Monday, December 23, 2024

Ozil starts and captains the side: Arsenal v Cardiff team news

Arsenal are out for three Premier League points as they face relegation zone Cardiff City at the Emirates.

Unai Emery has picked a team to respond to Friday’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup, here are tonight’s official line-ups.

Arsenal: Leno, Lichtsteiner, Mustafi, Monreal, Kolasinac, Torreira, Guendouzi, Elneny, Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette

Subs: Cech, Jenkinson, Mavropanos, Xhaka, Ramsey, Iwobi, Nketiah

Cardiff: Etheridge, Peltier, Bennett, Ecuele Manga, Arter, Ralls, Paterson, Reid, Gunnarson, Bamba, Niasse

Subs: Zohore, Smithies, Cunningham, Mendez-Liang, Harris, Healy, Hoillett

Follow the game on the Arseblog live blog

Related articles

Comments

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

36 Comments
oldest
newest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Hank

AMN?

BJACK

yeah I find this one kinda wierd.. was thinking another game at RB before the citeh game would be good for him.

shokim

Welcome back Mesut. We need the 3 points badly. No pressure.

2G_Gunner

Hoping I’m wrong but don’t think this will be a walk in the park…

Rostock Gooner

Honestly, way too defensive set up for my taste… Hope I’m wrong

Parisian Weetabix

Yeah my lookout immediately is that this is set up to be a classic “awful first half until we make substitutions” type game. Hoping we’re both wrong and it’s a first-half cakewalk.

Obama Young

You called it!

Thierry Bergkamp

For Cardiff, anything is possible when Lichtsteiner is playing.

Jack

Jenkinson instead of Lichtsteiner next time pls

Tim Miller

Shouldn’t Licht get a real chance in his position before we decide he’s terrible? People weren’t really complaining about him when he played a few games there. THEN he got chucked in at center back, which is not his position, was bad (really bad, like the rest of our defence in those games). I’m not saying he should be named as the Bellerin replacement for the rest of the season, not at all, but does he really deserve the treatment he’s getting from people here? Give the guy a chance. If he can’t make the grade, then fine. But given… Read more »

Lee

He had a couple of bad games in that spell between the away games against Man Utd and Liverpool, but other than that I’ve really liked him. Mostly for being a nasty bustard who knew when and how to foul and get in the referees ear

Adrian

Wow that defense. How will we play with that defense against City?
Anyways today’s game is must win . COYG

Shank

That’s a shithole back four …….. Lichtsteiner RB and Monreal as a CB……With Mustafi completing the nightmare.
FREAKS SAKE……..it’s be a white knuckle ride

martin

Monreal has played well before in central defence. However Lichtsteiner and Mustafi are a worry

Chippy87

Better Monreal back there than Xhaka…

martin

I agree. However dropping Xhaka and playing Guendouzi is also puzzling

scott rice

Maybe he is resting some players before the City game?

Paul Roberts

8 “defenders” 3 attackers…interesting.

SB Still

Guess it Emery’s way of saying to Ozil, go strut your stuff, the team got your back. Ozil to supply, Laca and Auba to fire them in. No defensive duties for those 3.

A big win will help get over ManU and prepare for ManC.

COYG.

I AM ARSENAL

Most uninspiring central midfield ever. Mustafi and steiner horror show on the right. A just back from injury monreal with the no clue about defending Kola beside him. Should be fun. Let us pray.

Tim Miller

Well at least they are playing in their “official” position, not some Emery-invented makeshift defence. It’s not a dream back four, granted, but look, Cardiff is playing with Bennet-Bamba-Ecuele-Peltier at the back… hopefully Laca and Auba can do damage in there.

Tim Miller

Except Nacho, of course, but he’s played there before with OK results.

Shank

That’s a shithole back four…..Lichtsteiner RB, Monreal CB……..with the mandatory Mustaf to complete the White Knuckle Ride

Red-Sky

Terrible back line.
I honestly don’t know how are supposed to play City away like that. a horror show awaiting.

Homer

Fortunately, Arsenal isn’t playing City [of the Manc variety, I reckon you mean]. Tonight they play Cardiff City. At home.

Red-Sky

yes i know, I can read… I think.
And I’m clearly more concerned about not getting embarrassed next sunday than today.
This lineup should do the job today with no trouble.

John Smith

“Moan, moan, moan, moan. They’re all shit”. Looks like I’ll fit right in the comments section here. Come on your gunners! (Regardless of the team selection). Please support the team. This is a transition period, it’s going to take time, constant fucking moaning is so depressing.

John Smith

Ok, they’re all shit. I agree.

cygan'sbaldspot

ha ha it’s pretty passive aggressive to completely freeze him out for weeks and then start and make him captain against some peasants at home.

martin

Remember he was captain against Leicester and played his best game of the season

KongoKim

I know it seems very defensive but at least we have a plan b on the bench with iwobi, ramsey, eddie. at this point we simply cannot bench laca or auba and the plan b from the bench was really missing gainst the mancs.
And where the fuck is AMN? u better turn up Stephan, pitchforks ready.
Three Nill i say. COYG!!!

Obama Young

If you can’t start Mavropanos at home against Cardiff, who can you start him against? Seems like today would be a good time to get him some playing time, at least he’s on the bench.

KongoKim

what?? He only featured in the end of the season when it was all gone and the only time he started he got a red card. Now he was injured for like a decade u wanna start him right away in such an important fixture away after we lost 3-1 at home?!

KongoKim

scusa me dumm. we play at home, of course. nevertheless.

Obama Young

He’s been back in the squad for a couple weeks. He played with the under 23s last week. When is he going to play, if not against Cardiff at home? At Man City, our next match?
We have no other central defenders besides him and Mustafi and he still didn’t get into the game.

sambo

He just came back from months out, even Monreal was benched the last 3 games for his comeback.

Share article

Featured on NewsNow

Support Arseblog

Latest posts

Latest Arsecast

36
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x