Arsenal take on training ground neighbours Watford in our first game back after an interminably dull Interlull.
Following yesterday’s wins by Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Sp*rs, three points is a must. Here’s the team that Unai Emery has selected.
Arsenal: Leno, Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Luiz, Kolasinac, Ceballos, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Ozil, Aubameyang, Pepe
Subs: Martinez, Chambers, Torreira, Willock, Nelson, Saka, Martinelli
Watford: Foster, Holebas, Dawson, Kabasele, Femenia, Capoue, Doucoure, Deulofeu, Cleverley, Hughes, Gray
Subs: Gomes, Janmaat, Mariappa, Chalobah, Sarr, Foulquier, Pereyra
4-3-2-1
It seems
Good luck fullbacks, you’re on your own
Underrated comment.
That’s said.
I’m all for an attacking line up.
Rather think it’s a 4-3-2-1 with either Özil or Ceballos on the left and the other one as number 10.
4-2-3-1 i meant -.-
I’m so, so sick of this Xhaka Guendouzi midfield. With those two and a similar CB pairing, there is just no where near enough variety in the core of the team.
Sadly, it looks like Xhaka will get more games until Torreira is fit enough to play 90mins on a regular basis.
It’s a bit unfair because Lucas tires his body out with all the running chasing and blocking. But Xhaka, who plays the game at strolling pace, is always fit
Ozil on the left? or Ceballos?
Finally we see them in the same team together, with Auba and Pepe too!
I imagine there will be some fluidity in the formation regarding these two, and see Ozil and Ceballos switching frequently, however they start, as Ozil finds space.
If Watford sit back and defend we could pick them apart with these two magicians 🙂
3 at the back ? Xhaka in defence?
I think it’s a 4-1-2-1-2 diamond again, with Xhaka as the sitting midfielder.
4 at the back with Xhaka assisting Watford
No surprise that’s the zip code of Davella, Kentucky
Kindly explain this joke
Three points and nothing more.
Let’s go guys.
An Ozil masterclass with two assists…he has a point to prove.
Disappointed not to see chambers, torreira or nelson in the starting line-up ☹️
that sub bench is so carling cup …its like a step back in time.
An excellent bench with experience and some exciting youngsters
Auba, Pepe, Ceballos, Özil – I like this, good enws.
Yes interesting combination. Bit of a surprise.
I’m glad someone got a reference in. It is good enws.
Cabellos left wing? Ozil central attacker? Diamond? None of the above?
Ozil in goal
No Deeney… where will Watford find their cojones?
That is an interesting lineup. COYG!
Ozil or Cabelos on the left wing? … or 2 up top. Could even be a diamond again.
Ceballos* ffs
Awkward..
Ceballos? How disappointing.
We should’ve signed Cerberus, the multi-headed guard dog of Hell
Where is Welbeck?
He left. Pay attention.
He meant for Watford
lol yes i know
@anon hahaha heed
If ozil is of any quality tonight, that lineup is coursing with danger to the opposition. Especially with auba up front. and pepe with his running, and ozil and dani with their interplay and passing, wreaking havoc behind him.
No Welbz for them
Why is Torreira on the bench?
only 11 players are allowed.
The benches at Vicarage Road are shorter than the standard length so…
I really want to keep supporting Emery but I am finding it increasingly hard with his disappointing team selections. Depending on the formation Nelson deserves his chance ahead of Ozil, and either Willock or Torreira should be starting ahead of Xhaka. I don’t understand why Ozil deserves his place, and after the first few games Xhaka certainly does not deserve his. Having said that, this team should be good enough to beat Watford, but I think everybody wants to see young and exciting players, and there would be no reason to think with willock, Nelson and/or Torreira in the team… Read more »
Ozil is a very important player for us. He creates by far the most chances on the team. He needs minutes in order to form partnerships with our other attackers.
Nelson will get his chances. He’s still very young and we have plenty of games to play this season.
I would have also liked to see Willock start, but he’s in a similar situation as Nelson.
There’s no easy wins, particularly away from home. I’m no Ozil fan, but going for experience after 1/6 available points, seems sensible. Everyone is always quick to pick apart selections, but none of us know if Torreira for example is carrying a knock? When Laca has been benched and subbed this season there’s been people kicking off, but it turns out his ankle is playing up after the knock he got against Barca. I like our young players, but expecting consistency from Willock, Nelson, Saka, Martinelli is unrealistic, they’ve got next to no top level experience between them. Letting go… Read more »
Should have played Nelson instead of Doozi….and a Xhaka – Ceballos pivot …
The problem is that Doozi cant play on the wing, cant play as DM and cant play as AM …so its a bit tough to fit him in the side and create a functioning formation…. he is usually given the role of a floating midfielder ..with xhaka or torreira covering for his defensive errors, as well as to progress play. However, since our primary purpose as a club is to Develop Doozi … this cant be helped.
I still can’t for the life of me understanding why Emery insists on using Xhaka as the holding midfielder! Even when he plays him alongside Torreira, he plays Xhaka as the DM.
None of Xhaka’s strengths fit the DM position. Just move him a bit further up the pitch. He can get dispossessed and the team can recover, he can make a bad tackle and it won’t result into a penalty or dangerous free kick.
His little mistakes are amplified in the DM role because they happen closer to the goal.
It’s pretty simple really. He’s the only CM we have over 23 and 6 foot tall.
Guendouzi???
Fun fact. Guen is 1.8m, or 5ft 11. Whereas Xhaka is 1.85m, or 6ft 1
geeee….. havent you watched the last season….Doozi is a defensive liability…even in the spurs game, when he was pushed up, then only did he look like making any impact. He is shit defensively…as is Torreira due to his height. The only DM material we actually have is Chambers and AMN
Then play him as a CM and not a DM. I’m not saying he shouldn’t play, just that the position he’s played in and the responsibilities he’s given make it seem like he’s a worse player than he actually is.
I completely agree ballz
Ozil make me proud today!! COYG
Ozil starts away from home
Don’t worry, it’s the nearest away game of the season! He’ll be back in bed by 8.
I think his house is closer to Watford than the Emirates so…
Delighted! Finally going for it hard away from home ?
Gunners ooooooye
0-7
Think it’s more a diamond like formation with ozil floating into a 3 at top effectively making it 433. I base this knowledge on having played fifa since fifa 10.before that I played pes and arsenal were called London Is Red.
Come on ozil. Be amazing.
Considering who is available, I’m happy with that barring Xhaka, who I’d have preferred to seeTorreira in for
Effing diamond. Effing xhaka. Emery sure knows how to suck all life out of supporting arsenal, already. If we lose today, he must be under fire.
I’m going with 6-3 Victory for The Arsenal here. Holy shit, this could be wild. COYG!
ozil as false 9….what a time to be alive.
Men our fullbacks are so bad…..
Hector will have a battle on his hands – AMN is way ahead of him in all but defending and he’s getting better at that.
Yet they r the one who provided the assists. They are not perfect but they doing decent.
He’s being sarcastic mate
My God, do we look drab and hopeless against this very poor Watford team. Thank goodness Wenger signed Auba or I shudder to think what horrors would await us under Emery and his bland, directionless football.
Honestly, I hope I’m not the only but can’t anybody see we are actually regressing and not progressing under Emery. Have our expectations and standards dropped so low that this tasteless, limp football is now acceptable for AFC?
Haha, Cholevas? More like hole-ass. I hope Pepe nutmegs him into oblivion.
As I’ve said before I’ve got a sneaky suspicion Emery is just scared of playing kids. I know he’s picked Guendouzi but why has Willock been dropped? What exactly has he done wrong?
I rest my case. That goal we just conceded sums up perfectly our BRAINDEAD brand of football under Unai Emery. When are the fans gonna say enough is enough ?
We’re an embarrassment
Emery is a hack!! He’s completely useless as a manager and I’d say his instructions to the team are responsible for many of our losses!!
Absolutely clueless!!
spot on word! BRAINDEAD!
It’s unbelievable, the level of stupidity this team operates at. Lost for words…so fucking angry with this performance today. Just disgusting!!!
Not ready to be fully Emery out yet, but I do hope Raul is sounding out Allegri
If our board are not looking for potential new coaches now, with Emery in the end of his 2 year deal, and with basically nothing to show for it, then they would be negligent in their responsibilities. They have shown him faith in the transfer window and he is coaching like he hasn’t a clue, and that’s definitely translating to the players.
Emery out. Absolute joke of a manager.
Let’s be honest here Luiz is not a good defender and chambers should be on ahead of him!!!
In November last year, I said on this very platform that Emery is not the right guy for this job. Everyone called me crazy.
The passing from the back nonsense is daftest strategy I’ve seen in a long time. It makes absolutely no sense and he keeps doing it.
Well, I rest my case.
Thats last year bro if we were playing well you wouldnt be saying this
Im just saying that a lot couldve happened in a year
Emery has got to go.
Pepe has been a shit signing for the money and Luiz has been a fucking disaster – the man is either a fucking retard or is being paid by Chelsea to fuck the season up.
Emery just fuck off….
Yes, an ambitious team should sack it’s manager even before the press conference after a debacle like this. A team with high aspirations to be dominated and pressed from the bottom table team is absolutely unacceptable.
Whilst I agree with the sentiment on Emery, I think you’re being a bit harsh on the signings. Luiz and Pepe have just come in a few games ago, and people expect them to fix everything. Emery has had a year to at least do *something* but instead we have nothing to show for his time here. At least Luiz had a decent game, the pen aside, that is to say the issues he is having is to do with absolutely zero coaching of our defensive block. And Pepe will adjust, just give him time. The team should be able… Read more »
2-0 up
Then the idiot defence hands the incentive back to a deflated opposition
This is the worst Arsenal team in decades – the team of morrow, selley, merson and jensen was better than this sack of shit.
Pepe is simply Gervinho Mk 2
And Luiz is a fucking idiot.
No bro. Give pepe time. He had no real service. Its the game plan the manager put out and our defensive errors that cost us the game
Sorry but no.
Pepe was decent in a mickey mouse one team league but here he is average at best hence why no one except us and Napoli were after him
I don’t blame him.
I blame the idiot who paid 50 million too much for him…
I understand the frustration but it just seems its going to take him a little longer to settle. When Henry signed it took him some time. I say have some patience in Pepe. The good and the goals will come. Weve already seen flashes of brilliance from hin
Bench the two morons and give Chambers and Holding a go. Can’t do worse…
Oh and quit the idiotic playing out from the back nonsens!
#EmeryOut
Emery ask the defence to played out from the back, not play it to opponents. So it’s the defense fault rather than the manager.
it comes to a point where it’s not individual defensive mistakes. it is the approach that we take. and everyone sees that we cant play from the back. emery has to take the blame.
and people thought lampard was stupid to let luiz go.
Ohboy do we need Holding to come back good.
as i said before, holding back wont make a difference. emery/his defensive coach doesnt have a clue how to defend.
We have no style of football. Emery has better players than Wenger yet!!!!. Seriously Emery out!!
Emery has had a better squad in his 2 seasons at arsenal than Wenger had in the last 6-7 years of his tenure
We have a Bermuda triangle in Xhaka, luiz and Papas that will make wins disappear
First it was Mustafi, partly Xhaka, now Luiz and Papa. Who is next in line? And how much time until the line stops and see that we haven’t brought in a decent manager? A manager that can ignite a team spirit, not a manager that will spend hours and days watching video tapes.
Is giving away the penalty the managers fault?
Then why is abu goal not the manager’s credit then?
Give credit when it’s due and not push every downfall to the manager. His defense player let him down today, in particular Papas and Luiz
PEA14 as i said above (guess you haven’t read, but nevermind) a club of this stature and with high ambitions cannot act like this. Errors sometimes are normal and happen. But this kind of dominance by bottom table team is unacceptable. If you say, for example, City lost to Norwich yesterday, then I’ll counter like this> see the stats of the game> and then ask yourself how many slip ups teams like them have during a season.
Let’s just be plain honest, which world class manager can we actually attract and who wishes to join us with a limited budget and non-CL. Apart from Arteta named, there’s basically no other managers keen to join us during that period
And if we have not given both goals today and win the match, who’s gonna talk about the stats or dominance. Stats (aka 75% ball possession) doesn’t means much nowadays. But points do. And we dropped 2 points today
Why this course man? Why it has to be a world class manager? Was Pochettino world class when he joined Spurs? How many of us have heard of him before? And he is not the only one. How about Simeone (as an example, not as a potential Arsenal manager)? Was he this good before Athletico? How about Eddie Howe? Should I go on? I think not. We need a manager that knows clearly what he wants to achieve. We need a manager that can inject a fighting spirit. A spirit to raise the players when they are losing. Wenger had… Read more »
Can someone sack Dracula please. He is utterly useless
Emery is a fucking spanner with sideshow bob playing in our defence.
Arsenal are a joke….
Ruined my evening
Our attack especially Auba puts us in a comfortable position, our defence particularly Sokratis and Luiz cost us 2 points!
at some point, you have to stop blaming individuals and realize that it’s the whole fucking gameplan and coaching that needs to change. The entire second half, we were shit! The whole team! Watford had more than 20 shots and we only had 4. Emery has been unconvincing his entire tenure at Arsenal. He hasn’t improved us in any way!
at some point, you have to stop blaming individuals and realize that it’s the whole fucking gameplan
Totally!
This team currently has two creative influencers and removing both of them was a crippling decision. I understand Guendouzi was on a yellow, but the second sub looked like UE deciding, “eh, let’s just try to hold on for dear life at 2-1 with 25 minutes left and the home team soaring with momentum. What can go wrong?” From that point, there was no remedy to counter any further mishaps. There was no one to organize the transition to attack and we had to rely on a phenomenal save from Leno just to get a damn draw. It’s hard to… Read more »
6th place looms already in September.
I don’t mind as long as Emery is gone.
His signings thus far have been rubbish.
Pepe may have been great playing in the french league but to me he looks like a do nkey.
And Luiz and Sokratis.
I would never willingly wish to see players get seriously injured but if either of these two were to suffer a season ending injury I would imagine our fortunes would change for the better I would not be that upset….