Monday, December 23, 2024

Holding, Nelson, Saka start, Auba on the bench: Arsenal v Liverpool team news

Arsenal are looking to bounce back from a North London derby defeat when we face the champions at the Emirates tonight. It’s a tough task as the Mugsmashers are going for the Premier League points record.

Here the official line-ups.

Arsenal: Martinez, Holding, Luiz, Cedric, Torreira, Xhaka, Tierney, Pepe, Lacazette, Saka, Nelson

Subs: To follow

Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane

Subs: To follow

Follow the game on the Arseblog live blog

Related articles

Comments

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

49 Comments
oldest
newest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
AlexNuggz

COYG!

Frank

Hmm wonder what formation we’re going for. Saka in behind lacazette and 4 at the back?

Vito

Could be a back 5 with Tierney at LCB and Saka at LWB

lessthanthesumoftheirparts

It’s a back 7 with two DMs mate

Shep

Lol

The Arsenal

6-1 becomes 2-0.

Runcorn Gooner

Looks like Arteta is gong for Europe via FA Cup.
City also rested their best players. Could be tough

backsakacrack

Not got much choice has he!

goonerink

Neither does pep, the titles gone so winning a couple of cup games gives them silverware.

Jack

Ozil sent a clear message on his social media yesterday ‘I am ready’ so therefore there is no back issue

myrtle

His pR team always pipe up after a loss

Mayor McCheese

That is so true.

goonero

I’ll never forgive him/them for the one he tweeted with that beautiful Bergkamp quote during the Emery era after a game we’d lost that he’d been left out of.

‘When you start supporting a football club, you don’t support it because of the trophies, or a player, or history, you support it because you found yourself somewhere there; found a place where you belong.’

Bergkamp found himself at Arsenal, Ozil found himself a bunch of chumps who’d sponsor his retirement swansong and foray into philanthropy.

Riku

Am not ozil biggest fan , but he still creates three key chances a game!
again,more than the rest of midfield for earlier in season, ( I read stat other day )
Pepe don’t track back any more than him.
Ozil is gonna be here . We could do with at least two goals a game . May as well play him ozil as one of the front three .. especially in a game like today

goonero

Ozil has not met the demands required of him to be selected for games. At a time when he could be contributing to the wellbeing of the club, he has chosen not to do so, first by refusing the wage cut, and second by not reaching the standards required in training to allow him be considered for selection. Arteta could not possibly have made the case clearer to fans and players alike/ AMN got onboard, Ceballos got on board, only Guendouzi and Ozil haven’t. What is it exactly that people aren’t seeing here?

Vaibhav

Issue is he is not leaving so KSE would have asked Arteta to freeze him. Not in the squad today despite featuring in training 😀

Thierry Bergkamp (non negotiable)

Being rested for the semi final

Naked Cygan

No back issue, but I think it would have been a smart move for Arteta to play Ozil. We have basically no chance of going to Europa from the league. By playing Ozil it would have been a win win situation. If Ozil plays great, the wonderful. Arsenal do well and we are all happy. If Ozil sucks again then Arteta has made his point, and the Ozil situation is sorted. If I was a manager, I would love it a player I dropped would come on and prove me wrong.

Naked Cygan

Also given our lack of creativity in the final 3rd playing Ozil would be smart. I know he hasn’t had the same number of assists as before, but if he doesn’t get good service, and when he makes the key pass and the other player doesn’t score is not hill fault.

Marje

The Ozil issue is never sorted until he’s gone.

Gitf

Arteta should stop respecting coaches. He should make his team strong by moltivating them to beat anybody.
I want to see arsenal in that fa cup final

atom

Would you really want a manager who plays or doesn’t play players based entirely on what the fans do or don’t want? Arteta’s job is mold Arsenal into first a club that challenges for the top 4 and hopefully then into one that challenges for major titles. If he thinks Ozil will push us towards that then he would play him. If he doesn’t then Ozil won’t play.

Naked Cygan

Well as of now we are 10th, what did we have to lose if we played Ozil today against Liverpool? According to the blog and stats, we made 300 passes in the 2nd half in the spurs game,compared to 80 from spurs. We need creativity in the middle, and we sure wont get it from Xhaka.
Laca is coming too deep, we need him up front. we need someone to hold the ball and create something useful, not pass the ball side to side and back like a donkey.

Snagger

Ready yes but willing and able is another matter. When I say able I’m talking match fitness not technical ability.

A make A great A

Never was a back issue..the issue is he does not fit in any Arteta set up, not profile wise, not in terms of attiutude either and of couse, not taking a pay cut is what caused all his “back problems”

Artetas Assistant

You know if Ozil after winning ecerything went to a mental health specialist and said, my self worth is suffering from being here after I’ve been at Madrid and played with galacticos and now having to play with half arsed professionals, they’ll tell him to prioritize his mental health. It’s not out of the question we see a re-motivated Ozil return

Vaibhav

Defensive line up, Feels like Arteta taking it as a free hit!!

Nketibag

How about we don’t gift the opposition any goals today. How does that sound?

goonero

Glad to see Nelson and Torreira and Holding finally get starts, a little surprised not to see AMN in the circumstances too. I’m sure they’ll have points to prove. Given that Auba and Ceballos are being rested it seems the focus is on City so hopefully they really just come out go at this hell for leather tonight and maybe catch Liverpool sleeping early on and hang on for dear life.

goongot

no creativity at mid ? how the hell did we go from wilshere,rosicky,ramsey,cazorla,iwobi(lol) to none. If only ozil ran like nketiah.

btw

Suicide formation?

SLC Gooner

Nothing to lose at this point formation…with City’s appeal being upheld, and Spurs looking like winning, our chances of qualifying for Europe through league are very dim. Might as well try something different and save Auba and Ceballos for City on the weekend.

btw

I think that more reflected my state of mind, feeling better at half time, it’s the hope that kills you in the end, please see this out Arsenal.

Holding v Mane, loving it, shades of Costa

Hail Gus!

Luiz ??‍♂️

loose_cannon

Massive game for Nelson, a bit surprised AMN hasn’t been given the nod as well.

The Arsenal

just happy to see Mustafi and Kola dealt with accordingly.

Kitchener Leslie's Girlfriend

Have you guys noticed Ozil ALWAYS tweets after a loss? He’s perhaps the most toxic player we have at the club.

Nacho de Montreal is tasty

Because his salary is also called a loss.

Paul Roberts

The “following subs” are a bit slow Bloggs?

Fuzz

Saka wing back?

Leon

Pointless game.
Just want this calamitous season to end.
And then it starts all over again…

Naked Cygan

Liverpool have decided to give their Christmas gifts out in July.

Twatsloch

I know it matters less to them but considering how awesome Liverpool have been this season it’s amazing how easily we’ve turned them over in this game. I say that knowing full well there’s the second half to go and things could turn round quickly.

Bergkamp2Wright

We look like a pub team in this second half. Not sure I can watch this anymore.

karl

Van Dijk auditioning for a transfer to the Arsenal defence:-)

Ricky

What the fuck…that TAA tackle is a red card against Arsenal 100% of the time.

Nacho de Montreal is tasty

Distributing to the wings is quite a challenge to Martinez today. Not the easiest thing, goal keepers have to do.

SB Still

Allison probably a bit lonely by himself in his own half for long periods but hey we are leading ?

Santori

With one eye cast on Mission Impossible this weekend.

City won’t be (half) on holiday like Liverpool.

Share article

Featured on NewsNow

Support Arseblog

Latest posts

Latest Arsecast

49
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x