Friday, March 29, 2024

Five changes, Pepe starts: Arsenal v Man City team news

Arsenal take on Man City today in the Premier League, knowing it will take a big performance to get anything from this game.

Here are the official line-ups.

Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Mari, Tierney, Elneny, Xhaka, Odegaard, Saka, Pepe, Aubameyang

Subs: Ryan, Cedric, Luiz, Gabriel, Ceballos, Willian, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Lacazette

Man City: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Stones, Zinchenko, Fernandinho (C), Gundogan, Bernardo, Mahrez, De Bruyne, Sterling

Subs: Steffen, Walker, Jesus, Aguero, Laporte, Rodrigo, Torres, Mendy, Foden

Follow the game on the Arseblog live blog

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Artitty

Well, let’s see how this works out.

Runcorn Gooner

Not expecting much but hope they put up a good show and you never know but it’s going to be tough.

Fletcher

Six left footers

Ndouzi

Clearly going for it! COYG!

Futsboller

Arteta has balls …

Santori

I see the opposite.

We are conserving for next week Benfica which is far more important.

This is a write off likely.

Pep and Auba are not strong holding the ball which is a worry.

Tierney is a plus, Mari a question mark bc just returning in from long layoff.

Elneny in midfield equals conservative choice. Odegaard also a bit more of a gamble.

Clearly resting Ceballos and ESR.

Most likely they will beat us. Its a gamble you never know but this is not our best team.

Husayn Ifeanyi FORCHU

Come on you gooners

Eche

Arteta has written off this match but still a strong squad

Nainsley Aitland Miles

No he certainly hasn’t. Smith-Rowe is the only player ‘rested’.

goonero

Starting Xhaka and Elneny together is as good as giving up the contest,

SB Still

Particularly a team that moves (and press) the ball at speed like City.

Bukayo

We are starting Saka Tierney Auba and if that isn’t proof, dunno what is!

Biggles

No, I don’t think that’s right. It’s still a strong team as you say and rightly so. Had MA made sweeping changes that would be writing off the match. We’d then risk a real hammering, which wouldn’t do morale any good across the squad. We may still get beaten, of course, although I think that a draw is possible, albeit not likely, but possible.

Bob's Mexican Cousin

Meet him in the elevator did you?

Chamakhyungpark

Let’s not get rolled, please.

Naked Cygan

Tierney should not be risked. Auba needs a break, Laca should have started this one. Good to see ESR getting a break finally.

Chamakhyungpark

Auba just had three weeks off to see his ma.

Naked Cygan

Did you watch the Benfica game? He was huffing and puffing. Why risk him against City when we have Benfica, the only thing left for us on Thursday. I can’t believe I even have to explain this.

J2W

Don’t confuse a lack of match fitness with fatigue.

Naked Cygan

You don’t get it either.

Nainsley Aitland Miles

What risk? Tierney played 35 minutes against Benfica, so should comfortably be able to get 70 minutes today.
Auba had a break a few weeks ago when he was taking care of his Mum and missed 2 or 3 games.

Biggles

Personally, I wouldn’t use the word “comfortably” in respect of Tierney’s chances of getting though any game. The problem is that you really never know with him. His terrible injury record, and it is just that, suggests it’s only a matter of time before something else happens. Anyway, fingers crossed. He is a fine player and we need him on the pitch, not in the treatment room.

Naked Cygan

You get it.

Biggles

I must admit I don’t understand why there seem to be so many negative votes against a statement of fact (i.e. Tierney has a terrible injury record for a 23 year old player – and a variety of injuries at that, rather than the same one or kind – and needs to be handled carefully). If anyone doubts it, read the Wikipedia entry for him. I hope he gets over it, and he may, but we shouldn’t pretend there isn’t a problem.

Naked Cygan

If you don’t get it, you don’t get it. I can’t make you get it.

TOGooner

I doubt Arteta would risk KT if there was a special risk but he makes is decisions with a lot more information. Saka I worry about more. It’s too many minutes and I would feel pretty stupid if he gets a muscle injury from chasing shadows.

Diaby's Left Peg

Or suffers like Owen, Wilshere, Ramsey etc in a few years time

Tierney back in is massive.

ChickPEA

Yes, crazy to think that we might have been missing 2 of our 3 current best players with him and Partey out in the last few weeks – Saka being the last to me.

I would love to see a complete team play for a few games, it might be quite something.

Ballz

To me, Gabriel is the best defender at the club. In my opinion, his first 10 games were absolute masterpieces. He has it all; strength, speed, positioning, and most importantly, he’s an amazing passer of the ball and is almost unbeatable one on one.

Am I alone in evaluating him this way? If not, why does Arteta choose to sit him out in random games?

Ndouzi

Fully agree

Anders Limpar

You say this like rotating your central defenders on a weekly basis isn’t a thing at all the successful clubs….

ChickPEA

I do feel the same. I wonder if Arteta is trying to build 2 partnerships with the Brazilians on one side, and Holding-Mari on the other.

I personally would like to see Holding and Gabriel paired together more often, as I feel they are our 2 best centre-backs at the moment.

Chamakhyungpark

fitness issue?

Riku

On form they all about the same at this month, so am happy with selection. Because if age and size gaberial has highest ceiling for his talents

Tayo

From what we saw some games back, Rob and Pablo seems to have a good understanding and a calming presence in that defense, I think it’s more of the partnership than the individuals that led to this decision and I think it’s a good one.

Gus

Holding is poor as has just been shown by sterling

ChickPEA

Will Saka ever get a rest?

Would have also liked to see Martinelli start, but glad to see Pepe.

GraeB

Well, it’s the weirdest of seasons for results so let’s hope we can add to that.

Better team than I was expecting. It will be interesting to see how many tactical fouls Saka gets from Citeh rotational playstoppers.

Another chance to go above Spuds but I’m not expecting that today.

Man Manny

Not much movement around us on the league table.
A win here would push us close to the European places; a loss won’t harm our chances that much.
I am pretty relaxed, but I have an inkling an upset is on the cards.
City’s run will end someday. Today might just be it.
COYG!

DankGunner

Look at citeh’s bench…absurd. let’s get a quick 1st goal and take it from there. COYG

Dom

When the team news was released the betting odds of Arsenal winning improved, so that’s a great sign!

Riku

Very good time. Great.

John

Was hoping City might go easy on us with Champions League football during the week. Looks like they are resting Foden, Jesus, and Rodri, with Mahrez, De Bruyne, and Fernandinho coming in. Hardly a weakened team. COYG! Let’s see what Saka can do to Zinchenko.

A Different George

Zinchenko instead of Walker is a bit better for us; Mahrez started their last match and was brilliant. Fernandinho, rested, is not really a downgrade on Rodri. And however good Foden can be, no one in their right mind thinks it is easier to play against De Bruyne.

Cygans Parting

City will kick Saka by rotation. Something that they are very adept at! I’d have played Martinelli as he likes to chase down as hassle people and that is something that we are going to have to do well today to stand a chance

Bill Shakespeare

Bernardo will Kick Saka all over N5, and Jon Moss, will do nowt. Maybe a good 20 minutes then self destruct. Would take a 0-0.

Dumela

COYG

Arsenallifelong

Oh boy pepe starts.

Artetist

Well balanced front line, minimal expectation is make them work for it, sell it so high to them that they struggle to field 11 in midweek.

Jean Ralphio

Worried about muscle injuries more than losing

Billy bob

Am I the only one who looks at the likes of Leicester and ManUre wondering how the hell we are so off the pace? I mean there are a few players in each team that’d challenge our first eleven but other than that… BEMUSED

Johan

With the latest game in mind I would actually have preferred Cedric over Bellerin. I know Cedric has had bad games as well but I do believe that it primarily owes to the fact he hasn’t played in his natural position.

Dante Inferno

Yay pepe to down pep !!

Give youth a chance

Man but I’m worried about this one. Arteta has worked hard to rebuild the team’s confidence. A bad result today and it drops back to square one

Sagebrush

We bit this team against all odds in the FA cup semis, could be a repeat. COYG. One nil to the Arsenal!!!!

Give youth a chance

I don’t like making predictions pre-game but I fully expect VAR to be a big talking point again

SB Still

VAR as a technology works absolutely fine

Dave

Fckity fck

Naked Cygan

Don’t tell me you are shocked. Lol

Dave

Sad thing is, I’m not

Bleeding gums murphy

A midfield of Xhaka and Elneny 😂

Kareem Mohamed

Elneny was our best player at the start.
His best game in months.

karl

They didn’t even need to try. Very poor defending.

Santori

Looks like Arteta going for a more conservative midfield with Elneny over Ceballos. A bit 50-50 on this would prefer Ceballos frankly with ESR flanking Xhaka for energy work rate but then attacking intent conversion on the break. Good to see Mari back in. Hopefully he is up to pace. Pepe has been in good form recently so hopefully he can provide us with something. Auba is the right call bc we will likely play mostly on the break but he will need to be far sharper. Otherwise maybe Martinelli could bean alternative to bring a ‘shock’ factor. My only… Read more »

Billy bob

Well that was a crap start

Sagebrush

Bad start.

He’s got no hair but we don’t care...

Never been very good at making changes has he?

Santori

This is a bit of over rotation with too many players brought in against a high end team from injury – Mari and Tierney.

but also productive members in Ceballos and ESR missing and hold up play types like Laca also not there would suggest we have written this game off.

Looking to Benfica.

He’s got no hair but we don’t care...

That new contract for Holding looks a great, especially as he gets out jumped by a 5ft7 wavey armed twonk.

Bleeding gums murphy

Holding is average. His passing is terrible

Bergkamp2Wright

City team must have pissed themselves when they saw our midfield…..

Public Elneny

Has Elneny played a forward pass yet?

go win

Bellerin was super poor, especially his passing… he is burning Pepe all the time.

He’s got no hair but we don’t care...

No changes at halftime. Excellent strategy.

Murphy was an Arsenal Fan.

ESR for Odegaard and Martinelli for Pépé. That’s what we need

Murphy was an Arsenal Fan.

It’s fucking hard enough to beat City, possibly the best team in England at the moment by miles, without the referee being Jon Moss. How many times has he waived off fouls on Arsenal players now? 5? 6?

karl

Auba is too weak in these situations as Stones brushed him off. Martinelli please.

Naked Cygan

Bring on Laca for fks sake!!!

karl

Who knows why Pepe was played right with Saka right. Their best form has come on the opposite sides

Biggles

Only a goal in it, but we’re not threatening at all. Laca on now so there’s hope.

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