Arsenal are in Europa League action this evening, taking on Standard Liege in a game which kicks off at 17.55.
Here are this evening’s official line-ups.
Standard Liege: Bodart, Venheudsen, Cimirot, Emond, Carcela, Amallah, Fai, Gavory, Bastien, Laifis, Mpoku
Subs: Gillet, Lavalee, Cop, Boljevic, Lestienne, Avenatti, Vojvoda
Arsenal: Martinez; Luiz, Mavropanos, Sokratis; Maitland-Niles, Willock, Guendouzi, Saka; Smith Rowe, Lacazette, Nelson
Subs: Leno, Chambers, Medley, Olayinka, Martinelli, John-Jules, Aubameyang
Who is the LB? Saka I guess? Proves our need for someone to come in during the January window.
Yeah, looks like Saka’s going to be LB tonight. Seeing ESR after a long time. Hope he gets to pull the strings for laca and nel.
Looks like it could be 3 at CB and AMN and Saka as WB. 3-4-2-1 possibly.
If Mavrapanos comes in and hits the ground running it could be such a well-timed boost to the squad.
Well, I’ve seen him running, and I’ve seen him hit the ground. We look pretty out of sorts back there so far though.
Let’s hope he shakes the rust off and picks it up in the 2nd.
Obviously, Freddie couldn’t risk the only available left-back and Torreira. Doesn’t matter who plays there, the team selected still has enough potential to get the result
Indeed, the transfer window can’t come soon enough. We are in dire need of LB, CB, RB and CM. Filling those positions with on-loan players might not be out of place considering the financial state of the club.
I’d be happy with a loaned player to come in at LB, even someone pretty basic with a higher emphasis on defence rather than attack. But at CB and DM we need permanent high quality additions. I think Mustafi has proven he can do a job against European opponents, and Xhaka has suitors across Europe, so it could be wise to sell these two overseas for respectable fees and get more appropriate replacements in for them. Our ‘spine’ has been a concern for way too long now.
Speaking of Mustafi – is he injured or something? I thought for sure he’d be in this lineup.
Or is Freddie thinking about playing him on Sunday with Chambers?
It could also be a back 4 with Luiz as the LB. He has played there before for Chelsea.
Now there’s a back 4 to send shivers down the back of liege’s front Line…
I think its 3 at the back, with Niles and Saka on the wings/side
Luiz in midfield?
That’s what I am hoping for. He looked good the last time he was there, until he got injured. 4,3,3 with Smith-Rowe wide and Saka at LB? Probably not.
He was terrible
3 at the back apparently.
A bit surprised that Lacazette isn’t on the bench, rather than Aubameyang. Is he injured?
Why risk Aubameyang? In fact I’m surprised to see him even in the squad. We will only get knocked out if we lose 5-0 so withMan City on Sunday we need our best striker to be fit. Lacazette needs match time as keeping him on the bench wouldn’t help him or the team
Oops: I misread the starting eleven and didn’t realize Lacazette was in–I meant he should be on the bench, in reserve, instead of Aubameyang, not that Aubameyang should start.
Could be 3-4-3 (or AMN and Saka as wing backs) going by the order of the names on the team sheet; Sokratis, Luiz, Mavranpanos at the back, AMN, Guendouzi, Willock, Saka in midfield, Nelson, Smith-Rowe, Lacazette up front.
3-4-2-1 I should think. Nice to see attacking format with 2 wing backs and a winger too.
Laca sent for babysitting
Laca sent to tutor/mentor?
Decent enough team to get a win here,
Looks like a very exciting mix to me !
I’m beginning to keep a record of how well Mr. Blogs gets his line-up predictions right. He is doing pretty well.
COYG
He’s the new Ornstein in the Freddie era.
Ashley Cole’s got his breakthrough because Silvinho’s dodgy passport.
Bellerin’s because of a Debuchy injury.
There’s potentially a real opportunity coming up for Saka, he’s an injury away from becoming our first choice LB or LWB, I really like him, and If theres no other left footed alternative? The pressure will be off, and i’d back him to find some form with a consistent run in the team.
Really excited to see the young lads tonight, while I think a few of them would benefit from loans, this is an exciting group, who I hope we can keep together.
And LB could work for Saka because Fullbacks are becoming classic wingers where modern wingers are MF/CF mix they need to be good in possession retention and passing.
Saka is good at running at defenders off the ball movement. He needs to improve defending.
@BLOGS A narrator for the liveblog would be next level. I’d like to only look at the feed when when I hear that its a goal while other info is relayed by audio
Who is captain? Laca?
Sokratis the retard..
Can anyone at Arsenal not see that he is utterly fucking useless?
Why can he not do everyone a favour and walk away??
To call any player a retard is disgusting.