Whatever front line Unai Emery picks against Tottenham it will be formidable even if he does not go with the trio of Aubameyang, Pepe and Lacazette from the start. The defence is vulnerable no matter who the Spaniard picks but the midfield spots are the one area that can decide the game.
You see, if Emery leaves Lacazette on the bench again, Pepe and Aubameyang complimented by Ceballos just behind is still a strong forward line, if he chooses Chambers over Luiz or visa versa it will still be a vulnerable defence and so on, whatever combination he goes with will probably be still effective or ineffective in those positions.
But the midfield has the power to change the game one way or another, a weak midfield would hand the initiative to Spurs, it would struggle in the link-up between defence and the forward line and lack creativity, whereas the right midfield combination has the ability to control the game, supplement the defence and open up channels of service to the forwards.
Emery will have to get the midfield spot on it is as simple as that, get it wrong and Tottenham will win, get it right and Arsenal will win.
Obviously one could argue that applies to the defence and forwards but I am not so sure, we half expect the defence to be a letdown and we are confident that whatever combination of strikers are used they will score but the same cannot be said of the midfield.
Does Emery go with the inexperienced Willock? Will he stick with the suspect Xhaka? Does he put his faith in Torreira to repeat his heroics of last season? What role for Ceballos? Can Guendouzi be trusted? What about Ozil? and so on.
Emery has some big decisions to make tomorrow none more so than who plays in the middle of the park and hopefully, he makes the right call.
………..Leno
Niles.. Luiz/Chamb..Sok..Kols
..Torreira..Ceb/Wilock/Guendouzi
…….Ceballos/Ozil
Pepe… Lacazette…. Aubameyang
Any combination would be fine.
/ = either, or
Without a top quality LW we need to play both Lacazette and Aubameyang
Leno
Moneral Sokratis Luiz Niles
Ceballos Torreria
Ozil
Aubameyang Laczette Pepe
Sure. Willock should not start this game. He can’t be better than Ozil , Xhaka, Torreira, Guedozzi and Ceballos
I agree with this set up. Our best XI. Let us play with the best team available, no tinkering please. Kol instead of Monreal. If it is not working, then we can change. Let us start with our best players.
It will have to be Kolasinac at the back, now Monreal has gone…!
PAL up front is a no brainer; don’t wait 13 games like last year with Auba and Laca combo.
If Xhaka can walk Emery will start him. Who will partner with Sokratis and who are the other 2 midfielders.
Hopefully he fields the best 11 rather than being Wiley E. Coyote trying to prove his genius.
2-1 to the Arsenal; our front trio is supreme, but our defense can barely keep an old lady from crossing the street.
Agreed, the front row picks itself unless the coach has his say, the mid field is not up to challenging for a title but with the addition of one new player and showing the door to two we could get away with it. We have two defenders almost ready to rejoin the squad so, after they`re match hardened things could change, even so there`s a couple who should be persuaded to take a tram ride. So, for me , it comes down to having the right players in the right positions at the right time which only leaves the manager to stuff it up.
Whatever combo available the defense will give goals away … that means we can only win by scoring more and team should be set up accordingly … the front three is a no brainer or should be … so who can deliver from the middle ? Ozil ceballos and torreira is the combination we should be making work … and it needs to play together regularly to do so … so far emery has tinkered his way to repeating the mistakes of the late wenger era … if he doesn’t find a best 11 in next 5 games this will be his last season imo
Hopefully when Tierney, Bellerin, and Holding return that’s 3 of the back 4 set. PAL up top should be a lock also, it now becomes settling on a midfield 3 to get a run.
Most of the 11 set themselves, and it’s up to Emery not to tinker himself out of a job.
Whatever happened to Emery famously saying he’d rather win 5-4 than 1-0?
Think most fans rather see the end to end game with our current talent than pragmatic bus parking.
Before anyone asks, Wenger didn’t have this talent in attack when he always played the same way. PAL is a big difference from Welbeck Giroud Walcott, or any other combo he had.
Who’s doing the game tomorrow Sue, surely a London referee, oh how silly of me, there are no London referees, ok then must at least be a southern referee, oh how silly again,there are no southern referees. Noticed another Manchester official, Jon Moss, doing the Manchester City game. How long must we put up with this blatant bias of northern officials, all appointed by crook and big Manchester United fan Mike Riley. Call me old school but in the old days if Arsenal, Spurs or Chelsea played either Man United , Man City, Liverpool or Everton the referee would come from the Midlands. I’ll give you a scenario, Jon Moss’s brother in law calls him the morning of a game he’s refereeing between Man City and Arsenal, “Hello Jon it’s me Tom surely your not going to let our son and your nephew little Tommy down and let them cockney bast**ds beat us are you” Then they go into a big laugh and Moss says something like ” watch this space Tom, another laugh and he rings off. I know there’s people on this site that’s willing to accept this blatant bias officials and think I’m showing signs or paranoia but I say to them WHY,WHY, WHY are there no officials from southern England.
It’s Martin Atkinson, Kenny….i just googled him.. he was born in Bradford, but is now based near Leeds!
Well, anyway Kenny, i hope we play well & bag all 3 points, and you enjoy the game/atmosphere! If i remember rightly, are you off to Thailand soon??
Off tomorrow Sue for a month, couldn’t miss the North London Derby. If we win, I’ll sit back, relax, read every newspaper on the trip, I don’t even want to think about losing, If we do the 12 hour flight will be Hell, moaning all the way. LOL
Oooh how lush is that!! I hope you have a great time, Kenny. And enjoy the game… and i hope we bloody win, because if there’s a spud on your flight… god help them haha!!!
Thank you for that Sue and yes If we win, I’ll check for Spuds.
Riley’s from Leeds Sue, in fact 90% of the Refs are within 20 minutes drive of Riley. Likes to appoint his friends and neighbours.
No surprise there then, hey?!
we are playing at home and if we get the tactics right we should be able to win
Whatever is the match set-up that Emery will set-up the Gunners to line up in array in the match to start the game at home against Tomorrow in the PL will determine his starting XI line-up for the match.
In this regard, since Ozil who is yet to play since the season has opened should play tomorrow and start the match if he’s at 100% match fitness to start. And if Emery start him tomorrow, this could lead Emery to set up the Gunners in a 4231 match playing formation to start the match. After which there could be a switching to a different match playing formation when he makes substitutions.
Therefore, below are my own Arsenal 4231 starting Xi for the match and also my 7 Arsenal substitutes on bench for the match whom all I will like to see Emery adopt for the match. But would he? Us’ll see.
Starts:
Leno;
AMN Luiz Sokratis the-Tank;
Torreria Xhaka;
Pepe Ozil Aubameyang;
Lacazette.
Bench:
Martinez Mustafi Chambers Guandouzi Willock Mkhitaryan Nelson.
I am sorry to not have a space on my bench for Martinelli to sit on it for the my match.
There is no much to further talk on the importance of Arsenal winning this match tomorrow as the Gunners themselves, Emery, and us Gooners have already known how important it is for Arsenal to win this derby match against Spurs tomorrow to stay within a touching hand distance to Man City who are 2nd in the table leading them on a solitary point. Therefore, Arsenal should be mentally alert, physically strong and tactically seasoned in the game to beat Spurs tomorrow unfailingly and claim all points in the match at the blast of the final whistle by the match officiating referee ending all proceedings in the match.
I don’t think Arsenal defence will concede any goal in the match to Tottenham. But I think and believe Arsenal will score thrice in the game to beat Spurs 3 nil at full-time + added time.
Whatever is the match set-up that Emery will set-up the Gunners to line up in array in the match to start the game at home against Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow in the PL will determine his starting XI line-up for the match.
In this regard, since Ozil who is yet to play since the season has opened should play tomorrow and start the match if he’s at 100% match fitness level to start. And if Emery start him tomorrow, this could lead Emery to set up the Gunners in a 4231 match playing formation set-up to start the match. After which there could be a switching to a different match playing formation when he makes substitutions.
Therefore, below are my own Arsenal 4231 match starting Xi against Spurs and also my 7 Arsenal substitutes on the bench for the match whom all I will like to see Emery adopt for the match. But would he? Us’ll see.
Starts:
Leno;
AMN Luiz Sokratis the-Tank;
Torreria Xhaka;
Pepe Ozil Aubameyang;
Lacazette.
Bench:
Martinez Mustafi Chambers Guandouzi Willock Mkhitaryan Nelson.
I am sorry to not have a space on my bench for Martinelli to sit on it for the my match.
There is no much to further talk that’s needed talk on on the importance of Arsenal winning this match tomorrow as the Gunners themselves, Emery, and us Gooners have already known how important it is for Arsenal to win this derby match against Spurs tomorrow to stay within a touching hand distance to Man City who are 2nd in the table leading them on a solitary point. Therefore, Arsenal should be mentally alert, physically strong and tactically seasoned in the game to beat Spurs tomorrow and beat them unfailingly claiming all points in the match at the blast of the final whistle by the match officiating referee ending all proceedings in the match.
I don’t think Arsenal defence will concede any goal to Tottenham in the match. Rather, Arsenal are the ones who I think and believe will score thrice in the game to beat Spurs 3 nil at full-time + added time.
Sure. Willock should not start this game. I predict the same lineup but you forgot we got Caballos on bench and might even start ahead of Ozil
Aubameyang & Kolasinac vs Moura & Aurier
Pepe & Maitland-Niles vs Son & Rose
I hope Pepe can start delivering the goods today!