Mikel Arteta says he’ll aim to “get the balance right” when selecting his lineup for tomorrow’s Carabao Cup clash with Preston North End, noting the importance of giving fringe players minutes while also building momentum after two frustrating league results.
In truth, the Gunners could do without the hassle of a trip to Deepdale ahead of three tough away games at Newcastle, Inter Milan and Chelsea but with the manager determined to take every competition seriously, he also doesn’t want to squander the opportunity to progress.
“We will try to find the right balance,” he told the press on Tuesday afternoon. “We have four very demanding matches now in different competitions. We want to win them all and we have to start tomorrow to create a good momentum again and we’ll put a strong team on there.”
While the League Cup isn’t the highest priority, Arteta says the competition does bring benefits, notably keeping the squad on its toes.
“It’s important because it keeps everybody alive, you [can] maintain the winning habit which is really, really important and you show that you care about every competition regardless of what you play.
“You have to compete for every match. You are in or you are out. The margins are so small and tomorrow we’re going to face a really tough opponent.”
In the last round, Arteta handed first team debuts to a host of academy starlets while also giving much-needed minutes to the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling. While Arteta wouldn’t give away anything about his lineup, he hinted that the experienced attackers, as well as the likes of midfielder Jorginho, can probably expect to be called upon.
“There are players obviously that haven’t played that much and they will have their chance tomorrow, that’s for sure,” he said.
“But you have to earn the right to play and when you have that right you have to perform and you have to perform in a way to impact the team to win the game.
“That’s what we’re going to demand to anybody, whether you are young, you are an experienced player or you’ve been playing regularly for us.”
He added: “We have a really good squad as well. It’s true that at the moment we are missing quite a lot of players, especially in certain positions, but you have to be really strong.
“You can make changes, but the team has to have a balance, it has to have a chemistry, it has to have an energy. It has to be really good to end the right to win the game, especially when you play away from home.
Asked whether he’s happy fielding the youngsters again, he said: “It’s not a matter of age, if they play it’s because they deserve it, just like the others.
“In the end, we have to reward the people who behave in a certain way every day and have the level to play the way we want to play. And if that is the case, I don’t care if they are academy players, young or older, they will play tomorrow.”
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I would go….
Setford
Heaven Saliba Kiwior Zinchenko
Merino Jorginho
Sterling Nwaneri Martinelli
Jesus
Heaven over Nichols?
Yep. That was very deliberate. I want 3 CB types when Zinchenko plays. Plus I thought Nichols was shaky vs Bolton.
Correct me if I am wrong but you want to play a left-footed center back as right back for his first professional game ? That does not seem ideal to me.
No you’re right, it does not! Good call. Who would you start at RB?
I think Nichols did well against Bolton and should play this one too 🙂
I really like that idea but hard to believe Arteta will do that. But I also agree this might be a bit too much too early for Nichols against a Championship side who will be a tougher test than Bolton, so I think White will start.
I also don’t see how MLS doesn’t get a start here, so I reckon either he or Zinchenko start at the 8 instead of Merino, or Zinny stays on the bench.
Yeah I wanted to give Zinchenko a chance to play here. I don’t think he has quite deserved to be on the fringes to this extent, though I also agree I’d love to see MLS again. Tough call. If only one of them could play RB.
Come on Mikel, if there’s ever going to be a great time to experiment with Zinny at the 8 surely this is it. Or give MLS a chance there, he’s already shown he can give a killer pass, the question is can he grasp another completely different world of positional tactics while still only starting to come to grips with his usual position. But he did play midfield in the academy so surely it won’t be all new to him.
I’d go with:
Raya
Nicholls- Saliba- Kiwior- Zinchenko
Jorginho- Rice- Nwaneri
Jesus- Havertz- Sterling
I’d give Rice a break
I think you swap Rice for MLS and we have our line-up for tomorrow.
We haven’t seen him play as an interior for Arteta, but he certainly has the tools. The LB role is a great ramp for him to play in midfield. Because of the sideline, the pass selection and defensive responsibilities are simplified, though he does get to dip his toes in the central waters too. Great for his development. I think it’ll be Merino; needs the minutes and can do most of the Rice things. Reason we got him.
Merino would make sense I agree, I guess whether it’s him or MLS I will be happy !
Just feel this is the right time, if fitness wise he’s ok, to play Zinny
First, an apology – I clicked “down” intead of “up” in the thumbs. This is very close to the line-up I’d pick. I think we need at least three first XI regulars to hold the team together, and Saliba/Rice/Havertz are the three I’d choose. But why have you got Setford in goal? Surely Neto is the next in line?
Neto cup tied,not available.
He’s cup tied
You can just click the up button to reverse your terrible error
ARGHH! I hang my head in shame.
Wilson, Rice, McNab, McKlintock, Simpson, Storey, Graham, Kennedy George, Radford and Armstrong. Lots of legends there, beat any team.
Just a thought!
Alex James >>>
1. Top tier playmaker
2. Experience playing against Preston’s invincibles
3. Herbert Chapman’s stamp of approval
Easy decision. Now where’s my book of necromancy…
Rice needs a rest … apart from that this is a double winning lineup … Kennedy, Charlie George and Armstrong wd be superstars today as wd McClintock. COYG
I believe that is a different flavor of Rice that he is cooking there. A Rice Patty if you will.
McLintock* … now aged 84 by the way. Bob Wilson was a superb keeper as well …
I would just play all the Arsenal pundits.
Manonne
Cedric Holding Miquel Hoyte
Frimpong Elneny
Zelalem
Saka Chu-Young Vela
You forgot The Jeff and Ryo Miyaichi
Bendtner has to lead the line here
You can’t play Saka when that place rightfully belongs to Jay Emmanuel-Thomas. And Henri Lansbury first off the bench.
Isn’t JET currently playing for his majesty’s XI?
Might need to also play Stallone in goal if we’ve any chance of it springing him out…
With Sebastien Frey and Amauri Bischoff on the bench.
I would say in the Bolton game, Arteta got the balance pretty much spot on so hopefully the same again! These kind of games are great for the likes of Sterling, Jorginho, Jesus, Kiwior to gain match sharpness and mean so much to the young players who get a shot! Deffo a net positive for us as a squad!
I’d say play Zinny too, just to keep him in the shop window.