Arsenal take on Southampton today looking for three very important Premier League points.
Here are today’s official line-ups.
Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Sokratis, Chambers, Luiz, Tierney, Torreira, Guendouzi, Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette
Subs: Martinez, Mustafi, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Nelson, Pepe, Martinelli
Southampton: McCarthy, Cedric, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand, Hojberg, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong, Redmond, Obafemi, Ings
Subs: Gunn, Yoshida, Valery, Romeu, Boufal, Djenep, Long
Oh no. Five at the back at home to Southampton. Jesus. How much is his settlement? He clearly wants it.
For the first time I think it’s clear to see what emery is trying to do. Instead of bravely progressing this team onwards, he is going back to this tried and tested 532 that briefly worked with Ramsey at the tail end of last season. Just instead of Ramsey we have 5ft5 cdm Lucas Torreira making last man runs into the box and leaving a gaping hole in the midfield.
Last season he didn’t make the most of Ramsey until it was too late, then he realised how important he could be. So he tries to remedy it by expecting Torreira to fill that role just because he has a similar engine, despite him being our best option at DM. Damn, Unai coaching gives me brain pain. Honestly, whilst not perfect a simple tweak to the line-up, pushing Luiz into DM next to Torreira or Guendouzi (or just removing a 3rd CB in Luiz or Sokratis), and for whichever one of those three makes way add in Pepe or Martinelli… Read more »
I find it hilarious that as soon as Xhaka is dropped Emery suddenly decides to change formation. Xhaka is the one player who is literally made for three at the back; Switzerland, Gladbach they all played him in that system.
Emery has let him drown and hang himself in a 442 variation for months and it has got so bad he’s likely to leave the club in January. It is literally madness and just plain abysmal management that entirely stems from this on field setup.
What would need to happen today in order for him to get sacked?
Kroenke to tell the club tonight.
sell*
Either would work
0:3 loss and him showing middle fingers to all stands may move his sacking a bit closer. But who knows with this self-serving impotent senior management at Arsenal.
Torreira in goal – to help with his quick distribution. Xhaka as captain. Ozil at DM. Bellerin substituted for Kolasinac, Tierney subbed for AMN. To lose 8-0, have our coaches sent off for torching the VAR screen, and Unai teabag Raul. If all this happens, Emery MIGHT be on thin ice.
Kill someone?
This is a populist approach to the starting line up, but back 5 vs Soton at home? Emery seems to be scared of their attacking prowess.
The result better be good, otherwise Poch-in will resonate louder
Whilst I’d love Poch to join it sounds like he’s heading to Bayern, sadly.
No spuds associated people at the club, please. We got their only good one, ever, in Sol.
You’d object to strengthening your own team whilst missing some awesome opportunities to rub it in our rivals faces? If Poch had seriously offended AFC then fair enough but he hasn’t and he’s good at what he does, hell, I’d even let him bring Son along. Whatever it takes to put us back on top, thats what’s important.
Pat Jennings?
Still going with the back 3 thing? Let’s hope it works today.
7 defensive minded players against a team that lost 9-0 a few weeks ago. Great stuff
Torreira’s an attacking player you know
At home too
It would be more frightening if Emery’s starting point would be that we are the 2nd best team at the moment in the PL (just as Leicester are).
Pepe not working hard enough
everything I came to be exasperated about already said, so I’ll just say I love your hair Jean;)
He’s played the grand total of 0 first XI minutes in the last month since saving Emery’s arse in the Europa league. Disgraceful
I am going to be flowing positive energy for the next 3 hours. Let’s see after that
Got to contain that pesky Southampton.
3*4-1-2 formation?
Could it be a back 5 with the wingbacks as the width Torreira DM, Douzi CM, Ozil AM, Laca-Auba Strikers? I mean that is the only (barely) logical formation that could occur from that team so we’re absolutely going to see Torreira AM, Douzi DM, Ozil wide left, Auba wide right, Laca up top…
Pepe, anyone heard from Pepe?
Back 5 at home to Southampton…just fucking wow!
Pepe just got back from international duty on Thursday, i believe, and got in late after a long flight, supposedly.
not sure starting him is the smartest thing to do; at least he’s on the bench, though.
What a way to inspire and motivate pepe
No PAL + Özil today? So safe to say we’ll never see them together with UE.
Could be a 4-3-1-2 or 4-4-2 diamond with Chambers as DM? But probably a 3-4-1-2
To be honest, who knows anymore? I’m half expecting Leno to be up front with Torreira in goal. Perhaps Guendouzi will be driving the team bus from now too?
Emery goes nuts for a winger. We get a £72 million one and he decides now to play without wingers. Is it just me or is this just mental?
I hope we win 10-0 of course, but if we don’t get a result today, I think his time will finally be up.
And fuck Spurs.
I suspect though that this is a 5-1-4 formation. Something all the big clubs do, of course.
Back 5 (to combat the terrifying Southampton team in our own stadium), Guendouzi to charge around like a madman in midfield on his own, Lacazette on the right wing and Aubameyang on the left with Ozil and Torreira playing in the centre forward positions.
Not even joking.
How long till the Emery out banners are out? Come on guys a plane was hired with a banner for Arsene and unlike Emery Arsene actually achieved something and to some of us he is the only arsenal manager we knew and us infact a legend
Emery was crying out for wingers, he gets wingers, but then doesn’t use them, and reverts to wingbacks?
Emery doesn’t seem to trust Ozil or Pepe defensively, we know he doesn’t like Ozil, so his opinion of our £72million winger must be really bad.
We need our wing backs to have a big influence today, and we need to get players into the box, we’ve struggled against a deep block for a long time.
Still no Pepe. Even in a home match. What the fuck! Why? He was just starting to find his feet.
Pepe, Ozil, Laca and Auba have not started a single game together ALL season. Why?
And just when you thought this couldn’t get any worse, Mourinho’s Spurs just leapfrogged us.
I can never trust Emery but a back five does not necessarily mean a defensive set-up. It depends how he’s instructed the players. The wing-backs could prove to be more offensive than defensive and even two of the centre backs could push forward. So let’s see how they play. Still, I would have liked to see Pepe out there. And after all that, I wish Emery just vanishes.
I’d take a loss today if it meant the end of Unai. 🙁
I wouldn’t, but I had to think about it.What a state we’re in.
No Xhaka today I notice.
Lose this and that’s the sack. Surely.
Another strange line up. Is Holding injured?
At least Tierney is in. If Torreira plays his natural role we might do ok. But then there’s no need for three centre backs. Proof is in the pudding I guess…
FFS 5 at the back at home vs relegation battlers. Please let chambers or luiz be in the midfield.
Love to see Auba playing LWB.
Why are Arsenal playing a five man defence?
Emery simply hasn’t got a clue
I think Southampton will win this one..
Even with five defenders they can still be absolutely shite.
Bye Bye Emery.
And good fucking riddance…
This is simply the worst Arsenal side I have seen in 35 years – others were boring but at least they could defend.
Emery is such a joke – not a funny one mind you but almost as bad as Raul, Edu, Josh Kroenke and all the other clowns at Arsenal…
I genuinely think emery is the worst coach I. The prem, absolutely clueless.
I hope the last minute equalizer didn’t just save Emery’s job….
Arsenal, please sack Emery now! We are sinking like a stone, we need a change before it’s too late.
We may be angry at some of our players but we should’t be. I am not. I am behind the players 100%.
But Emery must go. This is disrespectful.
Emery should get lost from Arsenal ASAP! And get John Cuntoman, Mintoes and all other Emery sympathisers with him!
We have the players to be performing much better than this.
I didn’t think Emery was the right man when he started last season and still don’t think he is the man to manage Arsenal. Sack him and get in a proper manager who can motivate and inspire his players.
Maybe Arseblog waiting for Emery Sacking Confirmation before posting today’s match report.
What is the board waiting for before they can fire this clueless twat Unus Emery?