Arsenal take on Man Utd at Old Trafford this afternoon, looking for a first win there since 2006.
Here are today’s official line-ups.
Man Utd: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, McTominay, Fred, Pogba, Fernandes, Greenwood, Rashford
Subs: Henderson, Tuanzebe, Williams, Mata, Matic, van de Beek, Cavani
Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Saka, Partey, Elneny, Willian, Aubameyang, Lacazette
Subs: Runarsson, Mustafi, Xhaka, Maitland-Niles, Ceballos, Pepe, Nketiah
Ah so I guess Arteta didn’t see the arseblog comments about playing Auba down the middle. :/
glad elneny starts.On current form, he is better then xhaka and dani. I wonder if willian plays hybrid 10 or saka.
Saka LWB, Willian to the right of the front 3 I’d imagine.
I’ve been saying it Elneny and Partey should get a run together in midfield they are our 2 most athletic midfielders very mobile with great stamina. They cover the pitch well up and down. Ceballos is overrated and too slow has got potential but is usually phased by the occasion at times. Xhaka is a good back to Partey and Elneny.
Not just arseblog. Seems to be every forum and blogger put there, is calling for Auba down the middle. Arteta needs a result. Some big calls made by naming this team.
Emery would be proud!
Yep. Ultra defensive lineup
He talks a good game, though.
He must be the only person on the planet who thinks him getting 1 touch in the box per game is good enough. He can’t finish anything if he’s hanging around the right corner flag. Idiotic.
Arteta is just not able to give up that safety of Laca tracking back and helping in defense as well as pressing from the front. His work rate is the only thing keeping him in the squad.
In store for another dreary 1-nil win or loss, I see.
Charles you wouldn’t be happy with a one nil away win at United? Or are you just moaning on the Internet for the sake of it?
I’d love a win. Just wish we would actually go for one instead of setting up to try not to lose and hoping we score at some point.
Hahaha, or leaving Laca on the bench!
😂
Given that Arteta hates giving his tactical hand away, the fact he said Auba down the middle is a possibility probably means it will never happen…
Doesn’t matter you play Auba or Laca in middle if they have poor service, we wont score many goals. We need more creativity in the final 3rd and the goals will come.
It does though. Because one way of generating creativity is not playing a non-creator in a creator’s position.
make arsenal great again !
Don’t soil the club by associating it with that wanker
Yeah.
The guy who didn’t start any war.
Such a wanker.
Hmm yeah that one thing he didnt do wrong
Give him time. He might not be done yet.
“The guy who didn’t start any war.”
And yet still managed to get tens of thousands of his own people killed.
Yes. Such a wanker.
Killed far more than in any of the recent wars in fact
Only leader in the world to hold source country accountable.
Just a career bullshitter and shameless self promoter. Period.
Australia
And has more than 400% of people killed by drones in 4 years than Obama had in 8. And Obama was already pretty good at killing by drones.
Yeah.
And did a very pathetic job with all that Serbia-Kosovo, Israel-UAE thing.
Such a wanker.
Just wait for the looming civil war
Not starting a war shouldn’t be the sole reason to support someone.
I would put not being a self obsessed incompetent compulsive liar fairly high up on the list
Still preferable over high grade Dementia…
Says the one who supports the oaf that wants to inject people with disinfectant and zap UV rays up their arses.
Mhm tell that to Yemen.
What about Oman?
I’d keep the discussion to Arsenal, but you brought that cunt up. I don’t know how not starting wars is a yardstick for not being a wanker. He’s increased drone strikes and reduced accountability for them, rescinding an Obama-era order to publicity release civilian deaths associated with said strikes.
Anyway, hopefully come Wednesday morning, I can enjoy not only 3 points, but a new government.
No need to start wars when they pay you or blackmail you to leave them alone.
Although bad but still better than starting a war.
Hey I haven’t personally started a war! Vote Elegant Slim!
Other than the hate, division, disruption and violence he’s caused in his own country of course 😉
I come here to escape the shit show that is American politics. As a Canadian watching America Civil War part 2 beginning, Arsenal and Arseblog provide a relief from the dystopian grind. Please keep this as a fun and healthy distraction.
Oh, someone needs her safe space.
Gentlemen, this is an Arsenal site, and an article about team selection. Can I suggest you take this enlightening conversation somewhere else?
Can we not discuss politics here? As for the incumbent USA president (since we are discussing anyway) about whom everyone and their dog (irrespective of whether or not a person is American) can comment, one of the biggest things that is a plus, in spite of his people hating him is that he isn’t a socialist. We lived under a quasi-socialist regime for quite too long, and well, people don’t quite realise that socialists and leftists kill far more people than wars do. And then they expect to be praised for crimes against their own countrymen. Rather have Trump than… Read more »
Which conspiracy site did you get that from
What conspiracy exactly? The facts about my country, the way socialists manufactured poverty by destroying well-working and paying businesses with their workers’union politics, or that a country has had attacks and we have experienced it, or that in my opinion, things could be worse than Trump? I am afraid you were unclear. Please elucidate.
The conspiracy that there are Socialists in the US. You sound like those divs who think socialism means ‘anything I don’t like’.
Socialists in the US indeed. The low levels of American literacy in action
Considering I am not an American, I can only go by what some anti-Trump Americans claim. Who am I to say otherwise? An opinion is formed on the basis of what one is exposed to, juxtaposed with what one has experienced far more.
You do know there are loads of sites you can talk about this with like minded people.
Doesn’t “want to discuss politics here”, then promptly goes off the bat with an essay from Breitbart news.
Forest gooner, Name, I’m with ya’…these censorius, civil warring, racist, terrorists in the US need to go down, and Trump winning in 2 days is gonna help make that happen bigly. #MAGA
Yeah that’s not saka. Auba. Pepe.
More or less our strongest lineup
How many chances will Lacazette get? It boggles the mind.
he did score in every PL game until the last… and yes, he did squander a lot of other chances even in the games he scored in as well as the non league games…
I think from the coach’s perspective, Laca’s getting in the right spaces, and he just needs to finish like he did in the past.
Whether that is better than what Aubameyang would bring to the table in that position is very debatable.
He started 4 league games for us this season. Scored in 3.
I don’t get it. Play him in the EL and let the important business to the Captain
Not bad… Glad to see elneny ahead of xhaka. Picking on form rather than reputation? Now is it 523 (likely Saka LBish) or 433 (Saka AM). I hope for the latter, expect the former.
Both I imagine
Lmfao, it’s always both
Probably a bit of both…
I think more like a 4-4-2 in attack, with Tierney and Saka able to play up and down the length of the left hand side, depending on how game developes
Same shitty lineup, different day
Curious, what’s the lineup that wouldn’t be shitty to you?
Take Willian out will make this team miles better. Willian is weakest link, instead play Ceballos
Fantastic, he’s finally playing Lacazette on the wing…..
🤣🤣🤣
Am I the only one groaning at the stubborn use of Laca in the team?
It’s just not working for him there. I hope he proves me wrong though today.
No you’re not. I shudder at the prospect of him waddling through 70 minutes before finally being hooked and Auba switched to the middle.
I don’t think Laca is bad at all. I think all our attacking players are struggling because they are barely involved in the play. We don’t create many if any clear cut chances and when we do, if a player misses it, then it’s the end of the world because most likely they won’t get any other chances.
I don’t mind the use of Laca, he’ll work hard and be a nuisance. My biggest concern is that if it isn’t happening for him, he should hook him around 55’ and throw Auba up top, but instead he’ll likely wait till 75’, or if we’re losing, leave him on and accompany him with Eddie
Is it a 433 or 343? Cuz if Saka plays in the middle that’s quite good for the creativity… I’m glad xhaka is on the bench. And Mustafi on the bench! What a relief lol
Or even 442?
3 points gone
I was wrong
Positives: Mustafi is not starting
Negatives: still playing Aubameyang on the left
I don’t have many issues with the lineup. My disappointment is always with how Arteta has set out his team to play in the last 3 games. I feel like his emphasis on strict positional discipline is really stifling the creativity out of this team.
We don’t create enough dangerous situations for the opposition because we are so focused on positional discipline and waiting for the perfect moment to make a forward pass. Hopefully Arteta chills a bit and let’s our creative players have some freedom
Ozil.
Why do people expect everything at once? Arteta is making us hard to beat, the creative freedom will be built on that.
Other than Willian I love this lineup, returning to some of the earlier successes with Saka and Tierney’s dynamism down the left supporting Auba but almost equally importantly no Xhaka or Mustafi in the XI! Feel like we’re already 1-0 just reading their names on the bench. Or at the very least United won’t feel like they’re 1-0 reading their names on the team sheet.
It’s a good lineup on paper (even Willian)
Haven’t exactly been firing recently tho
Willian doesn’t do it for me on the right. I think we look better with genuine pace and penetration from that wide right flank. Willian doesn’t have that, so tactically Arteta induces that by pushing Bellerin right up and having one of his two CMs deeper in the more conventional RB area, while Willian alternates between playing wide and drifting in more centrally to link the play. But that’s only really been done effectively against Fulham (no brownie points for that) and Sheffield in the second half. Elneny has though been quite good and Bellerin has been improving and just… Read more »
Borges has one good thing: his agent.
Absolutely agree. I feel more hopeful with those two on the bench. Will feel even more hopeful when they are out of the picture for good
Looks like all attack will be going down the wings. Big expectation from Laca today, he needs to be much much better because we won’t get too many shots.
How does Lacazette make the lineup after recent performances? I do not understand
Which one of our attacking players has been performing well? Even Saka hasn’t scored or created more than a couple of goals. The problem is not the personnel, but the lack of creativity due to the manager’s tactics
Same tactics were applied in the EL. Different personnel and score.
Xhaka on the bench? is this eaven possible? or is Arteta maybe expecting a warm-up injury? Good lineup though..
Wont mind 3 points , regardless of how we play tonight.
Lets go defence
If we can’t have Auba in the middle, only wish at least Pepe started instead of Willian.
I back Arteta 100% but I’m starting to get a niggling too clever by half vibe from his team selections. I get Elneny as he is on good form and a better athlete than Xhaka or Ceballos, and we don’t want to be overrun in midfield. But I don’t know what Willian or Laca have done to deserve their selection.
I want to cry… Auba on the wing again. I love arteta but like pep it seems he is trying to outsmart himself and overthinks things in the process. If Leicester played Vardy on the wing they’d be doing the same as us. But then they showed us how effective it can be if you play your best striker in his natural position.
Except Vardy’s always been a striker and Auba for the bigger part of his career has played as a winger, so there goes that comparison
Disappointed with the line up save for xhaka for el neny. Hope el neny steps so that xhaka can too.
United look like they’ll nominally be playing a diamond, while out 3-4-3/4-3-3 favours attacking the flanks. Could give us a significant advantage. If we can stop Pogba turning and running, I think we can stop this entire United machine.
A lot of sideways passing, we are in for a treat. The only player we have who can turn a defence is sat on the bench. Man city, liverpool and Leicester comes to mind.
Looks more like a 442 to me, and should be.. Willian and Saka on each flank, Laca Auba up top
With Uniteds poor defence, I’d like to have seen us a bit more attacking, maybe Willock getting some minutes at least, even Nelson or Pepe. Looks like another 90 minutes of passing backwards.
Any link to stream the match please it will be helpful.
I’m being positive and hoping Arteta goes 4-4-2. Saka and Willian on the flanks, Laca & Auba up top. I’ll go back to playing PES then…
I hope we win! The lineup gives little to hope for!
Willian has done nothing since Fulham, so I guess this is his chance to impress.
Feel a bit bad for the boy Willock not being on the bench after last game’s showing. Injured maybe? Or tired?
Anyway, COYG, be good to put one over Ole and his band of twats.
If there’s an obvious improvement over performances in the PL so far we may get something from the game. If not, I fear it will be more of the same and four defeats from four against the big clubs. We’ll see.
Pepe should be on. Most exciting goals I’ve seen this season
Is it cruel to not feel particularly bad for Willian when/if he gets injured, as he seemed to, just a bit ago?
Did anyone see Arsenal’s website call Fred’s yellow card a goal?
We don’t seem as floppily dead as a fish today, do we?
Why is Fred getting free passes for his fouls?
Mike Dean
One wishes there was another explanation, but yours was more than enough
Fucking Mike Dean, he is playing like a DM for them!
Are my eyes deceiving me? Did we just get a penalty from Mike Dean at Old Trafford?
Defend, fucking park the damn bus, do whatever is needed, but just fucking take this win. Sorry Arseblog for overenthusiastic commenting
That Willian shot was made for Pepe.
I think it was made for Willian by Aubameyang🤔
I hope we can bury this game before Mike Dean shows up.
Mike Dean doing the job he was paid to do. Blocking Arsenal’s counter with his legs.