Arsenal take on Benfica in the Europa League this evening in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Here are the official line-ups.
Benfica: To follow
Subs:
Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Cedric, Xhaka, Ceballos, Smith Rowe, Saka, Odegaard, Aubameyang
Subs: Ryan, Hein, Tierney, Lacazette, Willian, Holding, Pepe, Chambers, Mari, Elneny, Nketiah, Martinelli
Subs:
A bit stronger a line-up than I expected. COYG!
Kinda surprised… Puts to bed the idea that Pepe was being rested for today. Maybe he is impact sub number 1
2 after Willian
I know this was a tongue in cheek comment lol but even the light-hearted suggestion made me shudder!!
I’m shocked, to be honest – I thought Lacazette and Pepe were being rested for this match, not that Arteta was debuting a completely new attack against Leeds with Aubu up the middle supported by the sophomore studs.
Well now, are these options I see!? COYG!
Not a discussion for today but makes you wonder the sort of side Arteta is going to put out for the City game.
Eggs in the Europa basket? Fine by me.
As is customary, COYFG!!!
EL still has 3 teams left who are ahead of us in PL so eggs in this basket are no easier to look after. EL spot for next year may be easier.
If you’re going to make an omelette, you have to break eggs. But if you’re going to make meringue, you only need the whites. You still have to break the egg but you can save the yolks and make a heavy set Victoria sponge.
And if you can still find the analogy in that, you’re on more drugs than me.
You are the man!!
I think since we will probably sit and counter in the city game and have to take the initiative in this one against Benfica, the team makes sense? He can bring in Pepe for the city game
You know, I’d love to see Willian in a false nine against city…
I don’t
Me neither. Was horrible last time.
But you know Mikel is going to have to do something crazy tactically to try and outfox his old mentor. He can’t just put his best team out. He’ll need to play 4/1/5 with a box to box centre back and wing backs that switch sides every eights and a half minutes.
Makes sense I guess. Very happy to see Martin start again. I think he will be critical in the final months of this season. COYG!
It’s Leno who is starting
Sorry forget my comment. Brainstorm
Martin you should be on the pitch lol not chatting on the blog 😉
Haha maybe you thought that you were starting?!? Gotta get to Rome ASAP!
Sorry for my comments. Going mad. 😂
Did you think we still had Martinez? Lol
I don’t know if it totally makes sense – if picking teams on form, then Pepe, Laca and Holding should start. At the very least Pepe should be subbed on before Willian.
Come on Arsenal!
Thought we’d rest a few tonight.
Hopefully we can hit them for 6 or 7, then rest a few for the return leg.
Well that was unexpected… Hope it works out over the next couple of weeks. 🤞
So who will be our team vs city?
Who knows, it might be the group stage Europa League team. Mikel might have already threw in the towel for that match
I think it will be very close to this team, maybe with Lacazette or Pepe coming in. Looks like Mikel’s idea is to run up as big a lead a possible in this leg, so we can rest the squad between the $chitty and Leicester matches and play the top XI in the league games.
Could imagine little rest for few of them there,but Willy nit starting is pretty enough for me. Come on boys, give us european hope and some goals.
Willy nits must be rather painful.
Well that is a surprise a nice surprise! COYG!
So Luiz is now ahead of Holding
Hope not. Hopefully just Dethawing Holding for the weekend but that said Roberto did need a breather and take stock of few mistakes
Dethawing? Didn’t realize Holding had been unfrozen and not certain why he’d need to be frozen again. Or is he unfrozen caveman defender?
I think you are thinking of Shawcross
Maybe just going with a Lusophone CB pair against a Portuguese team
Keep an eye on the attacking three of ESR, Saka and Odegaard and if, at half time, one looks like he needs a breather (thinking Saka or ESR) then give him a rest and bring on Pepe – nice looking bench strength wise
Happy that it’s the same 11 two matches in a row. Great bench too
Disappointed we haven’t went with holding and Mari.
Luiz v Sterling and co the weekend scares me
I really hope in Odegaard, show everyone you can be a true gunner on the pitch.
I was convinced Pepe was being rested for today but obviously not, cannot complain as the team selection on Sunday was justified by the result. I hope the same happens today COYG!
The message to the team based on the selection is to get this done in the first leg
Is this the leeds line up?
Two goalkeepers rather than Nelson or Balogun?
I really am scratching my head at the handling of Balogun.
I’d imagine they will play for the U23’s tomorrow instead.
Phew I was getting worried it would be a rotated line up with Laca as false 9 and Willian as falser 9
ESR deserves a rest I think pepe should come in for him
David Luiz against his old team, what could possibly go wrong?
Would of liked to of seen Saka and ESR rested they had a lot of minutes for young legs
Hmm, no Holding again. So you drop your best CB after one bad game compared to how many Luiz has to count?
Strange things going on at Arsenal.
Not looking forward to Sunday.
Gabriel is playing
Thats nice for him
Would be good if we raced to a four-goal lead again.
But Benfica is a decent side: any form of advantage we can take to the ‘home’ tie is welcome.
It’s official – I understand NOTHING of Arteta’s selection/rotation policy!
Up the Arse!
Does anyone know if Reece Nelson is injured?
Nope, he’s just way down the pecking order.
Strong line up as others have said already. No Tierney starting – unsurprisingly. I just wouldn’t risk him at all tonight. It will be interesting to see what Odegaard can do (given all the speculation about a possible bid in posts earlier on).
First priority is not to lose obviously, but we do have the fall back of the second leg. If we are putting our European qualification eggs in this EL “basket”, as some Gooners are happy with, better to have another basket ready just in case this one is dropped for some reason!
BT is showing the formation as 4-4-2. However its probably a 4-2-3-1?
Jeeeeez..i see what you were trying to do, auba, but jeeeeez..in this moments you have to be the killer.
Awful pedestrian first half dross
Need to switch on for the 2nd half!! Some of the players are just not turning up!!!
C**t
We haven’t been clinical at all so far
Phew, finally!
Get in!
Where would we be without Saka 🤣
Fighting relegation
Harsh on ESR but glad we got a quick goal back – now lets give ESR a break and bring on Pepe
How does it take that fucking long to check that clear cut offside decision!?
If VAR is only ever going to be operated by morons, just bin it. Completely ruins the spectacle
Never a penalty. Fuck VAR.
Is it me or did manure and spuds get an easy draw in the round!!!
This really hasn’t been a Captains performance by Aubameyang
Should have made these substitutions sooner, what can a player do in ten mins!!!
Oh no four added minutes just when we go down to ten men (Willian is coming on)
That was really boring. Arsenal still can’t break up the bus.
U can never predict what arteta might do regards team selection and subs…at least a little worrying to me