Arsenal are in Champions League action this evening, taking on Girona in the final game of the group stage.
Here are the official line-ups.
Girona: Lopez, Martinez, Tsygankov, Ruiz, Asprilla, Danjuma, Romeu, Juanpe, Frances, Martin, Yaakobishvili
Subs: Gazzinga, Danso, Van de Beek, Stuani, Miovski, Herrera, Solis, Portu, Comas, Clua, Kim, Artero
Arsenal: Neto, Partey, Kiwior, Gabriel, Calafiori, Jorginho, Merino, Odegaard, Trossard, Sterling, Nwaneri
Subs: Setford, Porter, Saliba, Tierney, Martinelli, Timber, Zinchenko, Havertz, Butler-Oyedeji, Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Oulad M’Hand
Reasonably strong team, hopefully a win though we are in a great position regardless.
And if we need to change things up we can always bring in M’Hand who could put one in with his strong left M’Foot.
Very happy for Havertz to get a breather!
I’m just happy he’s not injured – seeing us linked with a load of attackers this late in the month had me very very worried
Any word on why Raya is missing? Noticed he was missing from training pics.
Another player we can’t replace, eek.
An enchanted moment
And it sees me through
Its enough for these restless warriors
Just to be with you
And CALAFIORI LOVE TONIGHT
It’s been better if we rested Gabriel instead of Saliba, except from that a good enough team to beat Girona.
With resting players, Arteta sees them in training and has all there medical data. Nowadays, they can measure how fatigued a player is and we have to remember than when he decides who or who not to rest
True. My guess is Saliba is still recovering from the recent muscular problem
Saliba very recently had some hamstring issues, Gabriel didn’t. So you rest the one with hamstring issues and play the one without hamstring issues. Call me crazy but that sounds pretty reasonable to me.
Nwaneri upfront, this could put a cat amongst the pigeons
I suspect that Trossard will play as a so called false 9, but let’s see when the match starts.
My mind has gone into overdrive today. Maybe playing Nwaneri upfront when trying to sign a 29 year old is telling us something?! MA did hint at Nwaneri as a 9 earlier in the season
Good to see the mix of players..I guess it’s expected to be a fairly easy win..COYG!
I’m hearing a lot of Arsenal fans saying things like ‘a full team of kids should beat this lot’. That kind of arrogance rarely bodes well. Don’t underestimate Girona please. This is a CL game away from home and they have some very good players. Regardless of where we finish, everyone knows were getting Bayern in the next round regardless!
Hopefully Raya not on the bench doesn’t mean anything..
Especially, especially because Neto is cup-tied for the semifinal game too
Team is good enough to scoop all 3 points away from struggling Girona. Today’s Objectives: Focus, Score, Win, Don’t get injured. Let’s get it now!
Why does Mikel persist with Partey at RB. Not looking forward to the comments after the game comments on his performance.
I don’t like it either, but realistically who else is there?
Believe Cedric’s a free agent. Premier and Champions league experience, knows the place, photogenic and an all round nice guy I believe.
Not sure photogenic is the right word for someone whose face always pops up in every photo.
I think when Partey plays at RB we expect him to complely invert in attack and push forward. All I expect of him in defence at RB is to make himself a nuisance and not let people by him like it’s his 1st game in his career and not to give away ball cheaply and not to at least attempt to close players down. Those are really basics of his DM duties anyways, anything else can be forgiven since he’s obviously out there, out of position. I don’t think any Gooner will have issues if superior LW outplays him in… Read more »
Hopefully this means Sterling on the left… unless Eth is upfront. This team needs Martin tonight!
I’d go with a “fluid front 3” today. Hopefully it works.
We need to send him back, he fucked up multiple times tonight!
COYG!!!!!
I think most of us would have picked the same first XI. As strong a starting line-up as we can field, accounting for the players who most need a rest.
Oulad M’Hand? Is that a REAL name?
And is he any good?
You don’t follow the youth academy? He’s the younger brother of Salah-eddine.
Yes, yes, and yes. There are TWO Oulad M’Hand brothers in the academy. I suspect this one is Salah-Eddine, but it might be his younger brother Ismail.
The sooner Benjamin gets back the better. We can’t keep playing Partey at right back. He’s been excellent in midfield when he’s had the chance.
So, Arteta could not find a right back from the Academy?!🙄
This is nuts!
As someone that actually follows the academy, I don’t see any rb from the u21s that will make it to even championship level. I don’t count josh Nichols because he’s currently injured.
To the tune of Dean Martin That’s Amore:
When the ball hits the net
You could make a small bet
It’s Calafiori
When he plays at left back,
He will stop your attack,
Calafiori!
With his magical boots
He will score when he shoots,
Calafiori!
😃
Brilliant, and a great tune for a stadium.
Bravo 👏
Love it. 👏
haha
Not super confident with this lineup on the road especially with Sterling in there (though I know the bigger match is on Sunday for sure), but luckily we have some firepower on the bench if need be.
Rice?
David Rayas place in the team is safe
Porter should have started- he has a future here, neto doesn’t
Neto is awful!
Nwaneri is pretty good though