Arsenal take on Burnley at the Emirates this evening, looking for a much needed Premier League win.
Here are the official line-ups.
Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Xhaka, Elneny, Saka, Willian, Lacazette, Aubameyang
Subs: Runarsson, Ceballos, Maitland-Niles, Mustafi, Willock, Nketiah, Smith Rowe
Burnley: Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Westwood, Brownhill, McNeil, Brady, Wood, Rodriguez
Subs: Peacock-Farrell, Pieters, Long, Dunne, Benson, Vydra, Barnes
Xhaka over Maitland niles is a crime. Are we really surprised to see Willian again? Anyways, let’s get a win, we need one desperately.
Well willian scored in training…
Really have to wonder why we worked to keep AMN this summer if we never intended to play him.
It is horrifying to see that underperformers like Xhaka and Willian continue to be automatic starters when we have other options that are, in fact, performing well. I love Arteta but one thing I haven’t enjoyed is the lip-service he pays to the non-negotiables and players earning their places, when that clearly is not the case in our starting PL lineups. He isn’t going to win over or create belief with the skeptical fans by persisting in this way – unless the performances finally match his faith in them. Ugh …
It also has to be wildly discouraging to young players to know that no matter how badly the starters play and how well they play in the Europa leauge etc., there is nothing they can do to earn a starting place in the PL…..
Indeed. Willock earned a start against Wolves, but I really expected Arteta to be a ruthless with the rest of the team as he has been with Ozil and Guendouzi. Maybe he’s got a plan to include more against Southampton (a very high energy game, as opposed to Burnley which will be rough) in 3 days, but we’ll see.
Yep. Seems pretty clear the non-negotiables only apply to certain players. We desperately need a win at this point and to find some style of play that doesn’t involve pinging in 50 crosses to 5 foot 9 strikers.
I’m sure if arteta plays willian enough times he’ll eventually do something (maybe today against one of the poorest teams in the league) and then he’ll be able to justify selecting him again for the next 5. I think arteta will be praying for it as he just doesn’t want to play pepe and wants the perfect excuse to leave him out. Really gone off him as a manager and his double standards. Not my cup of tea at all. Having said that if he turns it around long term I’ll be happy enough but it’ll take more than a… Read more »
Yep the non negotiable’s
Apparently the non negotiables are xhaka and willian must be in the team
Much to the team’s detriment …
At this point the only way those two will be dropped is if they are suspended. Makes no sense to me.
Being positive is difficult but I’m doing my best.
The optimist in me says Arteta is just hoping that Willian and Xhaka can play themselves into form. Hopefully this is a game where we can win (however it happens!) and start to build some momentum.
Well he got that suspension
Well, Xhaka has just lived up to your words in the stupidest way possible.
Willian could strain his mussle or something by the end of this torture that we have to endure.
You called it!
We have to be thankful for small mercies. At least Elneny is in midfield to give a little energy.
And loook what happened……… CRIMINAL. Wtf Arteta. STOP.
Xhaka and Willian again 🙁
Selections like this just completely remove any sympathy I might have for Arteta if we dont get a result
I get Xhaka maybe because of his height but Willian is now robbing our young players of a chance to improve.
It’s called cutting a rod for your own back. I do not understand the persistence with Swiss Treacle and the Chelsea Pensioner. It’s almost like Mikel wants to get fired. Very stubborn man. I hope I am wrong and Xhaka & Willian play a blinder and we get a comfortable win but this line-up does not inspire confidence. Laca and Auba need to step up too. This is getting perilous. Really hope I am wrong… #worried
Arteta: no one is undroppable
Also Arteta: Doesn’t drop anyone
Why Willian??
If we don’t win Arteta is going to get destroyed picking this line up, really hope I’m wrong but the longer he’s in the job the worse he looks
Xhaka and willian! What a surprise. Well played all you youngsters, you’ve been well rewarded again.
I’d like whomever is down voting the “drop Xhaka and Willian” comments (which I support 100%) to explain why the feel those two should start? Only explanation is that Mrs X and Mrs W must read Arseblog…
Fucking willian AGAIN???
Now watch willian score and keep his plays till the end of the season 😀
Ohh Willian, if you could teach me that trick..
He must have brought back something really nice for Mikel from Dubai.
It’s going to be a long night. Happy to see Elneny back in the team though.
The problem with Elneny is that he is a player that makes others look good. You can’t make xhaka look good though.
Why Willian? Why Xhaka? Fucksakes.
With William, maybe Nelson is still unwell after his knock, ESR not ready to start as he’s being eased back, and Pepe is suspended. Limits the competition, although I’d still rather see AMN there.
Why Xhaka ahead of AMN or Ceballos? That’s a lot harder to find reasons for. I love Arteta, and I do not understand.
Opting for a midfield of Xhaka and Elneny, against Burnley, at home, is depressing.
As is seeing Willian somehow make the starting 11 again.
Does Mikel not watch games? What does Willian give us? Playing Burnley but Xhaka still there? 442 at least so I should be grateful?
Hilariously the BBC describes the returning players as the *big hitters* when the only big hitters at the moment are the youngsters Arteta has dropped!
Willian is a common denominator.
Really tired of seeing such a predictable line up.
What the fuck did Reiss do to Mikel?
He is out injuried for some hit in the head during training.
Yeah but last week, b4 he was injured, he didn’t make the bench even
But why, Arteta? Why? 🤷🏽♂️.
I really want us to win but this front three affair is not making me any happy 🤷🏽♂️ 🤷🏽♂️
This 4-4-2/4-2-3-1…could work..tough it asks a lot from Laca
Laca is playing as a 10
This line up is a risk from Arteta. When you play pretty much the same players who have been performing poorly it’s very hard to see what his answer can be if it all goes wrong. That said, these players owe the manager big time today.
Xhaka and William, just why!!!!!
It’s difficult to believe that Arteta is playing for the future when all the signs, from the old players he signs to the underperforming players he continues to select to the fact that he has seemingly given up on his system of pressing and playing out from the back, point in the other direction.
How does he expect pressing from front with a front trio that combined 92 years
If we lose (again) tonight, is there anymore defence in keeping Mikel? The players better pull their heads out of their arses tonight.
No excuses.
Uninspiring yet again.
Hes really doing himself no favours
Great team. Amazing result awaits us
Keep the spirit up, there are goals in this game
Shouldn’t you be talking to the players instead of posting on a blog, Mikel? (unless it was irony….hard to tell)
That’s the spirit! I’ve got an empty glass and I want it filled with Dyche’s tears from crying about the referee performance by the end of the evening. Also Burnley score from set pieces and we’re actually not terrible at defending those. I remember commentators going on about how Paul Scholes was perpetually due a goal because he didn’t score any for England, God just rang my phone to say the same logic to Arsenal this evening, apparently Sean Dyche showed his bum at a nun as a nine year old and God’s been waiting for an opportunity to really… Read more »
I honestly hope we lose so arteta realizes how retarded his selection is
Why on earth would you want Arsenal to lose. I don’t like this team selection, but seriously wtf
I want us to lose as well so that mikel is out. Had enough of him, of xhaka and willian. If we win with this effing lineup, agony continues.
Don’t feel good about that but felt the same with Wenger’s final days and w Emery
For the first time in 20 years I have zero interest in watching this lot. Arteta’s killed Arsenal for me. His team selection is baffling.
i aint watching as well. I know exactly what we are going to get from this team.
Yep me too! Don’t think I am going to put myself through emotional torture this evening. Gonna go buy myself a nice bottle of whisky for Christmas instead. Any suggestions?
Laphroaig is rather tasty. 🥃
Try Ardbeg.
Willian, Xhaka, WTF! Is Arteta taking the piss? 🙁
Arteta is gutless twat who is more concerned about not losing than winning. Maitland-Niles – I’d get away if I was you buddy
Willian has got to have a good game soon, very positive to a resounding result today, ok its Burnley but we need to start somewhere, acorns make trees, our defining game of the season.
No, you’re wrong, Willian has got to sit the fuck down on the bench soon…
What about Nelson, Balogun and players like these? I can’t believe Will-i-aint is playing again – its nearly as bad as the Ozil farce!!!
Just think, a win tonight moves us up to 14th!
Willian was probably promised that he would start every PL game if fit. Sorry, but this is an uninspiring selection.
How about giving Balogun a chance? And why not try Cedric ahead of Bellerin? He can’t be any worse.
We better win.
At this point, MA is betting his Arsenal career on William and Xhaka and that makes me really nervous. I’m sure the fan reactions have reached his ears, should’ve made a couple of changes just to manage optics at the very least
Arteta digging his own grave with Xhaka and Willian constantly getting picked. SMH
Would it be the craziest thing to have Auba on the left, Saka on the right, and Willian as the No. 10? At least that would help me feel better about seeing Willian back in there.
Better not be another 50 crosses today–I don’t see that working much better against Tarkowski and Mee.
It’s an expected line up, but I hope we don’t have 5 at the back with this line up. I think we will win this comfortably, but fail the next couple of games.
Ralph Hassenhuttl should be top of the list if Arteta can’t turn things around. He’d improve this team immeasurably.
Meritocracy?
N’ah, same underperforming dross every week.
Can’t wait.
Like everyone else here, this is pretty disappointing. Basically rewarding senior players by starting them after repeatedly crap performances and results.
I’ve tried to be pretty patient with Arteta, but this is not giving me a lot of confidence in his managerial ability. Another showing from this group like we’ve had, and there’s going to be quite a few folks calling for his head.
Side note…Luiz still isn’t making the bench. What does that say about the decision to leave him in?
Think he’s out injured still.. Else he’d surely start over Holdin.
Whatever the result Arteta has just shot to shit the rewards for being in form ! His false words of praise and hope for the talented young lads just rings hollow to me now ! Sick of his moments, transitions, non-negotiables & other assorted bulls**t !
So do we really want Allegri?
Please do not forget that Arteta is the coach and may be he sees what we are not seeing in the team. He is paid heavily for being the coach. Let’s leave him alone to do his work. If eventually he doesn’t satisfy his employers, he would be shown the way out.
If 15th in the league is satisfying his employers then there’s something seriously wrong at Arsenal FC.
Arteta choosing to die on the Xhaka-Willian hill? So be it…
This team is not capable of playing 442 or 443 under Arteta YET!!
Really? The formation’s the problem, eh?
His stubborness in playing William will be his downfall…Why not AMN and ESR?
Please, go back to holding Pep’s clipboard.
Urgh. Looks like MA will be cooked by Christmas due to stubbornness. Shame, I really wanted him to work. Funny thing is he’ll probably go somewhere else and smash it and we’ll end up with a knock off cheap coach. No appetite to watch this tonight. Pretty sure we won’t win, and even if we do it will be aesthetically horrific. Also, I don’t understand what arteta has to lose by playing more kids. Even if they’ve beat, how is it worse than what we are currently getting? The fans would be much more sympathetic and he would be giving… Read more »
Hell I’d be more lenient if it were the kids making those mistakes, at least they’re in a learning curve. But to watch the likes of William doing nothing over and over is just meh and infuriating.
He can smash it here, if he can’t he won’t make it elsewhere as well. Simple solutions could do miracles for this club. Guess he really is more Moyes than Pep.
Arteta has gone “all in” following the vote of confidence from the board. Bold or mad?
Can’t believe I have to watch Xhaka’s back passes rather than AMN forward runs again….anyway hope to see a dominant performance from the boys. COYG
Not happening
Where the f is Reiss.. is he injured??? GET NILES IN THERE. JESUS CHRISTUS.. I’M ARTETA IN BUT he has too much Wengeritis, sticking with the same shite.. It’s like Wenger calls him up and says “hey, I signed xhaka he’s a good player just don’t let him tackle.. oh you taught him how to tackle.. ok now don’t let him ping forward though balls or take long shots anymore..” I hope his inner Wenger has told him to just let Xhaka be Xhaka and ping the ball forward, take long shots and play well.. But seriously, no maitland niles… Read more »