Arsenal take on Man City at the Etihad today, looking for the kind of upset that would bring us our first Premier League win of the season.
It’s a daunting task. Here are the official line-ups.
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodrigo, Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Grealish, Torres, Jesus.
Subs: Steffen, Stones, Ake, Sterling, Zinchenko, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Doyle, Palmer.
Arsenal: Leno, Cedric, Chambers, Holding, Kolasinac, Tierney, Xhaka, Smith Rowe, Saka, Odegaard, Aubameyang
Subs: Ramsdale, Okonkwo, Tavares, Mari, Maitland-Niles, Lokonga, Elneny, Martinelli, Lacazette
How much is Arteta’s severance package. Looks like he’s making a play for it.
If Pepe can’t play, I’d actually be fully on board with this team selection and formation if he replaced Cedric and kolasinac with mainland niles and Tavares
Our defence looks truly horrible, add to that Xhaka’s liability on the midfield
Trust the process and we are close to winning league again
What they didn’t tell you is, the process is actually a process towards relegation.
and 3-0 at halftime
Shambolic to say the least!
Holy, you bl**dy called it mate.
It’s time to go Arteta. You’re f****ng clueless. The team looks f****ng clueless.
At one point Ederson was just standing on the ball for a good 10 seconds before anyone pressured him. Unbelievable.
Spot on 👍
Surely Saliba is better than Chambers/Holding and Mari !!!!
Back to back 3! We only do this when the manager is truly under pressure.
Man City away probably has something to do with it, we’ve taken 2 points off them since Dec 2015
They’re a much better team than us, at best we’re looking for a really ugly smash + grab, if not we need to stay in the game, and keep the score respectable
If we try and play City in a game of football at their place, then we’d be like lambs to the slaughter
We gave them a game in the 1-0 loss at home last season, but the 1-0 at their place was incredibly flattering
Are they better than us or simply have a better manager? I honestly believe an elite manager can do better than Lego hair
They are better than us in almost every position. We have some really promising talents, but this is PL and you need steel and leaders on the pitch…
Wut
Hmm…
Still not sure
COYG
feel we can win
Haha
I feel sorry for you mate. It’s that optimism ey
I like it! Clearly set up to spring Auba on the counter and I think Smith Rowe and odegaard can help us close down city as they enter our half and immediately fire us forwards. Hopefully after his midweek hattrick he’s still in the zone to finish whatever chances we create! Obviously would be nice to have everyone fit but 1st world problems!
Well that didn’t go to your plan did it? 0 shots on target
Firstly, not my plan- I don’t pick the team!
Secondly, I could see the sense in the lineup given the lack of personnel- 3 at the back and a direct setup.
Thirdly, absolutely atrocious performance which an Accrington Stanley team playing 1-6-3 would have handled better!
But yes you’re right, positive words pre-game will always fall flat after a game like that.
It’s weird how poor we look this season given our performances against the bigger teams earlier on in Artetas stint as manager. Especially how bad we are at pressing these days. Very worrying.
Cedric, Kolasinac
Wow. Just wow.
Definitely out thought Pep in this selection
It’s a pity willian wasn’t available, he could have played a false 9 too
Kolasinac is more mobile than Mari
Why not try Mari in midfield alongside Xhaka
Please look up definition of irony 😂🤓
Hahahaha! Please don’t give him ideas!
😂
Can’t wait for the Kolasinac reactions here!!
A player we literally can’t give away, starting against the best footballing side in the division. Hmmm.
Is pepe d latest to fall to the covid curse? Three at the back. Strange midfield. We can only hope
Cedric holding chambers kolasinac, god help us. You would expect them four in a Sheffield United or Watford team.
That’s us I’m afraid.
Awful – all need replacing. Looks like he’s given up on Mari as well.
Why is Lokonga on the bench??
That public disagreement on the bench at WBA didn’t get resolved then….Kolasinac or Mari, what a choice.
Tapsoba upgrade next season hopefully…..
He knows Mari doesn’t have the mobility. We need Gabriel back *fast*.
Because Xhaka is the best player in the world.
Is there time to sell him still?
Swap deal with PSG for Mbappe
But the other defenders are injured or not fit yet for selection
Not even.
I do absolutely agree
no lokonga, kolasinac starting, quite the gamble
but i hope the front 4 thinks they are playing west brom away, cuz we need the 6-0 win #COYG
If we win 5-0 we go above them on goal difference.
your vote ratio is 5-0 as i am posting this
And now yours is 😅
The old 5-1-4 formation. Looking forward to Xhaka dominating their midfield by himself
Lol
I strongly disagree with 99% of Arteta’s team selections
Wow, that’s not the team I expected & I don’t mean that in a good way!! Hopefully, my feelings about this team & likely set up are wrong 🤞
Nope you had the right feeling
Want to come back later and be proved absolutely wrong about what I think of those wing back selections.
I think Kola might be LCB (no way he is chosen over Tavares at LWB).
But tbh, I think I would rather just field Teirney there…
Hmm
Kola!!? Hola Shit! Someone is pissed at Pablo. COYG
I think Arseta is tempting fate & signed his sack-wish. I can’t believe he set up the team this way and Xhaka in it again🤦. Why couldn’t he play Sambi instead?
In Arseta we rust.
Numptys who down voted are watching the match I hope.
That’s an odd team selection!
Don’t mind the midfield and attack. That defence is though yuk. Leno out of form, chambers out of form, Cedric and kolasinac rubbish. Don’t actually think it will be anything more than a humbling loss but It would be so Arsenal to win this and lose to Norwich.
Don’t mind the midfield? That middle of the park is so thin! They’ll be up against Rodri, Bernardo and Gundogan – I’m terrified!
I’m with ‘Rona on this one. Xhaka as our ‘most defensive’ midfielder?
The full back back positions don’t fill me with any confidence at all. I really, really hope I am wrong but but I cannot see us getting anything from this game. I think 99% of us would take a draw right now
I think we would be happy with a draw even with our first choice 11.
I’m so confused…
is Smith-Rowe in central midfield or odegaard?
maybe both are with Saka as a second striker?
Is Tierney the LWB or is Kolasinac?
if the back 3 this week why not last week?
Cedric was rubbish against Chelsea – why not Maitland-Niles?
lots of questions…
You would think Maitland Niles would be a no brainer if we are playing with wingbacks…
Not risking injury ahead of his move to Everton?
I haven’t paid attention to his transfer saga in the past week, but why is he even on the bench if he is off to Everton?
🤷♂️
AMN is the perfect player to defend Grealish. Cedric is certainly not.
Wherever they’re playing, Tierney & Tevares is better than Tierney and Kolasinac…
I’m not going to mention midfield because I don’t know where to start.
AMN consider himself as a midfielder, that’s why he went on loan last season…
Is Bellerin injured or what?
Have been injured, not ready
I guess it’s 3-4-2-1 with saka and Eau de garde behind Auba
The exciting new fragrance for fans of the Arse…
Who’s the defensive midfielder in this team? Would have gambled with AMN or El Neny (strange as that sounds) alongside Xhaka.
They are going to likely overrun us in that midfield and have toy endlessly with our defense at this rate.
What the actual f?!
One thing I know: we’re fucked if we ever try playing from the back.
I understand the downvotes. There’s no “if”.
I also hope the FA wouldn’t cancel games for other teams when they start to have players out with Covid. Because it’s Arsenal now and no one seem interested.
Kolasinac making a comeback, was a plot twist nobody seen coming…
Fu*k knows what type of formation this is?
Talk about throwing a curve ball….
No Bellerin, even on the bench
Bellerin has been injured, not ready. In addition, he want to leave.
I never thought I would see Kolasinac back twice. Feels weird.
Its pretty much mission impossible with this lineup. I guess I’ll just try to enjoy the much as much as I can
Think that’s as much enjoyment for the day
Confusion everywhere arteta wont kill me 🤣🤣🤣
What a disgrace this is, our 30m center back in Saliba can’t event play ahead of kola.. Tavares and lokonga have done everything right, where are they?
Why do we have 2 keepers on the bench?
But to be fair with this lineup we should be allowed have two keepers on the field…
Why not three?
Why don’t we play one of our goalies on the front, it always worked in Fifa, we’ve got nothing to lose here anyway
Sensible move by Arteta putting an extra man in defence.
Pepe must have pulled out late for us to name 2 keepers on the bench, so hopefully not Covid.
WTF?
Cedric…..?
Kolasinac…..?
I can only assume that Pepe is ill….?
And this fool reckons he gets off making people ‘happy’…..
What is that, a 5-1-3-1 formation? Or is Odegaard playing CM? Like Don Quixote, I’m baffled.
It’s a 1-2-3-2-1-1
An inverse, drunken diamond. All the coaching books call it revolutionary. It’s going to change the game forever I tell you !
3-4-3 probs
Pepe is unwell. Get well soon.
Interesting selection.
But to people criticising it, look at that bench and who comes in? Maybe Ainsley for either full back but how much difference does that make?
Could be worse, could be playing Ronaldo, Kane or De Bruyne…
If Man City Draw or Lose this game, then they will have won, drawn and lost the same amount of games as we have
Just to put things into perspective.
Don’t hold yer breath…..
oh I’m not… but its better than holding onto the hope that so far this season, OD is averaging an assist a game, Auba scores 3 goals a game and Ramsdale is yet to be beaten.
So, is it 3-4-3 with Ø & Xhaka in CM?
Yes, we can. COYG!!!
One of the worst lineups I’ve seen. The season starts in 2 weeks
Yay we’re gonna get smashed with Cedric and Kola starting. I really don’t get it. What’s wrong with Chambers, Bellerin and Maitland-Niles?
The surprise will be what formation we line up with, I’m going with a 433.
Back for of Cedric, Holding, Kolsainac, tierney
Midfield 3 of Chambers as a holder that slips into a back 3, Xhaka a little further forward on the left and Odegaard on the right
Saka right, Auba in the middle and Smith-Rowe on the left
Will real Xhaka manage to hold the city midfield I see something horrible happening this afternoon
Enough with the negativity.. Get behind the team.. COYG!!!
🤣
Ok that’s that then. Think I’ll go cut the grass
looks like a defensive compact 6 and fluid front 4. hopefully the talent shines through for us and not city.
Anyone know what has happened to Pepe?
Not even on the bench… (unles I’m just blind).
Lineup is very strange. Hope something even stranger happens and we get the result.
We probably will then lose the next match haha.
I’d be less surprised if I saw Arteta and Edu in the starting lineup.
Either way, full support as always, win lose or draw.
I’m sure the the city team are shaking in their boots at the thought of how Xhaka is going to dominate them in midfield.
If this is a bloodbath he should resign.*
If Xhaka gets sent off for a challenge that is as late as he is slow or looks bewildered by people who can actual run, MA should resign.**
*I know he won’t.
** I know he won’t.
With 50 minutes’ hindsight, this is a shockingly accurate comment.*
*I know he won’t.
Hope you placed a few bets 🙂
Prophetic about Xhaka
Woah there
I want your time machine
😂cry laughing 🥲
I’ve been in the time machine again and I can tell you that Xhaka starts, plays and is captain as soon as he’s back from suspension.
Ok, but now can you tell us the lottery numbers?
Buying my tickets as we speak! 😂
Hmmm doesn’t go back 3 Vs Lukaku focussed attack. Goes back 3 Vs a midfield focussed attack. Feel we are going to get overrun. Hope I’m wrong.
Chambers Leno 😂😂
Sorry I’m not getting meself worked up today. I have high blood pressure as it is. Just gonna laugh at the keystone cops st the back
Keep laughing folks😂😂
One CB with two RB and two LB. Hope it works. Excited!
Pépé probably out with COVID-19
I’m looking forward to after the interlull. We’ve had to play the Championship play off Champions, the European Champions League Champions and now the Premiership Champions. It can only get better. Can’t it?
Cool, game over six minutes into the match. Trust the process.
Not even sure what we’re seeing here sadly.
I’m seeing people mentioning the 8-2. Can see this being a PL record loss. I have absolutely no faith in this manager or team. He’s been hacked to the hilt, yet still lines up with two defenders that were essentially left out in the cold all last season – one of which he signed. I’m done with this sh*t. This Arsenal isn’t our Arsenal.
*backed
I’m not even sure what we can say anymore. This is a project clearly falling by the wayside.
The 8-2 was respectable until the 4th goal. This was respectable until the 4th minute.