Arsenal take on Southampton today in the FA Cup 4th round, and with Premier League action on Tuesday against Watford and a trip to Chelsea next Sunday, Arsene Wenger has made some changes today.
Here are the official line-ups.
Southampton: Lewis, Martina, Gardos, Stephens, McQueen, Reed, Clasie, Hojberg, Sims, Isgrove, Long
Subs: Taylor, Yoshida, Bertrand, Davis, Romeu, Redmond, Tadic
Arsenal: Ospina, Bellerin, Mustafi, Holding, Gibbs, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Maitland-Niles, The Jeff, Lucas, Walcott, Welbeck
Subs: Martinez, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Gabriel, Monreal, Iwobi, Alexis
Are we still planning on winning this one?? Please who is playing behind the striker? Who are the central mid fielders?? I don’t get it… Southampton ain’t coming out to joke with us..
Just believe!
Come on You Rip-roaring Redssssssss!
Also heavy rotation from Southampton so think we have a good chance if midfield can hold their shape
That’s a big ask. The squad definitely looks weak down the middle of the pitch. Hopefully we can start on the front foot and grab a goal early. Wouldn’t it be nice to coast to an easy uneventful win? A pleasant Saturday kick around. I guess that’s not what the fa cup is about. And I have a feeling south Hampton will make this anything but a pleasant affair. COYG
This line up lost last time around… I think!!
My the ox goes full Milan on us
The Jeff will be in the number 10 role, Ox and Maitland-Niles will be the two in the central midfield (likely Ox left and M-N right).
Looks to me like we might be going back to a 4-3-3? The Ox, Jeff and Maitland-Niles as the midfield 3 with the others ahead. Only thing i can think off.. High scoring game you’d think!
Not sure the concern about the midfield mate. Arsenals put out the big guns. All double barrels from what I can see…
It’s cold out. I’ll get my coat.
You will never get it and that is why you are not the manager of Arsenal Football Club.
Feeling a bit silly now? 😉
I am genuinely looking forward this. Wenger is placing a lot of faith in our midfield, I can imagine a high press and our defense playing to our forwards tonight.
Liverpool is out of the cup. That makes it three defeats in a row for them. So I am 90% certain that Chelsea will lose against pool next week! Actually it’s dangerous to play a team who has lost a few games in a row.
Where exactly is the midfield in that team?
Maitland-Niles and the Ox are playing in midfield, it’ll be interesting to see how they do, wenger seems to think Maitland-Niles has a future at CDM
Could also be holding and ox in midfield with maitland-niles at right back?
Why on earth would he holding in midfield?
Somehow I’d manage to read Gabriel playing instead of bellerin….my bad!
And Bellerin CB? Can’t see that happening
feels like a suicide with this midfield. only one who knows how to play that centre midfield is 19 year of maitland niles. and southampton are coming off eliminating liverpool. god save us
Ox in Milan. As you can see, that is one of my favourite performances of a youth player at arsenal.
i kinda feels like our formation is more like a 4-3-3 rather than 4-2-3-1. it makes a lot more sense to play that formation with this team. since we dont have a proper defensive midfielder we need more protection there.
Can see why he’s saved Coq and Ramsey.still a positive looking team,
It’s really time we turned this lot over and I don’t care how. COYG
Looks like boss think of FA cup as a distraction this time!
He’s never considered the FA Cup as a distraction!
Ok then…in tensions are clearly stated. Coygs.
6 players in our midfield three to boost our numbers in Xhaka’sabsence, love it
So Chambo is playing CM with Maitland Niles? Weird one.
It’s madness, madness I tell you…
Well you can’t blame Wenger for fielding a too negative team.
So out is the fa cup! That team has never played together not even once. Too many risks .If we go through with that lot then everything is possible this year .
You should be feeling as big a twat as you look after winning 0-5 🙂
Can sort of see the midfield logic here: If Coq or Ramsey play and get injured, we are in big trouble for league matches. But no Iwobi or reasonably experienced playmaker in a 4-2-3-1 is strange to say the least.
4-3-2-1, or 4-3-3?
It’s, uh…interesting. Smart to keep Alexis on hand, both for the good of the match, and contract negotiations. Really like seeing Holding in there. Great to have the BFG back in action. Gibbs has looked very positive lately. The bench has starting IXs at the back, mid, and forward (Monreal, Iwobi, Alexis). The less-tested players in the pitch need to make it happen and demonstrate their ability to wear the jersey. Ballsy call by AW.
I think this is very intelligent. The reality is that the league is more important than the cup. And we only have two fit central midfielders for Watford and Chelsea. It would be stupid to lose one or both of them in a cup game, so to rest them completely is a good idea for me.
Yeah it seems like Wenger is only interested in making a run for the PL and CL this season. Can’t blame him really as it might be his last season in charge
coudl’ve atleast played coquelin. he has just played 30 minutes in this month. he is as fresh as anyone.
Wouldn’t call someone recently returned from hamstring injury “as fresh as anyone”.
i think it does. its not like he’s still nursing his injuries. only after they made sure he’s completely okay do they play him
I thought Ozil just returned from a little breather? I hope we win this. Not a good thing to be knocked out of 2 cups by the same team.
with Romeu not playing or starting. we should take advantage of the middle and win… COYG
At least Ramsey or Coq should have been on the bench??
BT just said Ramsey, Coq and Ozil are injured!?
Well, should be fun watching the new boys.
Theo Walcott is back! Thrilled to BITS!
Nonetheless, I think we are looking for trouble here, let’s hope Steve Bould is not going to spend his 90 minutes fiddling with his zipper, arguing with officials and getting into physical confrontations with officials
UP The Arsenal!
Come on, people, quit belly-aching and enjoy the vibrancy and unpredictability of this lineup; we need to rotate, and this team has plenty of speed and guile on the ball, and if you give any one of those three forwards a chance in behind the defence tonight, there will be goals. Tough match in a tough away stadium, but we’ve proven we’re up for the fight this year.
Thank you Futsboller for making me feel slightly better…:-) COYG!
What a bunch of non believing party poopers some of you are. We are a deep squad, we have a game on Tuesday and this is a talented squad going against a heavily rotated Southampton team. We win this one guys..and it won’t be close. COYG!
See? COYG!
It’s great to see some of the younger players getting a game and others gaining fitness, both teams have made changes so let’s get behind our team and fight for the victory.
Southampton have made even more changes than us only like 1 or 2 first teamers
will be interesting..
Gibbs to smash one in at near-post. Thank me later. COYG redddddddddddddsssssss!!!!!!!!!
Wenger has said all his strikers have had rest so surprised Giroud is not on the bench. I am not surprised Alexis IS on the bench as I rekon he said “if I am not al least on the bench I am off!” 🙂
*apart from Alexis
Zoiks! Very interesting.
One might get the idea the managers got together for a glass before picking teams.
I humbly apologize for making fun of whoever I did (don’t recall the username) for indicating Wenger should start MaitlandNiles. My apologies.
We have four defenders in subs bench. Looks like Wenger wants early goal or two then sit back and defend
We seem to be winning …
What a pass from the Ox for the second goal!
Get in! We’re 3-0 before halftime! A brace by Welbz and a third goal by Theo.
I knew it would be ok! 😉
The midfield looks good and the Jeff has been a revelation. With the Jeff, who misses Özil or Iwobi!