Arsenal play their second Europa League tie of the competition tonight, and it’s a first ever meeting with BATE Borisov.
Arsene Wenger has picked a relatively experienced side, with a very youthful bench. Here are the official line-ups.
BATE Borisov: Scherbitski, Gaidichik, Volodko, Ivanic, Rios, Milunovic, Rodionov, Dragun, Stasevich, Polyakov, Gordeichuk
Subs: Hleb, Hleb, Hleb, Hleb, Hleb, Hleb, Hleb
Arsenal: Ospina, Mustafi, Mertesacker, Holding, Nelson, Willock, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Wilshere, Walcott, Giroud
Subs: Macey, McGuane, Dragomir, Gilmour, Akpom, Nketiah, Dasilva
Nice. Enough to do the job. Good luck boys.
Nelson and AMN are not wingbacks.
AMN will be DM and Nelson will be up top out wide I expect. As they should be
I’m pretty sure they will play as wing backs. There’s no one else in this line-up who could play there and they’ve both done it several times now. Ideal? No, but that’s definitely better than not playing at all. Willock and Elneny as CMs and Wilshere+Walcott behind Giroud.
Which leaves Willock at wing-back.
Wrong and wrong again.
true enough. Feel a little sorry for Deduchy… at least as sorry as you can for a guy that gets paid what he does for sitting on his arse. Something must’ve gone down behind the scenes. But hey, these two get a game and a bit of experience. All good for the future I say.
Personally, i don’t mind if they play as wingbacks. They’re both young and developing, they shouldn’t expect to always have a spot in their desired position in senior matches. They are youngsters, should be thankful for the spot/start and try to make the most of it.
you must be alot of fun to be around.
Increasingly excited to watch this and see if the young guns step up to the plate. Of course it could be a Doncasterian bore-fest again… fingers crossed it goes the other way. COYG
“I have a bad feeling about this drop…”
“You always say that frost, you always say ‘I got a bad feeling about this drop'”
Theo to score
Giroud to score is 100′
(please)
Hope he does that at the Emirates. HFB deserves better than to score #100 in Belarus in the Europa League.
Once again, Wenger is playing these kids out of position. I’m tired of this nonsense. Play them in their proper positions!!!!
Who exactly is being played out of position?
AMN and Willock are being played as wingbacks. Both are CMs. He’s been playing Reiss as a rwb till today. It doesn’t help if he keeps playing them out of position and they have bad games.
So then you would rather them sit the bench instead of getting valuable experience with the 1st team? Learn how to be better all around players?
Other than these kids, who wud u play from available in the squad? Remembering the senior players who can play and their positions, as well as the youngsters there, who are the most highly rated in the academy.
they are athletes right? I’m a Sunday league player and I can play any position. I don’t understand this argument.
Playing a different position will give you a different angle on the game and make you a better player in the long run.
You don’t understand that in professional sports there are designated positions?
Get a grip
It doesn’t work with every player. It can be damaging especially when they have bad games at the said position and their confidence gets shot.
The there is a difference of confidence being shot if they have a bad performance at their preferred position? lol
Yeah play a youth player out of position and when you fickle fans boo the hell out of him and gets sent to the reserves is the same thing as playing them there from the start.
WTF?
So you play a youth player out of position and he plays poorly and his confidence is shot is different from a youth player playing his preferred position and playing poorly?
If I’m not mistaken, Gunnerblog got it spot on. Maybe a coaching stint in his future?…
I was expecting Dasilva instead of Willock, but no other surprises tbh.
Mustafi to be dropped for Brighton game after one too many sliding tackles? No other starters in the team. Maybe I’m reading into the team selection too much.
It feels like watching new signings.
Wow. That is a young bench. Akpom to come off it and score.
No Chambers?
Yeah you didn’t hear??? He got his unconditional release because supporters want him to play while he is hurt
The bench looks like something out of a horror movie
This is a true Wenger side….economical, youthful,where he gets to do as he pleases as a coach…..dont let him down guys. They all have to prove he was right to have kept them…those being left out was pressured by fans,media and money to be here.
Rise to the occasion.
COYGs
Willock sounds an interesting choice although I would have preferred to see Maitland Niles more central.
Still no room for poor Calum. He deserves a go.
I believe he’s injured.
Does anyone else think this might be one step to far? I would’ve liked to have seen one or two more senior players in the squad. Hope Wengers gamble pays off.
That is a Barca-esque bench for Bate!! They could get plenty of pre pre-assists…
Where’s Iwobi?
Right there
injured.
Could someone plz confirm the positions of the players once you’re aware of them
Jack certainly is giving us a different dimension.
As mentioned,w e have missed the vertical penetration straight up the middle Santi (and Diaby, Viera) use to give us for 3 seasons now.
Jack is one of those who can dribble through the middle for us.
Certainly if he can stay available, we will have a different weapon to open teams up with.
Where is Jeff Adelaide…dude was the brightest spot in the youth set up a two years ago….Hope he is not injured
He is injured
Where’s the Jeff?
Where is the Jeff?
Will keep wearing no.69… LADS LADS LADS!!
Or Willock maybe…