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.
3Forwards
Unlike many of his teammates, Alexandre Lacazette isn’t really in need of a rest. The last time he completed 90 minutes was in November, and he’s either coming on late or coming off early in every single game recently. There’s no real reason not to give him a game against Blackpool.
Alongside him, we expect a couple of youth stars to get a chance. Bukayo Saka got his first Premier League minutes over the weekend, and he was very impressive recently against FC Vorskla and Qarabag late last year. With Emile Smith Rowe still fighting for fitness, the door is open for Saka to start this one.
On the right, Eddie Nketiah should get a game. The young striker hasn’t played much recently, particularly up front. He shifted out to the right to accommodate Lacazette against Qarabag, which should be the case again on Saturday.
Click ‘Next’ for the full Predicted Starting XI