Arsenal take on Newcastle at the Emirates, looking for three points and a response the disappointing 0-0 with Crystal Palace.
Here are the official line-ups.
Arsenal: Leno, Cedric, Luiz, Holding, Tierney, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang, Lacazette
Subs: Runarsson, Bellerin, Gabriel, Elneny, Willock, Willian, Pepe, Martinelli, Nketiah
Newcastle: Darlow, Krafth, Lascelles, Clark, Lewis, Shelvey, Longstaff, Almiron, Joelinton, Carroll, Wilson
Subs: Dubravka, Ritchie, Hayden, Hendrick, Manquillo, Yedlin, Murphy, Longstaff, Anderson
Right then. 3 points to us! #coyg
Sorry for being neg. But Andy Carroll will score tonight.
I’m praying for three points but xG says we should’ve lost last time. So we need to do better than that and the Palace game.
COYG!!! Going unbeaten in 6 with 5 wins would be massive.
But we need a performance. We don’t win this unless we are creative going forward and sturdy at the back for the whole 90mins.
Once again, COYG!!!
Well, I prefer actual results to xG.
This is a different game altogether. I don’t think the xG of a game on Thursday will affect a game on Monday.
Hopefully not. But we know exactly how Newcastle will play and we haven’t exactly mastered breaking down these sorts of teams.
I watched City absolutely demolish a Palace side that we struggled to create anything against last night.
I’m all for positivity. I was just erring a little on the side of caution in response to the original comment “3 points to us”. This isn’t a formality. We have to be wary of Wilson on the break and Carroll from set pieces.
Tbf we absolutely demolished a west brom side that Liverpool drew against!
And now we have jusst demolished a Newcastle side that also held Liverpoo to a draw.
We’re having a Partey tonight chin up! 🙂
Let’s just hope we don’t give Bruce a bonus and it’s “Nice to see you, now fuck the fuck off”.
He’s fallen out with his team all should be good. Sorry for jinxing it…
I find if I’m cautious then I can prevent a jinx. So stop fucking it up Paul! 😅
I’ve fucked it sorry.
All I can say is it’s a good job you’re beautiful Paul.
My buddy is a massive Villa fan and after we beat Chelsea I bet him £100 we’d finish higher than them. We were 7 points behind at the time but if we win tonight we move ahead of them.
Much bantz will be had.
#MindTheGap
Strongest 11 of the season?
Strongest bench, maybe. Not sure Our strongest 11 has Cedric and leaves out Gabriel.
Hmm maybe? Could deffo be stronger with Hector and Gabriel though!
Bellerin and Gabriel for Cedric and Luiz.
They aren’t actually selling off HB2 are they? That would be among the worst thing imaginable, @tm.
Yes Gabriel and hector for Cedric/ luiz but most importantly Martinelli for Auba. We’ve been solid at the back but lack composure and movement in the last third which Gabi offers.
Cedric is a better crosser of the ball but bellerin is better defensively. Both not good enough imo. Let’s hope auba scores to justify his inclusion.
Great to have Tierney and Partey back! Surprised by the lack of Gabriel. No Ainsley on the bench even? Maybe he is off to Madrid
Bellerin is there for rb cover and if something happens to Tierney, I’d think he’ll put Saka back there and bring on Martinelli on the right wing. So, AMN not needed for this one. Although I’d have chosen him instead of Cedric but who knows, maybe Cedric has trained so well that Arteta thinks he deserves a chance. Haven’t seen anything from him that justifies that 4 year deal until now. So maybe tonight’s da night.
Wtf is wrong with Arteta sometimes. Gabriel was our POTM for 3 months in a row and now he’s behind David fkin Luiz….
Bellerin on the bench?
Well that one is understandable, he does need a rest sometimes and wasn’t all too good vs Palace
Calm down. He’s had covid. We don’t have to rush him back.
He’s been back for 2 weeks, if he’s not fit enough to play he shouldn’t be on the bench (mind you this is the second game he’s on the bench).
Looks like Luiz got a copy of the arteta nudes too
No Ozil?
That calls for a Partey😂
Beat me to it.
Need a good performance from Cedric going forward on the right. We can’t always go left.
Strong enough line-up, hope it clicks tonight, it’ll be hard to watch another 90 minutes like the Palace game. COYG
You mean like the rest of the season bar a couple of games
After Palace game and LivManUre it’ll be nice to see a team not avoiding the goal celebration conundrum.
Mentally they were terrible vs Place, slow, indecisive with an extra unnecessary touch on the ball. Let’s hope the new boy brings some magic
What has Gabriel done to lose his place? If Mari would be fit, I’d understand it as he’s been good during Gabriel’s absence but as he’s out now, wouldn’t it make the most sense to play Gabriel alongside Holding who have done pretty well all season as a pairing? Don’t get it tbh unless there are still some fitness issues with Gabriel after his Covid infection.
It’s a puzzling decision from the manager
Possibly looking for someone who knows Andy Carroll style.
Totally agree. If this isn’t an “only fit enough for the bench” situation, it’s bizarre.
He did have a ‘mare in his last game before getting sent off…..but he was in good form before that. Perhaps there was a rule break in contracting COVID that isn’t public.
Was always curious that our 3 senior Brazilian players were all off at the same time, just after Neymar got in trouble for hosting a massive lockdown party……but appreciate that is a bit of a leap
Luiz had a mare the whole of last season, apart from the final 2 cup games. If that’s some sort of punishment for a red card, Luiz shouldn’t be here anymore.
It is curious, but maybe it’s just a chance to let him recharge his batteries. For as good as he was, he was beginning to look a bit jaded before he got the Covid. An extended break now in his first year in a grueling PL season might help him perform better all the way to the end of the season.
Not sure if it wouldn’t have been good to give him a game before we’re playing only really good teams for the next weeks.
FA Cup this weekend, so maybe that’s it.
Rotation for Bellerin; otherwise probably our strongest 11.
Interesting to see Bellerin on the bench. Tactical decision or resting?
Would prefer AMN instead of Cedric. When we definitely would of needed a CB who can play the ball faster agains a defensive team like Newcastle, yet Luiz finds himself in the starting XI again is beyond me… COYG!
It should be who starts alongside Gabriel wtf? Our best defender this season now can’t get on ahead of Luiz or Mari. He’s better suited to deal with both Carroll in the air, and Wilson’s pace
Not bad I’d rest auba for martinelli and gab for Luiz but not a bad lineup
It will another tight game from Newcastle. We need a lot of movements of top and for our strikers to be clinical with the chances that will come.
Arteta really needs to pick his strongest 11 and stick to it
Not really how football works mate.
Captain’s performance by Auba with two goals please
You got it.
All hail the Octopus. Way to go man
Well done Jack, please post something similar for every match in the rest of the season.
Happy with the team tonight, I am interested to know why Bellerin is on the bench though?
Lots of games coming up and we would need everyone fit and upto speed. So, he is being rested.
👍 thanks
Good to see Willian on the bench and not being rewarded for mediocrity lol bit concerned about the defence though 😮
Luis is starting, the build up from be back will be very slow in this game.
I’m going to hold out a bit of hope that we can rip their back four apart—a back four that the players apparently don’t feel comfortable playing but Bruce wants because he’s tired of their lacking attack. And now he’s got them starting with three strikers!
The writing looks like it’s on the wall for Maitland-Niles He’s gone from being in Arteta’s bad book, into his good book, and back to his bad book. I like him as a player, and feel a bit sorry for him, he’s been asked to adapt to top flight football in a back line and team that’s struggled, and in positions that were completely alien to him We’d certainly need adequate competition for Tierney if he departed But he’s 23, and at an age where he needs to play regular football I think he’ll develop into a really good player… Read more »
Hopefully no jinx but feel like it’s all going to click and we are gonna smash them tonight
Any news on Ceballos?
I’m sorry but wtf happened to Aubameyang since that contract fml terrible so far. 2 chances made absolutely nothing from it.
Looks like he is giving up lately.
Someone has to replace ozil right?
He adds nothing if he’s not scoring
Good thing we have a fire brand there on the bench in the form of Gab Mart. If he is fit enough.
I’d take Auba of at ht and bring him on
Can they show Arsenal training sessions instead of the actual league games? From what Arteta says the training sessions are full on.
He talks about players doing very well in training being picked. I would like to see Auba doing better than Martins on the left, Luis doing better than Gabriel as the left CB and Xhaka, justifying his place in the starting XI.
I’m eating some humble and enjoying it too. Auba, scores after so many matches and an enjoyable counter-attacking goal too!
A lovely 2nd from the 2 of the real stars of this team. They not only are the future but current as well.
Willian is warming up and I hope it’s just to keep the cold away.
Aubameyang just shut me up 😂 and Partey is fkin brilliant
These kids are good, really good. They going to take us far.