Arsenal need to get back to winning ways in the Premier League when they face Leeds at the Emirates today.
Here are the official line-ups.
Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Cedric, Xhaka, Ceballos, Odegaard, Saka, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang
Subs: Ryan, Chambers, Holding, Mari, Elneny, Willian, Pepe, Martinelli, Lacazette
Leeds: To follow
Subs:
Very excited. And nervous
Like the line up. COYG!
My only concern is that Martinelli again slips down the pecking order. He’s such an exciting talent and I just want to see him on the pitch more. Ah well, another convo for another day.
As before stated, COYG!!!
Worried about Luiz, especially with the energy Leeds play with. Pretty happy with the rest though. Looking forward to seeing Odegaard from the start though
Agree with you there.
Luiz would never play again for me.
Mari/holding/gabriel. Any two of those three are way better.
Luiz to give away another pen today to leeds runners and shithousers.
Looks like he’s giving Holding and Pepe and Lacazette a breather before the game against Benfica. I imagine Mari will start that one alongside Holding. Not a bad plan.
Surely Holding & Gabriel for Benfica ?
Why would holding need a breather? CBs typically run less so he could play four days later against Benfica. Guess there are other reasons why Luiz is playing.
Maybe Holding is being rested for Benfica….
Why not play Mari?
Mari is left footed. Arteta likes playing with one left footed (e.g. Gabriel / Mari) and one right footed (e.g. Holding / Luiz) centre back, most likely due to passing range on either side of the field. Makes sense to do this if given the opportunity.
Did Holding have an injury? Risky decision to go with Luiz when you don’t have to. Haven’t past lessons been learned?
Pepe deserved this start…
I think Arteta has Benfica in mind. Clearly prioritising Europa to get into CL. Also excited to see Smith Rowe on the left. I think he can play the Rosicky-Hleb-Nasri role from the left really well.
Spot on. We really have to go for it in the Europa League!
Is that info? How do you know he’ll play there? Could be from right or throgh the middle as well, also there are 2 players who have started in that position so idk on what you base your afirmation
He said he thinks that…
Hmm. Not sure I’d be dropping Pepe. More over I’d be dropping Cedric after the clanger he dropped against Villa. Still- excited to se Oodegard starting. COYG! 3 points today please
Who would you put in instead of Cedric? Saka? He’s the only other option and far more effective further up the pitch.
I’d go Saka yes, and hope he’d have effective link up play with Auba, putting Pepe on the right wing I his stead.
Actually Cedric has looked good covering for Tierney despite that clanger. He has been solid otherwise and has produced some good attacking moments
Very exciting looking attack.
Your name sake is having a shocker against United. 😂
Not sure of the relevance but they still held Man Utd and he wasn’t that bad
I didn’t catch that game; what did he do?
Not a lot according to commentary on sky sport app. Quote “he’s had a poor game and it’s just got worse with booking”
Why bench Pepe again? Just when he was getting into some sort of groove. Bit concerned about the lack of width in this team.
Width will probably come from Bellerin and Saka. Smith Rowe and Odegaard will swap around a fair amount inside of that I think.
Rested for benfica?
Auba offers nothing down the middle. Laca should have started.
I generally agree about Aubameyang down the centre not offering much
Leeds do leave space in behind though, I fancy Aubameyang will have some luck today with Ceballos, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe, Saka behind him
Leeds wouldn’t recognise pragmatism if it jumped up and hit them
Yes our fastest ever scorer to 50 goals offers nothing down the middle 🙈
He scored the majority coming from the left with space to run in. I second Naked Cygan, he won’t offer much.
Most of those goals didn’t come from playing through the middle, at least at Arsenal he has looked better on the leftvthsn through the middle
Agreed, Laca is much better option down the middle.
Has produced one of his best through the middle….take back my comment. What a man!!
🤔 two goals says otherwise
Lol these comments aged well
Everyone’s a manager at Arsenal FC.
Your comment aged about as well as a forgotten pint of milk in a hot car. Feel free to chip in next time he starts down the middle, you may propel him to the golden boot.
Puzzling, no Pepe. Are we too static with Xhaka, Ceballos and Odegaard? Hope not! COYG.
Had quite a nice week without football, please lads, get the 3 points, don’t ruin the end of a nice week! COYG
I would’ve given Smith Rowe a rest and started Marinelli, but overall I think with injuries this is a solid lineup. Would’ve liked to maybe see an academy midfielder on the bench instead of 3 CBs (or just instead of Willian), but this is unfortunately the depth of our squad right now
Hoping for a good performance and a win to get us in the top half 😊. Can anyone guess the team against Benfica?
I think the Benfica team will really depend on individual performances from today. Looks like Arteta has hit the ‘reset’ button with Auba back at #9.
Maybe we prioritise that one
Should have been Pepe in front and Saka behind on the left.. if i see Willian coming on i swear am gonna lose it.
You will see Willian coming on.
Try not to lose it when he does come on
Please Arsenal, give me a good Sunday 😔😩🙏🏿
Interesting line up. I guess we’ll see plenty of swapping positions from the three behind Auba. The bench looks quite strong. If Willian gets on ahead of Pepe, Martinelli or Lacazette I’ll be furious… again. Unless we’re 4-0 up with a minute to go.
And still got 11 on the pitch
No Holding, Pepe or Lacazette 😮
I’d have had Saka at LB and Pepe on the LW but what do I know…?
And still got 11 on the pitch
Sorry replying to wrong comment !!!!
Excited to see Odegaard, but it’s harsh on Pepe
I’d have been tempted to move Saka to left back
It’s still a team with plenty of attacking talent though, fancy Aubameyang to help himself to a few goals today
Willian Bingo…73rd minute
74th minute Willian comes on for Leno as Mikel tries to find a position that suits him???
How the F* can you drop Holding. If he isn’t fit shouldn’t be in the squad. I can only guess he is being rested and trying to avoid a repeat of Tierney’s poor management.
That team looks tasty on paper.
Lots of trickery. I hope the defence can hold up though.
We’ll see if MA has come up with a solution to our recent poor run. While the Leeds game isn’t a literal “make or break”, we’re beginning to run out of games and therefore opportunities to close the gap on an EL place via the league. Many of the teams above us continue to have games in hand so we’re always playing catch-up. The league is still, I think, our best prospect of European football next season. So we need the three points today. Let’s hope we can do it and, hopefully, begin to turn things around (for the second… Read more »
Artetas “knocked down” team before Benfica knock him & his bloody “Process” out ! Don’t understand his selection? Luiz? Why? Just why???
Holding benched :/
The only possible line-up really, all things considered. Definitely Holding and Pépé to start against Benfica
Not convinced Auba can lead the line but then Citeh operate without CF.
Resting players for Benfica is strange when MA says these two weeks are so important.
Just watched WBA v ManUre and rolling with laughter at Maguire saying “we
was robbed by ref/VAR”. AMN did not impress on debut.
Ceballos, Emile, Odegaard starting? Didn’t think this possible without offsetting the defensive balance….. Looking forward to a very fluid, attacking midfield
Am a bit confused by this Arteta’s line up. And given his current for. And the energetic pressing expected from today’s opponent why drop a Pepe that’s hot and high in confidence particularly when he is playing both Smith Rowe and Odeegard. Fingers crossed we get a good result.
I don’t know whether to be excited by the gaffer showing some creativity or frightened. Luiz starts in place of Holding (!). Both Odergaard and Smith Rowe start; not sure but one may start as a wide forward. Lacazette and Pepe on bench! Looks like the manager has gone for a lot of technical ability in midfield and attack but not much “steel”.
So where is Cooper going certainly not for the ball. Oh well yet another decision
Auba on a hatrick. And curiously for a player who scores a shitload of goals, he doesn’t have many of those for us. Oh I’ve jinxed now, haven’t I.
The most perfect first half in a long time! COYG👏🏼!
Brilliant first half. Worried we have had ‘2’ penalties ref is gonna be desperate to give them one
Yes indeed – exactly what we needed. Let’s see if we can push on and get the really “big” win that we haven’t had this season in the PL. That would be a massive confidence boost at the beginning of these crucial couple of weeks, as MA put it.
Ffs, we’re losing, we play Willian instead of Martinelli, we’re winning comfortable, we still give minutes to him, seriously wtf Willian has on Arteta?
.. And we started conceding since the Willian came in
Honestly, I’m a huge fan of Arteta’s. But his insistence on playing Willian as if he’s trying to prove a point is creating serious question marks around him. Add to that his treatment of young Saliba and Martinelli, it’s quite bizarre to be honest.
Bellerin is shit. There I said it.
Just no
What’s he really good at in that case? Offensively he’s average, defensively below average and consistently makes severe mistakes in his positioning.
Forgot your meds again?
Oh boy, with will-i-aint now on the pitch I can see this ending in a Newcastle-esque 4-4 draw 🤬