Arsenal travel to Blackpool on Saturday to kick off their FA Cup campaign for the season at Bloomfield Road.
After dropping out of the League Cup in December, Unai Emery’s side now have a second chance for domestic success with the country’s premium cup competition. Their road to Wembley begins with a trip to Blackpool, who currently sit 10th in League One.
The fixture gives Emery a great opportunity to rest a few stars after a busy Christmas period. Arsenal’s next Premier League game isn’t until January 12th, so any players who don’t feature against Blackpool will get an 11-day rest. Plus, it’s a chance for a couple of young stars and those in the reserves of the squad to show what they can do.
Let’s have a look at our predicted lineup for the clash.
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Aaron Ramsey had to settle for a cameo appearance for the Premier League game at the weekend, but he made the most of it with a goal. He’ll likely start, as speculation of an exit to Juventus continues to grow.
Mohamed Elneny is still struggling to find himself any minutes in the Premier League, so he’ll probably start in this game instead. Alongside the two more established Arsenal stars, Joe Willock will probably get a chance.
Willock made the bench for recent league games against Brighton and Liverpool, as well as starting the club’s final two Europa League group stage matches. It seems Emery is willing to give him opportunities in this sort of game.
Granit Xhaka, Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira should all get a rest for this one, though one or two of them will probably be on the bench.
Click ‘Next’ for Forwards and the full Predicted Starting XI