Arsenal Predicted Lineup: Let’s Freshen Up our Attack

TotalArsenal

We are playing Oxford United in the Forever Arsenal’s Cup and the boys will be up for it. A win will mean a first of three mouth-watering encounters with Mikel’s former master and our toughest obstacle to silverware this year. We want the bling, so we need to field a good team that will get the job done properly.

Predicted lineup:

Turner

Tomiyasu, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney

Elneny, Ode, Xhaka

Saka, Martinelli, ESR

I am hoping for an Emile start and to try out Martinelli in attack. Saka and Ode to start for consistency but to be replaced sooner or later by Marquinos and Vieira. Hopefully Sambi gets some time too.

By TotalArsenal

96 thoughts on “Arsenal Predicted Lineup: Let’s Freshen Up our Attack”

  • That’s quite a strong XI, TA. I think Sambi and Vieira should start though.
    I personally would field Nketiah, but I acknowledge the counterarguments.

    On a slightly different topic, out of the 3 encounters with Manchester City, how many points would you be comfortable with (using the 3 points approach to the cup tie as well), and what would be your bare minimum expectation?

  • I’d pick Eddie too, TA. Players like him need to score, score, and score again.
    At least two of Marquinhos, Sambi and Fabio will be starters too, imo
    Not bringing them on against the beavers wasn’t exactly a vote of confidence, so I’d be surprised if Mick didn’t give them this (last?) chance to make him think they can make the grade at some point. Those of them who won’t be picked tonight might as well be shown the door during this TW – and why not? I’d rather they were than Reiss, and should they go 2 recruits would start making more sense to me.
    So (???):
    Yank
    Tomi-Rob-GabMag-Kieran
    Sambi-Mo
    Paulistano-Fabio-EMIL (!!!)
    Eddie
    COYG

  • Hey PB, Eddie is our only out and out striker and I want to see Marti in that position tried. But I can live with him starting.

    Two draws or one win will do, with progress in the Cup on top. 🙂

  • Cheers Legall. I like the lineup thinking. The game is on national TV for only one reason… A giant humiliation. So I xpect Arteta to want to get the job done ASAP and with a strong team.

  • Really strong line up there, TA, and why not if we need to send the message of “no complacency” and to warn the FA and rivals we mean business in the cup.

    I also like the idea of Martinelli starting as the CF, given how skint we are in that position, with the risk of injury to Eddie, a genuine concern. However, I feel Vieira would start along with Marquinhos. Those would be the amendments I predict to yours.

    We need to win and handsomely too.

  • PB, out of the three encounters with City, I would take two wins and one loss. Our home game and that FA cup fixture have to be wins, for me. So, 6 points will do just fine.

  • I’m with Madame LG on this one; “Arsenal should WIN EVERY game they play”, so I am going for nine points.

  • You are all greedy gutses 😁😁😁

    Key is not to lose any points overall, but yes nine points would be fabulous. A very nice pipe dream, Stu. 🙂

  • Here’s the team: Turner, Tomiyasu, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Elneny, Lokonga, Vieira, Saka, Martinelli, Nketiah.
    Subs: Hein, White, Zinchenko, Xhaka, Partey, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Marquinhos, Butler-Oyedeji.

    COYG!

  • Results for last weekends competition-

    1st GN5 & Le Gall with 2/6 plus 1 correct score and share of most correct predictions = 5 points
    3rd Total & OX10 with 2/6 and share of most correct predictions = 3 points
    5th Eris, Madhu, Kev & Stuart with 1/6 = 1 point
    “”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
    Season to date-

    1st OX10 with 67.80
    2nd Kev with 65.80
    3rd Madhu with 56.80
    4th Eris with 54.13
    5th Total with 52.33
    6th Stuart with 50.00
    7th GN5 with 47.33
    8th Le Gall with 43.8

  • Next weekends selections-

    Manchester United v Manchester City *
    Brighton & Hove Albion v Liverpool
    Everton v Southampton
    Chelsea v Crystal Palace
    Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal *
    Arsenal Women v Chelsea Women *

  • OXFORD UNITED V ARSENAL
    TEAM NEWS
    Team news: Seven changes for Oxford tie
    Jonathon Rogers
    09 Jan 2023
    Share
    The Arsenal dressing room ahead of the Oxford United game
    Mikel Arteta has made seven changes to our starting line-up for tonight’s FA Cup tie against Oxford United, although our attack remains unchanged.

    The boss has opted to start all three of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah, with Gabriel Magalhaes the only other player to have been named in our last starting XI against Newcastle United six days ago.

    That means Matt Turner and Takehiro Tomiyasu get their first starts since the World Cup, with Rob Holding and Kieran Tierney making up the rest of the back four, while Mohamed Elneny, Sambi Lokonga and Fabio Vieria comprise the midfield.

    On the bench, Emile Smith Rowe makes his first appearance in a matchday squad since September after recovering from groin surgery.

    Karl Robinson meanwhile has made two changes to his team since their last league game – a 1-0 home defeat to Exeter City.

    Welsh international Billy Bodin and Josh Murphy replace Tyler Goodrham and Yanic Wildschut on the wings, and there is a start for former Gunner Marcus McGuane in central midfield.

    Oxford: McGinty, Anderson, Long, Moore, Brown, McGuane, Bate, Brannagan, Murphy, Bodin, Taylor.

    Subs: Eastwood, Fleming, Sade, Findlay, Negru, Johnson, Goodrham, Wildschut, O’Donkor

    Arsenal: Turner, Tomiyasu, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Elneny, Lokonga, Vieira, Saka, Martinelli, Nketiah.

    Subs: Hein, White, Zinchenko, Xhaka, Partey, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Marquinhos, Butler-Oyedeji.

  • Manchester United v Manchester City * 2-2
    Brighton & Hove Albion v Liverpool A
    Everton v Southampton H
    Chelsea v Crystal Palace H
    Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal * 1-9
    Arsenal Women v Chelsea Women * 1-1

  • Frenzied start to the game but that’s all down to the hosts looking up for it (nothing a goal or 2 can’t correct) and contesting every ball. We have had a few half chances and it will only get better as we settle into the flow.

  • I feel Nketiah is playing a bit within himself, knowing he can’t afford to be injured. One key problem here is the game is being played with no VAR, which has its own issues when most decisions are left to the on-field officials.

    Lokonga has to make his rare game time count. He looks a shadow of himself. The game is deliberately made raggedy by the hosts and we just need to match them physically.

  • If I am being honest, the home side have created the very few anxious moments of the game. I’d say the boys are in for some verbal wringing by the manager at half time. We are allowing them dictate how we play and seem to hurry everything. Not our sleek passing selves. Vieira has had zero impact and Saka looks dis-interested. The home side look like they would be happy to take us to a replay at the Emirates, if they don’t win.

    A shame that it may take bringing on Xhaka, Partey and Zinchenko to claw this one back. I was looking forward to seeing some youngsters after we may have made it comfortable. I believe the 2nd half will be better.

  • Manchester United 2 Manchester City 2
    Brighton & Hove Albion Liverpool D
    Everton Southampton H
    Chelsea Crystal Palace D
    Tottenham Hotspur 1 Arsenal 2
    Arsenal Women 1 Chelsea Women 2

  • Thanks for the great comments, Eris. I am listening to the radio and it doesn’t sound good. The midfielders are hardly being mentioned, and I expect that’s where the problem is right now.

  • Agreed, Eris
    You never, ever, stroll your way out of such ties
    Actually some of the lads (the ones you mentioned, but Sambi, Eddie are no better) look like they’re bent on nothing but slothin’ their way out of an FA Cup 3rd round
    If you add to this that there was at least a clear penalty not given (the “handball” one – another one should have been given for the rugby tackle on Rob in the box), well … here we are.
    Anyway, that’s no excuse, this was a shameful half. I hope Emil’s fit enough to be brought on, and I wish Cozier-Duberry had been on the bench, I’m pretty sure he would have shown some the meaning of hunger.
    COYG

  • Elneny has acquitted himself well and not hiding at all. He has been the one stringing whatever we have together.

    Yeah, Le Gall, those were definite penalty shouts. Like I thought, we are putting them under some pressure now.

  • Nketiah puts some gloss on that scoreline after a sublime pass from Vieira (who improved as soon as Xhaka and Zinchenko came on).
    2-0, but the home side still determined to do a Stevenage on us.
    Bukayo should be taken off now. He is down again with a knock. Chance for ESR to come on.

  • It’s 3-0. Eddie again, after another well weighted pass from Martinelli. He’s gone to the right for Saka while ESR occupies the left side.

  • Vi-ei-ra-a, wo-oh-wo-oh
    2 gorgeous assists; well done kiddo, that’s more like it (more like a lad who’s scored somethin’ like 14 in 21 Portugal U21 games)
    So happy for Mo, what a professional this guy is
    Two classy goals for natural-born-goalscorer Eddie too
    Bring on City

  • Nice workout for the boys. Only Partey, Saliba and Ramsdale missing out on minutes. Nketiah misses out on a chance for a hat-trick but has shown he can stick it in the ol’ Onion bag, if given the right service. Vieira only came alive in the second half, which was rather surprising. We will only get to know him with a consistent run in the side.

    We miss out on Carabao Cup action midweek and can be fresh for the NLD.
    Onward and upward,the Arsenal!

  • Not great in the 1st half but big improvement 2nd half.
    Two classic Eddie goals, quality cross from Vieira for our opener and a lovely weighted pass for the second, Martinelli with a slide rule for the third and a chip n pin from Eddie, done n dusted.

    Positives = Turner, Eddie, Vieira, ESR returns, Gabriel.
    Negatives = Lokonga,

  • Yes, Fabio needed to be in a dominant midfield in order to shine. The introduction of our Ukrainian and Swiss boys combined with the slight drop in Oxfords tempo allowed him the space to create.
    Eddie’s confidence will have been strengthened no end by the clinical finishing he showed, and how good to see Emile back.
    An interesting appointment of Hussein Isa as a new technical coach at Arsenal. Former England futsal player who also operated as a body double for Messi.

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  • To relate to TA’s reprimand on the uncontrolled expectation – and to answer my own question – my minimum hope to get 1 point from the 3 games against Manchester City, and I would be really satisfied with 4 or 5.

  • Here are the next group of games in our points prediction competition-

    Simply predict – W- D or L

    Tottenham A
    Manchester U H
    Everton A
    Brentford H
    Manchester City H
    Aston Villa A
    Leicester City A
    Bournemouth H
    Fulham A
    Crystal Palace H
    Leeds United H

    My apologies for being tardy but I’m playing catch up.

    I’ll post the Y.T.D details a little later

  • These are the next games in our points prediction competition (I posted it a little earlier today but it seems to have been lost in the ether) simply predict- W, D or L

    Tottenham A
    Manchester U H
    Everton A
    Brentford H
    Manchester City H
    Aston Villa A
    Leicester City A
    Bournemouth H
    Fulham A
    Crystal Palace H
    Leeds United H

  • Tottenham A…………..W
    Manchester U H…….W
    Everton A…………………W
    Brentford H…………….W
    Manchester City H.W
    Aston Villa A…………..W
    Leicester City A…….W
    Bournemouth H……W
    Fulham A…………………W
    Crystal Palace H…..W
    Leeds United H……..W

  • Tottenham A…………..W
    Manchester U H…….W
    Everton A…………………W
    Brentford H…………….W
    Manchester City H.W
    Aston Villa A…………..W
    Leicester City A…….W
    Bournemouth H……W
    Fulham A…………………W
    Crystal Palace H…..W
    Leeds United H……..W

    Oh dear, I’ve lost control again…

  • Tottenham A W
    Manchester U H D
    Everton A D
    Brentford H W
    Manchester City H D
    Aston Villa A D
    Leicester City A W
    Bournemouth H W
    Fulham A W
    Crystal Palace H W
    Leeds United H W

  • Tottenham A. W
    Manchester U H D
    Everton A W
    Brentford H W
    Manchester City H. D
    Aston Villa A W
    Leicester City A. W
    Bournemouth H. W
    Fulham A W
    Crystal Palace H W
    Leeds United H W

  • We could see how Viera improved with stronger colleagues around him (and with Oxford tiring). I wonder if the same could have been true of Sambi if he had been left on when the team was strengthened. We will never know, of course, so it will be marked down as an opportunity missed for him.

  • Tottenham A 1
    Manchester U H 3
    Everton A 3
    Brentford H 3
    Manchester City H 1
    Aston Villa A 3
    Leicester City A 3
    Bournemouth H 3
    Fulham A 3
    Crystal Palace H 3
    Leeds United H 3

  • Manchester United v Manchester City * A (1-3)
    Brighton v Hove Albion15:00Liverpool A
    Everton v Southampton H
    Chelsea v Crystal Palace H
    Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal * D (0-0)
    Arsenal Women v Chelsea Women * H (3-2)

  • Thanks GN5

    Manchester United v Manchester City * 2-1
    Brighton v Hove Albion v Liverpool D
    Everton v Southampton H
    Chelsea v Crystal Palace H
    Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal * 1-2
    Arsenal Women v Chelsea Women * 1-1

  • Whoa! Says a lot about how confident gooners are in the team these days. I can see us win all but the City game too, so I shall reflect that…. GN5, just returned to Nigeria from your neck of the woods today. Long flight…..

  • Tottenham A. W
    Manchester U H. W
    Everton A. W
    Brentford H. W
    Manchester City H. D
    Aston Villa A. D
    Leicester City A. W
    Bournemouth H. W
    Fulham A. W
    Crystal Palace H. W
    Leeds United H. W

  • Hi Eris, Quite a change in the weather I would imagine, however by Canadian standards so far our winter has been very mild.

    In your post of 18.35 you say you could only see us win all but the Man City game but in your 18.38 post you show both the City and the Villa games as draws, what do you want me to record?

  • Tell me about it. The warm weather here hit me like a punch as I exited the airport terminal area. Indeed, the winter has been so mild but for some wind aided flurries on Sunday night.

    I revised my thoughts as I feel Emery will get Villa to give us a game, so please go with my outlined predictions. Overall, I think we can get 31 points from those games. 🤠Cheers.

  • Manchester United v Manchester City * 2-2
    Brighton & Hove Albion v Liverpool H
    Everton v Southampton H
    Chelsea v Crystal Palace H
    Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal * 1-3
    Arsenal Women v Chelsea Women * 1-1

  • Tottenham A. D
    Manchester U H. W
    Everton A. W
    Brentford H. W
    Manchester City H. D
    Aston Villa A. W
    Leicester City A. W
    Bournemouth H. W
    Fulham A. W
    Crystal Palace H. W
    Leeds United H. W

  • Thanks Eris. I was looking forward to seeing the new artwork. It doesn’t disappoint, acknowledging our history. It is one thing the EPL doesn’t do at all, as if football didn’t exist before 1992.

  • Thank you for sharing the artwork Eris, it’s a great recognition of Arsenal through the ages, I was particularly to see Our Jack.

  • Ah, GN5. Need to get in the shade now. 33 – 4 is 29.

    I thought the new artwork a marvellous piece of creativity too. I was concerned when I read that the murals we were accustomed to had been taken down; the concern was how long it was going to take to restore the great look of the place. Fantastic effort to have got this up as fast as they did.

    Victoria Concordia Crescit!

  • I could have sworn I had posted my week’s prediction yesterday; can’t seem to find it on the thread today. Well, here goes again, if I recall rightly:

    Manchester United v Manchester City * D 2-2
    Brighton & Hove Albion v Liverpool H
    Everton v Southampton D
    Chelsea v Crystal Palace H
    Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal * A 2-3
    Arsenal Women v Chelsea Women * H 2-1

  • Ode has been named PL Player of the Month and Mikel is Manager of the Month. The Spuds will be hoping that the MotM “curse” is real!

  • I put in my vote for Odegaard too. Congratulations to the Skipper.

    The Spuds can wait all they want; this team is built to break with myths and negative norms. 💪🏾😉

  • Eris and OX10 – you have not posted your predictions for this weekend – you need to post them before the Man U & Man C game kicks off – otherwise you will forfeit the game.

  • Le Gall I’m missing your points predictions for the next group of Arsenal games.

    Eris – thank you I now have your predictions for this weekend.

  • Sorry GN5, I thought I had done this.

    Manchester United v Manchester City * H 2-1
    Brighton & Hove Albion v Liverpool H
    Everton v Southampton D
    Chelsea v Crystal Palace D
    Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal * A 1-2
    Arsenal Women v Chelsea Women * H 2-1

  • Man United v Man City….. Draw (2-2)
    Brighton v Liverpool……… Home
    Everton v Southampton.. Draw
    Chelsea v C Palace…………..Home
    Tottenham v Arsenal……….Away (1-3)
    Arsenal W v Chelsea………..Home (3-2)

  • Excellent game of football in Southern Italy
    Osimhen 1 goal 1 assist Kvaratskhelia (copied-and-pasted, this name I just can’t get through my thick head) 1 assist 1 goal
    Di Maria 1 goal … which he assisted himself, really (don’t know how to put it otherwise)
    Every time I’ve seen him play I’ve found Meret to be an outstanding GK , too
    Counterattacking 4-3-3 (Napoli) vs possession-based 3-5-2 (Juve) makes for a very pleasant evening (a few heated tempers, 1 or 2 brawls – I like that, too).
    Watching with the sound turned off, but when copy-and paste scored the 2nd, Ol’ San Paolo looked like Mount Vesuvius on eruption day.
    Just hope I’ll get to see Raspadori play, why Spaletti has picked this Politano guy ahead of him has been puzzling me so far
    GN, I didn’t give my predictions:
    a) because I’m too superstitious to do it, all the more so with a NLD comin’ up
    b) my “W” key would have been jammed too anyway (but I didn’t write it/you didn’t read it!!)

  • Okay Le Gall, I was never very good at reading. A jammed “W” key must be very orrying !

    I rarely enjoy NLD’s – I’m far too nervous, but I will watch regardless.
    Talking of watching the NLD I estimate that I’ve watched (either live or on TV) over 140.

  • George Graham’s wedding day was my first at Highbury in 1967, it remains the best home win I’ve witnessed in more years that I care to remember…
    My first NLD was the Phil Beal own goal game, a 2-1 win with Radford and Greaves scoring, 1968. Not quite 140 but a few I reckon…

  • I watched them from afar dreaming of a day when I might get to one, finally realized in 1985, albeit a testimonial at the Lane for a Tottenham player (can’t remember which), the 1-3 score line sticks though.
    Best I attended was at Wembley in ’93 when a Tony Adams header gave us a 1-0 win in the FA Cup semi final.
    I looked that up, Kev. Was it the 4-0 to the Arsenal with almost 63,000 at Highbury in September? George Graham scored in that game. Was his marriage in the morning or after the match? I trust he scored twice on that day…

    GN5, which is your favourite NLD out of all of those 140 games?

  • Stuart he got married in the morning and Terry Venables was his best man.
    I was at the Clock End, it was magical.

  • Stuart this is the one game I wish that I had watched. I tried hard but I was one of thousands who were locked out of WHL, our old blogging friend “Erik the Red” knew a way in. I went home disappointed but got to see a replay.

    https://dailycannon.com/2021/05/arsenal-win-league-at-white-hart-lane/

    I’m going to rethink how many NLD’s I watched as I was averse to going into WHL and back in the day the games weren’t televised.

    I’ll give some thought to the best game that I’ve watched as I’ve seen so many.

    I was not at Highbury when GG got married – I have no idea why I missed the game (octogenarian memory I guess) ?

  • GN5, you must be watching the same broadcast I am. What naked bias and very jaundiced view on the incidents.

    It is 0-1 City now.

  • The Kos on French TV:
    “it is impossible NOT to rule out Fernandes’s goal”
    Already forgot all about PGMO, Lolo??
    18-y-o Garnacho the 0-pound game-decider again
    As for us we’re gonna splash tens of millions on you-know-who, while 21-y-o Folarin will keep piling up goals for a Ligue 1 mid-table club, without having been given one single decent chance to shine for us, ever.
    Something’s very wrong about this.

  • LeG, remember Ami, how many fans were saying the same about Saliba this time a year ago, Arteta bided his time and now Big Bill is a major cog in the Arsenal title winning project, I think that Flo will replicate that next season, in fact Arsenal should send all its loanees to France, it must be the air, the wine, the cheese, the girls, it seems to be the magic ingredient…

  • Nothing wrong with giving Flo playing time to improve and grow in confidence. Don’t forget Arteta did a lot to convince him to stay with us. He will come useful in future (if not in playing, at least in transfer fees, if he proves too good to play back up).

  • We must win at Spurs and look to give Man U a bloddy nose, just as they grow in confidence. They have momentum and confidence now, which are dangerous ingredients for us having them in the chasing pack.

    But, we are in a good place.

  • Just saw this post; not sure how authentic though. If true, why are Chelsea such spoil sports?

    Chelsea board now in Poland trying to reach verbal agreement with Shakhtar for Mudryk and hijack the deal! Official bid ready close to €100m. 🔵 #CFC

    Arsenal always been leading the race, in talks with Shakhtar after 3d official bid.

    Mudryk position, now crucial.

  • Cody Gakpo getting a nice introduction to the vagaries of the EPL. He has been relatively anonymous (except for one peep), if you ask me but starring for Liverpool can’t be the easiest these days.
    But Liverpool are starting to fight back…..

  • PB, the kid is good but not worth that sum (or even half of it). If the story is true, then they can have him, if he wants to join them.

    Many fishes in the waters.

  • My thoughts exactly, bro.
    Mudryk is a fine young player, but for 90M we can get practically ANY winger, including the very best like Rafael Leão, Rodrygo (RM), Grealish, Sané, Son, Gnabry, Chiesa, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia… hell probably even Salah and Neymar, too.

  • Agreed, P.
    He’s a very good player, he has both feet, and is fast, strong , confident. But the price-tag is insane, there is no other way to put it. Should the deal get done, I wouldn’t call it scouting, but predation – if we condone this, why were we up against the so-called “Super-League” a little while ago, I wonder.
    Not to mention that at least one of Reiss-Fo-Emil-Amario would have to go – what a waste it’d be; the loss of one or more outstanding prospects is never taken into account in such cases, but it should.
    As for Big Bill mon cher Andy McNab-man, I guess what he did in Marseilles was precisely the reason why Mick/Edu didn’t buy any defenders last summer – the plan was to give a real chance to the lad, and man did it work out just fine. I’m just asking the same for our young forwards …
    P., after watching the game last night, I checked out Kvaratskhelia on transfermarkt. I don’t usually do this (and I don’t know if this is a truly reliable site), but I must’ve watched Napoli play 5 or 6 times this season and well, the kid’s really somethin’ else, and not because of his athleticism, but for “football reasons” only (brain, technique, vision, “coolheadedness”, … you name it).
    The price?
    €60M – £45M

  • It’s the garlic mushrooms, Kev. I agree with you, mate. Folarin will come in from the sun with his silky skills flowing like a water colour in the rain…
    I remember reading about GG’s wedding now. Were you in the North Bank? Must have been heaving. Always loved GG as a player and manager.
    GN5, that is the one NLD I most wish I had seen. I would have been only 10 but might have found some ones shoulders to sit upon.

    If Mudryk turns blue, let’s get Zaha in for three seasons. Proven, wealth of experience, hungry and a Gooner at heart.

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