Arsenal taken on Eintracht Frankfurt this evening in our opening Europa League group stage game.
Unai Emery brought a strong squad with him, and this is the team he’s selected to do the job tonight.
Eintracht Frankfurt: Trapp, Hinteregger, Hasebe, Abraham, Sow, Kohr, Kamada, Da Costa, Silva, Dost
Subs: Ronnow, N’Dicka, Falette, Fernandes, Joveljic, Chandler, Paciencia
Arsenal: Martinez, Chambers, Mustafi, Luiz, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Torreira, Willock, Smith Rowe, Saka, Aubameyang
Subs: Leno, Maitland-Niles, Ceballos, Guendouzi, Martinelli, Nelson, Pepe
Yay xhaka. ?
Mustafi and Luiz in defence this evening. With Xhaka in midfield. We’ll be rock solid….
switch Mustafi to RB and Chambers to CB.
Switch Chambers to CB and play with 10 men?
We’re playing Chambers, Mustafi, and Luiz as a back three with no right wing back.
Yep, makes absolute sense to play a player in central defense that you’ve tried to offload and play a player at right back that has been really good in central defense in pre season and in the first game when he just needs more game time in central defense.
Actually, do we know that isn’t the case?
If we’re honest, with Unai in charge, we know that that isn’t the case.
Arsenal just stated that Mustafi partners Luiz in CD. We’re fucked. Get rid of this manager as soon as possible. It only gets worse.
Let’s all bring out the torches and pitchforks.
Unfortunately a rock which was crushed into a billion pieces when it hit the earth and was then stamped on by huge dinosaurs over millions of years until it turned to the smallest particles of dust ever seen, which then disintegrated into something smaller than dust and disappeared into thin air. COYG.
I can’t stop laughing at ur description bro… We (arsenal) never learn, sometimes I do ask myself why do I keep supporting and loving this club, still no answer to that yet.. But I hope we get a positive result tonight. This defensive pair of luiz and mustafi coupled with xhaka in midfield Is just a ticking ? (bomb).. God help us tonight..
Hey, why all the worry about us potentially starting Mustafi and Luiz together at CB? I mean, according to mathematics, two negatives make a plus… Right?
If there’s one team capable of breaking maths, it surely has to be us. (sigh)
I hope tonight is full of surprises, the good ones… I’ve heard they exist.
There were!
Frankfurt must be rubbing their hands.
I hope Emery isn’t putting himself in front of the club playing Auba.
He personally needs a win with the pressure on. But the club don’t really. Even a defeat would hardly be panic stations.
Arse fam tv and co are all waiting for another defeat around the corner to let loose all the toxicity.
And you keep defending the indefensible. Am sure no Arsenal fan enjoys seeing the club in tatters just to pick on the manager. Am sure even fatgooner enjoyed Arsenal during the glory days of Wenger. Your only problem has to do with Wenger even though he’s gone. You are too scared of entertaining the thoughts that there has been no progress on the field of play since Arsene left. Nobody is saying the #Wengerout crusaders are wrong but if the new ‘master tactician’ is not giving us what we hoped for, why can’t you be a bit honest and say… Read more »
Nah, I just judge Emery sensibly, that is by waiting until the end of season where it’ll become apparent if we’ll qualify for CL or not.
I don’t do OTT reactions, plus I don’t rate many on the current squad and I think they are letting everyone down and are not held responsible.
Wenger’s time was up. We have a new manager now. We can sack him
I would have liked to see AMN in midfield today, in his natural position…
Great to see Smith Rowe playing again after a long layoff!
Why start Auba ????? Just inviting the possibility of an injury. SMH
Because with this defense we’re going to need about 7-8 goals to stay in the match?
Surprised Pepe doesn’t start, he could do with more match practise and a goal?
Totally agree.
Didn’t Pepe miss internationals with a small knock?
No one knows what’s going on inside that head of his. Thought it was very obvious that he should be playing to get up to speed.
Maybe it’s too hot or just need a rest.
More like a Carabao Cup third round eleven, but it’s still good to see Smith Rowe, Saka, Martinez and Willock starting.
Less good to see Auba running up more minutes when he really should be rested.
Disappointed he’s starting Auba when Martinelli is on the bench. We need Auba to stay fit and Martinelli needs game time surely?
I’d like to think that Auba stated a real desire to play – we need all the commitment we can get.
Unai knows
Any reason we’ve only named 6 subs and no sign of Holding?
Scrap the 6 subs, but why no Holding?
Would have liked to see Ceballos instead of Xhaka, and Pepe instead of Auba. Maybe this means we won’t play Xhaka on Sunday?
Looks like Blogs was right about Holding just traveling to be with the matchday squad again though, since he’s even on the bench.
Looking forward to seeing the young guns out there though 🙂
since he isn’t even on the bench*
And when will UE rest Xhaka….?
Mustafi sighting!
Weird.
Pls pls pls, i hope this isn’t diamond again
An emerald
Mainly raw diamonds I see.
Didn’t we come to the conclusion that Chambers is even less of a RB than AMN a few years back?
Play him at CB or CM, where he belongs.
And play Mustafi at RB maybe he will be better there
I don’t think either of them are RBs but I think Chambers has more defensive awareness. The danger is if there’s no midfield cover.
Thats sad. It seems that emery doenst like Chambers. I cant imagine other explications. Good pre season, good game vs newcastle ( and maybe our only clean sheet of the season ? ) and then being bench for a not that good 32 year old and having the guy that everyone wanted gone play in his prefered position.
I’d rather rest auba and give Pepe another chance to get a goal
Should have played Pepe in a sort of a roaming 9 or just play him in his position and replace Auba with Martinelli. Either way starting Auba is unnecessary risk.
Trying very hard to get fired isn’t he?
If we play out from the back from the goal kicks, without ‘douzi, who will come deep to collect the pass from the CBs? Xhakha? Would he be able to do that for 90 mins without a mistake?
Is this a diamond midfield? If yes, who plays at the base?
If no, then, can ESR do a job on the wing?
Why is Reiss not starting?
Does that signal that its a diamond midfield?
Who will play at RB – Chambers or Mustafi?
Is Auba gonna be sacrificed at the altar for saving Emery’s job?
So many questions!!
Not defending Xhaka in the least, but to be fair Guendouzi was hardly mistake free in collecting passes from his CBs against Watford at the weekend. It happened to be Sokratis that made the mistake leading up to a goal, but the same could have happened when Guendouzi got caught on the ball at the top of the box (first half) or when he passed to a Watford player in the box (beginning of second half).
I bet ozil has one of those weird contract clauses wherein we have to pay him for every game he plays.. can’t see any other reason for such absenteeism
Looking at this line up Emery not taking this cup comp seriously, hope he’s not looking for an early exit to focus on the league???
Looking at your comment you’re not taking supporting our young players seriously.
Playing Aubameyang is a bit of a risk. I’d probably have just started Martinelli and left Auba as emergency backup.
Do any of us really care about the Europa Lg? I mean, yes it’s a trophy, but we should rest players to focus on the league. Top 4 is a must this year!
There
s zero chance of a clean sheet, lets just hope we don`t get humped.Oh dear that back gate is wide open
Wow. I was not as down on Emery as most fans seem to be but I hate this lineup. If Auba gets injured in this game, then I want Emery gone. Auba shouldn’t be risked in this match, we desperately need him healthy and rested for the league. Chambers at right back is stupid, he’s a center back, he is not a right back. If he has a poor game, Emery will probably bury him and not give him another chance at his actual position. Mustafi and Luiz together in the center of the defense, immediately after we had a… Read more »
Great to see the recruits, but I think the selection says something about this season’s priorities. Clearly, the team goes for one of the top four places in the premier league, not both this and winning the Europa League, as last year.
90 minutes for Auba then. FFS.
SAKA!!!!
Xhaka had a solid game.
So did Luiz and Mustafi. Credit where credit’s due.