It’s Premier League action today with a trip to Old Trafford on the agenda. The manager had some decisions to make about his team today.
Here are the official line-ups.
Man Utd: De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Rojo, Darmian, Carrick, Herrera, Mata, Pogba, Martial, Rashford
Subs: Romero, Blind, Schneiderlin, Lingard, Young, Memphis, Rooney
Arsenal: Cech, Jenkinson, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Elneny, Ozil, Ramsey, Walcott, Alexis
Subs: Ospina, Gibbs, Gabriel, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Iwobi, Giroud
Follow the game and chat with other Gooners on the Arseblog live blog
How can anyone possibly say we have injury problems with a bench like that!
Wouldn’t be my starting XI but let’s hope they do the necessary. V excited for this one. COYG!!
Excited? I’m nervous as hell mate. Haven’t been this nervous playing against united since the invincibles.
Looks like Elneny and Coq for extra solidity in the absence of Bellerin. Clearly enough fire power to get us 3. Come on Arsène, Old Trafford and Mourinho hoodoo over in one go!
What’s the shape? Is Walcott up front with Ramsey on the right and Alexis on the left?
My guess is Ramsey on the right to give Jenkinson some support.
With Alexis up front, but he and Walcott will probably interchange a lot.
So Walcott on the left?
I’d like to see Ramsey on the left do what Iwobi does.
Ramsey left I feel, provides the finishing ability Iwobi has missed recently.
Why is Ramsey an automatic choice ?
Ramsey defends better than Iwobi and the Ox.
He played well during the international break.
I find Ramsey is quite reliable, better to start him, than change him in in case he has not a good day. I also find he’s slightly underrated for what he does for the team, the build ups, only if it weren’t for wastings shoots. But we’ re going to change this today. C’mon Rambo.
He’s not, Iwobi’s just going through a bit of an ineffective spell at the moment (understandably as a 20 year old), so we’re freshening things up a bit. I’m curious to see what Ramsey can do from the left. Well just as long as he causes a bit of chaos in that general area and doesn’t run all over the place like against Ludogorets!
It’s interesting to see how much Arsene rates Elneny. He adds that security and possession in the middle of the park
no excuses for the Arsenal – look at that starting 11 and bench. So strong
COYG
Elneny over Xhaka is interesting. Wasn’t expecting that. Gutted for Iwobi though.
Don’t be surprised to see both Xhaka and Iwobi come back into the side against PSG. Busy few weeks coming up and we’ll need to make the most of our whole squad.
About time Elneny started!
The Ramsey love in continues.
Downvote all you fuckin want as well.
Gladly.
Well he is not a bad player. Iwobi has looked a bit jaded the last few matches and Ox ruined his chances of a staring spot with that horrible display against spurs. We also need defensive solidity and we will have to hope that Ramsey tracks back in this match.
I was nervous, but I see the starting Xi, and the bench… We got to do it to the scum today
This is the day to do it.
C’mon you Gooners.
Ramsey on the right ahead of Jenkinson! I hope Kos and Coq help them out.
Be interesting to see the partnership between Elneny and Coquelin. I hope Walcott gives Jenkinson some protection. Maureen will want to exploit the youngster knowing what happened last time!
A victory would be amazing!
COYG!
Jenks is too strong for Maureens mind games. A good Arsenal lad.
Come on boys, let’s kick Manure’s butt and get 3 points! I feel like it’s our year. #COYG
So who plays in Iwobi’s position on the left? Walcott? Or are we going more of a fluid 4-4-2?
Hoping it’s Ramsey on left.. always been curious how that’d turn out
This united team is fucking shite, plus they’ve got players out. There’s no excuses not to beat these cunts, let’s get it done
My only worry is martial pace takinkg on jenkinson and the unpredictbale rashford up.front. and most important worry our team turning up, as we have note done tha since god knows when, last year they were the shittiest man utd team we played in hostory and we stil didn’t turn up to smash them. Hope players learn theor.lesson
I trust wenger but picking Ramsay really feels like the wrong decision. Slows the game down a lot with his insistence on overplaying it and in his recent performances hasn’t shown anything deserving of a starting place. Hope I’m proved wrong but I’d much rather iwobi or the ox, despite their nld showings.
Don’t know if I would ever like to see Ox on the pitch in an Arsenal shirt again after that display.
I see where you’re coming from bit I feel likening was so bad it can only be explained as him having a very off day. As opposed to the same general mistakes week in week out. If you catch my flow?
Iwobi has been a bit tired recently, the Ox unpredictable. I rather see him come from the box, but before 75′, thanx Arsène.
Rambo is more defensively secure than Iowobi. When Iwobi gets that part if the game, then he will be picked for tight matches like this one. The manure will pack Midfield and Rambo is better in these sort of games.
I think its unfair on the other players that Ramsey gets to automatically walk back into the team.
but he’s better than them…i’m sure everyone in the squad understands, they train with him everyday.
wake up. this is real life.
Why like this
Weak looking utd team but that front 3 worries me on the counter attack
Saying that though, I think we have enough out there to beat them.
Ramsey will clearly float around (I bet we see Ozil push wide left more) as he does when he plays on the right side. Walcott my go out left some, but it is a much stronger player on the right side. Great opportunity for Jenks for the next few weeks. Interesting to see Elneny in instead of Xhaka, but glad to see him get a chance. Think he will be one of the keys to the match.
Clearly manager wants for possession with ElNeny and Coq and Ramsey all in there.
I’m satisfied with this lineup. I think Elneny is more reliable for a big game such as this than Xhaka because u don’t know what a Xhaka who’s still new to the team can get caught up in during such tense games.
Good for him ElNeny to start on a big game like this, he’s earned it, hope he has a good game.
Again, What does Ramsey do?
He is capable of a killer pass. He can battle in the middle and be physical. He can tackle and he scores. One of the reason why Wales lost the semi was because he wasn’t playing. Ramsey would be a first pick in most teams. I really cannot understand the negativity about him. No one plays perfectly all the time but this guy tries and has good mentality. That is why Wenger trusts him. That was why Speed trusted him and made him is captain!
iwobi and xhaka have to come in at some point
Ramsey’s first touch always looks so weak. He’s the kind of player who needs loads of time to decide what he wants to do, so I’d bring him on much later in a match when there’s space. At the moment he’s being forced into mistakes, and he’s just ineffective in midfield. His misplaced flicks invariably put us in danger.
Horrendous for Ramsey today, should never have started let alone made it past half time. Not that it’s just him either. Embarrassing and gutless overall. Coqelin put in a good shift, can’t compliment any other player.
Maybe giroud 🙂
The Utd left back is ripe for a red card and do we put any pressure on him? Nope.
That’s how clueless we can be collectively sometimes.
We can win this game annnnd….groundhog day
Anything less than 3 points would be a poor result for us by the way..
A hopeless Utd defence made to look world class by our piss poor attack and feeble midfield.
Wenger an absolute F@&#ing coward with that starting line up. Xhaka should have started. His subs reactive to their 1st goal. I’m sorry but this game if lost is all on Wengers lack of tactical ability.
Anyone else feel that the way we were passing today was as if it was a training match. No urgency, no drive. Elneny and Ramsey threw the balance out. Should have started Iwobi and Xhaka. Also Ozil not worth the paycheck against the big teams.
Same manager, Same old story. He still hasn’t worked out a way to nullify good old fashioned wide play.
Still hasn’t worked out how to raise the spirit and tempo of his team for psychological battles like this.
Why are we soooo slow on the ball??!?!? Sanchez stepping on it for no good reason! Wenger needs to tell him to lay it off and get into attacking areas where he can do damage! And Ramsey takes about 2-3 times more touches than a midfielder should. We used to be a quick pass and move team, no we are static going forward and rely on a moment of magic from individuals instead of collectively. Very sad what we offered today, so lethargic.
Lads we are in luck! 1 shot on target in the second half and we get a goal. Great! BUT… it doesn’t and shouldn’t hide the fact we played awful for about 80 minutes over the match.
Have this team only just worked out that crosses into the box with a big bloody french head on the end can win a match?
Aaron Ramsey was a mighty player for United today.
It’s no coincidence our hopeless sideways play is back. Ramsey’s return brings back the familiar lack of urgency and penetration.
He gave the ball away a lot, slacked on defensive duties, and was absent for their goal. Ramsey’s inability to maintain a position when deployed wide also forced Ozil to play two positions today.