Arsenal v Magpies Team and Preview: A Brazilian Trio up top, Timber back, Partey to rule the Midfield again?

TotalArsenal

Without too much effort Arsenal have reached the semi-final of the League Cup, and now we will face the high-flying Magpies at the home of football. I never cared much about this competition to be brutally honest. It is clear that most teams don’t treat it as a priority, but it is a great opportunity to use the wider squad players and try out some new tactics etc. Arsene Wenger and also Mikel have treated the competition with a light touch over the years, but I feel it will be different this time round. Playing Newcastle United and, if we are successful, then one of Spuds or Pool are great opportunities to test ourselves against these competitors, and our boys could really do with such scalps and some silverware in their cabinets.

So I think Mikel will go all out this time and try to win the game. Is this wise? Well, we will have to see. Liverpool are starting to show cracks – their defence has conceded 11 PL goals in six games since their win v Pep’s City; whereas they only conceded eight in the preceding 13 games – and we have a great opportunity to keep putting pressure on them by winning as many PL games as possible. Therefore, saving a few key players today would also make good sense.

As Kev suggested, Arsenal may treat the Man United FA Cup game with a lighter touch and go out all Gunners blazing for this one. I hope he does.

Predicted Starting Lineup:

Raya

Timber – Tequila – Big Gab – Lewis-Skelly

Partey – Ode – Merino

Marquinhos – Jesus – Martinelli

Our Brazilian duo Martinelli and Jesus have found their feet and why not add Marquinhos, also Brazilian, to the mix?! Apparently, he is back and has been given shirt number 27 and with so many injuries for our right wing position, it may make sense to start him. We need a bit of extra fire-power on the bench, and Trossard is just our ideal super-sub in my opinion. Is Kai fit enough to start? It sounds like he is not, and therefore a place on the bench may be the best thing we could wish for.

The Magpies have a good team and play some good and clever footie. They will love us to come and attack them and play us on the break. They have a strong midfield, although they will miss Guimaraes today. Isak is a joy to watch and you just know that he belongs in an Arsenal side sooner or later. He has everything you would hope for in a modern attacker: fast, deadly, excellent dribbler, good with feet and head, great first touch, good overview of the game and (therefore) a quick and accurate passer, and he scores many important goals. But we know that Big Gab and Tequila Slammer love big CF challenges, and this alone is a reason to watch the game tonight.

Partey back in midfield will make a difference, and I feel that Merino, who is simply in better form than Rice, will once again start ahead of the Englishman.

Looking forward to this one.

Come On You Rip Roaring Gunners.

By TotalArsenal.

28 thoughts on “Arsenal v Magpies Team and Preview: A Brazilian Trio up top, Timber back, Partey to rule the Midfield again?”

  • Nice one Total, a Brazilian triumvirate in attack sounds exciting, although I do wonder if Arteta might save our No.27 for a start against the Mancs on Sunday? Could be on the bench though…

    I guess that illness issues will play a part in selection, is Myles ok, how well is Kai, will Arteta go full academy and pick Kabia? I heard tonight’s game described as the ‘Dark Arts Derby’ so no a night for the faint hearted.

    COYG

  • Good points. I think if Kai starts then it will be Jesus and Martinelli on the wings.

    The beauty about our nr27 is he is relatively unknown to the Magpies, and with the home crowd behind him…

  • Fine preview, TA, even though I doubt Marqionhos starts this game. I actually think Arteta will go’s strong for this game and the one against Man United at the weekend, with just a tweak or two for each game.

    Also think it will be our strongest midfield three of Partey, Rice and Odegaard, not that I’d have much against Merino over Rice, in the event Rice is being carefully managed.

    Havertz should be okay by now, in which case, it will be Gabby, Havertz and Martinelli to start. Arteta will be going for it in this game and rightly so.

  • Thanks Total. Great news about JT, a real relief. And the prospect of a Brazilian triumvirate up front, a first time for Arsenal.
    Are you at the game, Kev?

  • Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Martinelli, Trossard, Havertz.
    Subs: Porter, Calafiori, Zinchenko, Tierney, Kiwior, Jorginho, Merino, Sterling, Jesus.

  • Initial checks has Havertz amongst the unavailable. I hope it’s just a ploy to distract the opposition.

  • Well, Total; hadn’t seen the team sheet before posting that so, Havertz is fit for this one. Jesus and Sterling on the bench makes our bench a touch stronger.

    MLS is a huge call seeing as we have Tierney, Kiwior and Zinchenko on the bench.

  • Arsenal:
    Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Martinelli, Trossard, Havertz.
    Subs:
    Porter, Calafiori, Zinchenko, Tierney, Kiwior, Jorginho, Merino, Sterling, Jesus.

    Newcastle:
    Dubravka, Livramento, Burn, Botman, Hall, Tonali, Willock, Joelinton, Murphy, Gordon, Isak.
    Subs:
    Vlachodimos, Trippier, Targett, Kelly, Longstaff, Miley, Barnes, Almiron, Osula.

  • A fine cup match, end to end, which we are still very much in. Good to see a game where the opposition comes to play. How good is young Miles close control, what a gem.

  • Game has been watchable, thus far. We have been too tentative and not taking risks with our passes and runs into the channels.

    The visitors are good value for their lead even though we have missed at least, three chances to go ahead.

    We have to unchain the flanks and direct both Martinelli and Trossard to go at their full backs. We cannot afford to lose the first leg at home. If Trossard can’t do it, time to bring on Jesus or Sterling if he is match fit.

  • 0-2, to the visitors, well against the run of play. We need to step it up to get the goals we need to keep this respectable.
    How about some resolve by Martinelli. Needs to be strong in the box.

  • We’ve only started to show urgency. That’s what happens when you increase the pace of the game and passing.
    At least, we are giving them a game now.

    Come on, lads!

  • We have so many players out of form, it’s unbelievable. Havertz, Rice, Odegaard, Trossard should be bossing it, and it is not for a lack of willing or urgency, but they are desperately poor at the moment. Feels like we could play for another 11 hours and not score.

  • This is a very good Newcastle team, bang in form. Our boys all in recovery mode from illness, missing Bukuyu have a mountain to climb throughout this month. Let’s get behind them.

  • Always, Total. We missed two gilt edged chances. The lovely pass from Leandro from which Gabi hit the post, and Kai’s inexplicable shoulder/header. They seemed to have a charmed life around their six yard box; blocks, saves, miskicks. Howe managed the game very cleverly. Isak and Gordan are in the form of their lives. I’ve been watching Newcastle’s games over the past couple of months and sensed we were on a hiding to nothing with all of our woes.

    I look forward to reading Kev’s impressions.

  • Spot on, Stuart. Newcastle are in a rich vin of form now, winning games and showing unusual resolve. This was their 7th win in a row and that tells you all you need to know.
    A few weeks back, fans were calling for Howe to be sacked. How things have turned around for him.
    Howe loves some big scalps too and we were just setup for the kill, given our injury and for troubles.
    Hopefully, it is just a phase that will pass soon and we can get back into stride. Otherwise, it may end up a season we go empty handed. Second leg is a month away. We shall learn about these boys then.

  • The Premier League’s PSR rules may constrain activity by clubs in the January transfer window, although it is never easy to get value for money. The calculations involved are very complex, reinforcing the view that success in football increasingly requires good accountants and lawyers. There is a wide divergence between individual clubs in the Premier League.

    Half of them have plenty of headroom, especially Brighton, Manchester City, West Ham, Liverpool and Tottenham, while Brentford and Arsenal are also pretty comfortable.

    Arsenal

    Despite making £111m pre-tax losses over the PSR 3-year monitoring period, Arsenal should still be fine, as they can make £125m allowable deductions (mainly depreciation, academy and women’s football), leading to a PSR profit of £14m, which is £119m better than the maximum £105m loss.

    Assuming the same level of allowable deductions in 2024/25 would suggest that Arsenal could post a massive £164m loss this season and still be compliant with PSR. In other words, the Gunners have plenty of headroom to invest in the transfer market. That will be welcome news after the home defeat to Newcastle which suggested that investment in the squad is needed.

  • Taken from a blog called: The Political Economy of Football…

    Nope, I never come across them either, I think they take a lot of their data from Swiss Ramble!

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