These are the tweaks that Arsenal need to use for the starting line-up against Southampton

Admin Pat

1 year ago

I bet all Arteta and his boys want to do against the Saints on Friday night is win and bounce back from the disappointments their last two league outings have turned out to be.

The clash against Southampton comes immediately after Arsenal failed to dispatch West Ham at the London Stadium, that game ending in a 2-2 draw, just like the Liverpool game before that. Some issues have been raised about what Arteta has been doing wrong, but for this piece, I’d like us to discuss Arteta’s lineup and the many questions that have been asked about it.

We recently discussed how Arteta ought to start being ruthless with his line-up and ought to tweak things up. Well, against Southampton, he ought to make some changes. I wouldn’t recommend many changes. Of the starting lineup that Arteta deployed against West Ham, I’d recommend Arteta make two changes: bench Bukayo Saka for Leandro Trossard and also bench Kieran Tierney for Oleksander Zinchenko. A starting eleven of Ramsdale, White, Gabriel, Holding, and Zinchenko; Partey, Odegaard, and Xhaka; Trossard, Gabriel, and Martinelli, should take care of a struggling Southampton.

As for Saka and Tierney, I’d be bringing them on around the 60th minute of the game, and not just them alone; I’d also give Reiss Nelson adequate minutes and also Jorginho. For the subs, Saka will replace Trossard, Tierney will replace Zinchenko, Nelson will replace Martinelli, and Jorginho will come in for Xhaka and form a double midfield pivot with Partey.

With these subs and Jesus finishing his first game since returning, I’d say Arsenal is comfortably winning. What about you?

What would you change in the lineup above?

Darren N

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