back four to limit the threat of Chelsea’s wide players.I can’t imagine a repeat of how Amn was exposed at wing back by Valencia. Secondly, Welbeck has to play.We badly need his energy and the attacking threat he provides. We have been crying for a wide player and he is the only one close to a winger in our team as as at now.
The goals leaked this year in the EPL by Arsenal is mainly due to playing too high and making the back line too vulnerable. Conceding goals is the way to lose. That is how Arsenal did not make the top four. The coaching by Emery on this front has been weak to terrible.
Fortunately, there was Europa League football. Czech! Will Emery stay with Czech, who is better at the old school way of commanding the back line? I hope so, as that is what got us this far.
So a 3-4-1-2.
The value of keeping Chelsea honest is important, and nothing is more potent than having two strikers forcing them to worry about their defense. They have harry Ozil too. So, that means one of AMN or Kolasanic will be threat all the time.
It means the Torreira and Xhaka should look for longer passes to empty areas near either side as Ozil drags player with him.
—————————Cech—————————–
——–Mustafi———-Socratis/Koz———-Monreal
AMN———Torreira———Xhaka——Kolasinac
—————————-Ozil————————-—-
————-Lacazette———Aubameyang———
I think 1-0 to the Arsenal but then i thought maybe UEFA now will bribe the ref to make us lose as having 4 english clubs in the finals isnt good for them and having 5 in CL next year will annoy them more.
Another annoying thing is why the bookies have Chelshit favorites when we shouldve beat them twice and it was only being a bit green that cost us the first game 3-2? somethings a foot.
Sarri lost his rag while conducting Chelsea training earlier. More fool us if we lose.