Thursday, March 28, 2024

Pepe and Martinelli start: West Ham v Arsenal team news

Can we do it? Can we finally win a Premier League game? Will it be third time lucky for Freddie?

Let’s see what happens at the London Stadium tonight – here are the official line-ups.

West Ham: Martin, Fredericks, Ogbonna, Balbuena, Cresswell, Rice, Noble, Snodgrass, Fornals, Anderson, Antonio

Subs: Roberto, Zabaleta, Masuaku, Diop, Sanchez, Holland, Haller

Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Chambers, Sokratis, Tierney, Torreira, Xhaka, Pepe, Ozil, Martinelli, Aubameyang

Subs: Martinez, Luiz, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Nelson, Saka, Lacazette

Follow the game on the Arseblog live blog

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Des Lynam

That. Is. More. Like. It!

Candela_Studio

Not sure if its because Monday night game, but was eager to see who the starting 11 would be.
Really happy to see this 11. Nice one Freddy.
Listening to Radio 5 live now, bemoaning Laca on the bench. But totally the right call based on his Away performances this season!

Hiiiii guys

I still want Gendouzi ahead of Xhaka or Torreira. But the front four is excellent

Dave M

Man xhaka must talk some serious sweet nothings to his coaches… I’ve never seen a player be so ordinary for so long in such an underachieving team and be literally first name on the sheet every game ??‍♀️
Still at least the rest of the team is mostly better, although the xhaka – Özil combo is asking for trouble on against counter attacks… ??

Mark

Yup, Xhaka must have something on the new coaching staff as well as what he had on the old one.

Dave M

Can xhaka get a -1 for his first half a runny shite?!

Dave M

You can’t say I didn’t tell you so…

Tim

Yeah because those combinations worked out so so well in the past…

Hiiiii guys

Extra buzzing with Chambers at Centre back

ricky rick

HAHA. This week in who is going to save us…

Mintoes

Ozil starting means we’re playing with ten men. Again.

Dave M

9, xhaka is out there too

yen

WHY AM I THIS EXCITED

yen

Might be a paradox but the guy I’m most excited about is Chambers. Finally gets a start in his natural position in a 2 CB system. Thought he was very unlucky sometimes when others had to do less to earn a chance. Looked as our best CB in the pre-season prior to his Fulham loan. Dropped after fine performances this season too.

Not saying he’s a world beater, just want him to get a proper chance in a string of games!

Dom47

Fully agree! He needs a chance, he’s been loaned and proven his worth via loans more than enough!

Dave M

He can’t be much worse than the “experienced” alternatives… Can’t really see why we aren’t pretty much just going full youth project at this stage. Project experienced has been a compete disaster.

PETER BARRY

Decent looking team. Can we do it?

Dave M

No

Richie

Love this line-up. 3-0 to the Arsenal.

para

As many goals as possible please!

Hiiamtom

Auba starting in his best position. Our record signing starting. A change to the calamitous CB pairing. Tierney starting. Torreira in his rightful position. COYG!

Jack

It’s like someone finally listened to what every fan was saying!

mpls

Now let’s see how little we know 🙂

Bould's Eyeliner

sigh

Mintoes

Eh? Not in the slightest.

GoonerHero

This is the line-up blogs was wanting! Gotta try something different and this could be it. COYG!

Abhi

Yes!!! That’s the squad I’ve wanted to see! Now we damn well win!…… Please? ?

Richie

Luiz and Kolasanic out, Lacazette dropped for an away game; Freddie’s been reading the fan forums that clever boy.

wash_dc_gunner

I think Freddie reads Arseblog!

truj

That’s not healthy at all.

Oregoon

Scarier than shit actually.

Noni

We know for a fact that Mertesacker does! I remember he tweeted about Arseblog once, so maybe he’s feeding back to Freddy.

Man Manny

At last, a line up that looks capable of scaring the opponent.
What a morale booster a good win would be.
COYG!

Man Manny

Not looking good after a distinctly tepid first half display.
Ozil and Xhaka were as useful as a vehicle without an engine.
Depressing times to be a gunner.
It should be considered a success if we finish in the top half this season at this rate.

Arsepedant

That’s the spirit, lad.

Zonda

If Pepe, Ozil and Martinelli can get back and make us compact without the ball I’d like to think this team can start to resemble something like a football team.

Oregoon

Martinelli is our one man press. Sic em Gabby!

Snagger

Freddie steady go

Kaleja

I can get on board with this team even if we lose.

David C

Arseblog perfect with the predictions!

Nice job Andrew!

Rob Collins

Blogs for manager!!

Voldemort

With what we have available im not sure we have better than this.
If they dont perform tonight then im not sure they will perform for anyone.
My conclusion would be that some have have given up and just dont want to play for arsenal any longer.
Hope i am proved wrong, lose tonight and we really are in a relegation fight with the games we have over xmas.

Ashish Mann

Yesss!!!! Freddie grew a pair. Balanced. Looney Luiz didn deserve to be in.

GS14

Think Freddie is a daily reader on this site 🙂

Serpent

This team SHOULD be able to win this.

Galileo

We might have to go 3 centerbacks until we sort out our defending but let’s see how today goes

Glenn Gomes

Yes!! Finally it seems like we can get genuinely excited about it. Chambers as a CB in place of Luiz, Torreira partnering Xhaka (not sure I am excited about Xhaka but still…) And Pepe and Martinelli on the either side of Auba!! COYG!!

Obama Young

If Torreira is playing deeper than Xhaka, protecting the center backs, then it could work out fine. If Xhaka is playing deeper, with Torreira ahead of him, then we will struggle.

AussieGooner

Pepe hat-trick now.

Let’s bring back the fun.

I Could Easily Regret This Comment

Having exhausted every available alternative technique, it would seem that the team selection has finally, controversially perhaps, seen (dare I say it?) common sense employed
.

Alan Sunderland's Mighty Perm of Justice

Much better.

This team is balanced. Let’s see what happens when we’re balanced. Pace to burn in forward areas too with players that can run at defenders. If Auba and Pepe can press like Martinelli does, we should do this easily.

I’m going 1-2 to the Arsenal after seeing the line up.

Fergal

I’m pretty excited about that line up! COYG!!!!!!

The Gooner

This is a well balanced team. #COYG

Rich

I got slated last year when I said Lacazette and Aubameyang wasn’t a good balance, and we should sell Lacazette and invest elsewhere in the team, ideally we’d have two quality strikers, but it’s a luxury we probably can’t afford with the glaring deficiencies elsewhere in our squad. Pepe and Martinelli wide of Aubameyang is exciting, it’s balanced, with bucket loads of pace. We’ll definitely cause West Ham problems today, but Bellerin and Tierney are rusty, and Pepe and Ozil are suspect defensively. This game has goals written all over it, and I definitely think with this lineup we can… Read more »

Bergkamp2Wright

Not a bad lineup. Other than Xhaka and papa I’m happy with that.

Magic City Gooner

Ok, this lineup has to work, right? Just about what we’ve been calling for…
pleasewinpleasewinpleasewin

Kolasinac

I like that line-up. Finally Chambers at CB instead one of the underperforming options. I hold my fingers for him and also for Martinelli – he got his deserved chance tonight. Freddie probably listened to Clive on Arsenal vision podcast talking about how we need to go at them with pace on the wings 😀 Also glad to see Nelson and AMN on the bench i felt little bit sorry for the latter as he clearly has got potential. Let´s get the win finally tonight.

Bodie CI5

He said he was playing all experienced players as to not put pressure on young ones??? Saying one thing doing another

Dom47

Finally, exciting lineup!

I’d prefer guen instead of xhaka and luiz instead of sokratis because he is better on the ball, and both are sh1te lately as defenders.

Xhaka needs to feck off asap, wherever but far from Arsenal.

Onenil

Please don’t trash the players before the match!
If this lineup doesn’t work there will be plenty of time later ?
COYG!

Dom47

Okay buddy agree!

Tony Hall

Me like that line up, and I reckon if Holding was not injured he would have been along side Chambers !

Kingafro gunner

Thats the best line up

Obama Young

The veteran defenders have already proven that they can’t do the job, and they are too old to improve much. Put the younger ones in there and give them a shot, at least they might improve over time.
I hope the fans don’t turn on Chambers if he has a bad game– keep in mind who the alternatives are.

Leon

A real relegation six pointer here….

Leon

Just kidding – 2-0 Arsenal
Glad to see side show bob is not playing…

tanned arse

Sensible and fair changes. As long as they go out and move positively off the ball and look to get forward, I think it’s hard to ask any more from freddie. Just a shame it’s a squad so low on confidence because 2 months ago I think this could’ve been very exciting and rewarding

Chidi

Looks the most balanced I’ve seen an arsenal matchday squad for a while. Especially love the Tierney-Martinelli connection, sneaky feeling we’d see some of it again tonight. I’m usually excited, this is strange… ?

Chidi

Unusually

Jay Mash

The best line up so far this season

Tu Harami

If this team doesnt do well , then its done for me …. I cant expect anything from this season then

The Arsenal

Just happy to see Luiz dropped.

Kelvim

Most reasonable line up I’ve seen in months…

chopper4001

This feels like a more balanced team. I want Xhaka and Torreira just screening and covering the full backs. Win the ball, move it on. Nothing fancy. Protect the defenders.

We just need that little bit of luck. Feels like we’re due some.

momozemio

Bit of luck, here it comes…. bellerin injured during warm up ??
Hoping for the best though, COYG!!

ozilian

xhaka torrera nd ozil… hope xhaka can perform better alongside torreira.. though we would lack mobility in the midfield… nobody to move with the ball.. guendozi has been over played… that’s our best midfield for now with ceballos injured..
but guys anybody know wats up with wilshere??

Richie

Wilshire and Fabianski deliberately got injured to avoid the trauma of playing against the club they are still in love with.

Make Arsenal Great Again

Let’s not get carried away but this is a positive start.

Vince O’Carroll

Positive approach with real pace up front…..genuinely last chance saloon for Ozil….he really needs to pull a big game out of the hat tonight……I’ll take all the thumbs down, but actually think Luiz could potentially do a job as a deep lying defensive midfielder, has a good range of passing and I think able to move the ball quicker than Xhaka…..only change I would have would be Luiz for Xhaka……tonight could be very interesting……COYG….

para

This run of games coming will measure where Arsenal has their colective “heads”. I for one hope this is the start of a good run to the end of season now.

Belfast Gooner

Aw crap. Heccy injured
AMN in at right back!

para

Maitland Niles added? Bellerin injured in warm up?

Stonebenge

Yes! That looks more like a team freddie can work with. I was pretty much hoping for that line up, maybe guendouzi for xhaka, but xhaka should be able to hit some longens to pepe and martinelli so it could work well, maybe for a quick get out when under pressure in our half.

St.macca

Recon we just have to accept that this team is allays gonna concede goals, that’s something that needs to be addressed at a later date but for now we heed to setup to just out blast whoever is in front of us, if nothing else it should be fun to watch unlike the torturous performances of late.

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