ARSENAL LINEUPS

Player ratings and goals here

Fulham lineup

Marek Rodak, Michael hector, Denis Odoi, Neeskens Kebano, Tom Cairney, Tim Ream, Ivan Cavaleiro, Harrison Reed, Joe Bryan, Josh Onomah, Aboubakar Kamara

Subs: Areola, Christie, Le Marchand, Anguissa, Knockaert, De Cordova-Reid, Mitrovic.

Arsenal lineup

Bernd Leno, Rob Holding, Gabriel (1), Kieran Tierney, Hector Bellerin, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Willian(3 assists), Alexandre Lacazette (1), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (1).

Subs: Matt Macey, Sead Kolasinac, Dani Ceballos (Xhaka 78′), Joe Willock, Bukayo Saka, Nicolas Pepe (Willian 75′), Eddie Nketiah (87′)

FULHAM vs ARSENAL MAN OF THE MATCH

Willian

Pre-match Arsenal predicted lineup

Arsenal kick off the new Premier League campaign with a match against Fulham on Saturday and Mikel Arteta has named his first squad of the 2020/21 season.

Mikel Arteta hasn’t really had a single chance to test his starting lineup before the Fulham game. At first, he was missing a number of players for pre-season through quarantine and later returns from holiday. Then many went away for internationals.

The good news is that the summer additions to the squad should all be available. Dani Ceballos featured in the friendly against Aston Villa, as did Willian. William Saliba is one of few to play a full pre-season and Gabriel Magalhaes is free to join full training now.

Our Arsenal predicted lineup for the trip to Craven Cottage from before the game:

Goalkeeper

Initially, we predicted Emi Martinez would start this one, keeping his place from the recent Community Shield win over Liverpool.

However, the circumstances have since changed. Martinez is seemingly on the verge of a move to Aston Villa, and reports suggest Bernd Leno is now more likely to start the Fulham game.

Leno played well for Germany over the international break, starting in a draw against Switzerland. He seems to be quickly back in form after his injury.

The Guardian reported on Friday night that Martinez is not even in the Arsenal squad for the game.

Defence

Right now, I’m not expecting Gabriel Magalhaes to start this game. Without playing the recent friendly matches, it just feels like it will come too soon for him. The West Ham home fixture is more likely for his first start for Arsenal.

Instead, Kieran Tierney will return from international duty with Scotland to start at left-centre-back. David Luiz is a major doubt, after picking up a neck injury. It’s pretty likely he misses this one.

As a result, the other two centre-back spots will probably go to Rob Holding and William Saliba, something the Daily Mail confirm.

Shkodran Mustafi, Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers are all still recovering from injuries. Reports in the media are linking Sokratis Papastathopoulos with a permanent move away.

Midfield

Unlike in defence, the midfield pretty much picks itself, assuming Arteta does stick with 3-4-3. Granit Xhaka is in excellent form with Switzerland, and he has his favourite midfield partner Dani Ceballos back.

With Tierney in defence, Ainsley Maitland-Niles can keep his place at left-wing-back. Hector Bellerin will start on the right.

Sead Kolasinac is another one seemingly closing in on an exit, as is Lucas Torreira. Arsenal are clearly trying to move Matteo Guendouzi on, without much success. Emile Smith Rowe may be heading out on loan.

Cedric Soares will continue to play a backup role for now. Mohamed Elneny has been in strong pre-season form, but he has his work cut out displacing Xhaka or Ceballos. Same goes for Joe Willock.

Mesut Özil may well be getting a second chance, but not starting in this formation, in my opinion. He very much wants to, though.

Is Dani Ceballos fit and available to play vs Fulham?

Forwards

Even though Bukayo Saka, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah are in good form, I think Arteta will opt for the experience of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe.

They’re the trio that finished the season so well, and they’re all available.

Willian is an option, but he joined pre-season as late as any of the player’s listed above and is still settling in with a new club. It’s not impossible he starts anyway, but a substitute appearance this weekend might make more sense.

Gabriel Martinelli is out with his long-term injury.

Full Predicted Starting Lineup

ARSENAL vs LIVERPOOL LINEUPS

29 August, 2020, Community Shield, Arsenal 6 Liverpool 5 (after pens)

Arsenal lineup:

Martinez, Holding, Luiz, Tierney (Kolasinac 83′), Bellerin (Cedric Soares 59′), Elneny, Xhaka, Maitland-Niles, Saka (Willock82′), Nketiah (Nelson 82′), Aubameyang (1).

Unused subs: Leno, Saliba, Smith Rowe, John-Jules, Olayinka.

Liverpool lineup:

Alisson, Williams (Minamino 59′), Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson, Wijnaldum (Brewster 90+2′), Fabinho, Milner, Salah, Firmino (Keita 59′), Mane.

Unused subs: Adrian, Grujic, Jones, Tsimikas, Elliott, Koumetio.

Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles

Arsenal vs Liverpool predicted lineup

Let’s have a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Liverpool. You can check out the status of all Arsenal’s injured players here.

Goalkeeper

Bernd Leno is back from injury and should is available, but he has only played against MK Dons since that game against Brighton in mid-June.

I’d expect Emi Martinez to keep his place for this one if he’s out of quarantine, but that might not be likely and Arteta will have to shove Leno back in.

Defence

The back-line is obviously hugely dependent on the formation Arteta chooses. He could stick with the 3-4-3, but you get the feeling he was only using that because of the players available, and he’d actually prefer a 4-3-3.

Assuming it’s a back four, we should see Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin in the full-back positions.

At centre-back, Arsenal still have quite a few injuries. Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers are still out, along with Shkodran Mustafi who will not be back in training until October. That leaves David Luiz, Rob Holding, Sokratis  and William Saliba.

Gabriel Magalhaes will probably need to quarantine, though that’s not entirely clear. Arsenal might not even have completed or annoucend the deal by the time the match gets here at the rate things are going.

Saliba and Holding returned to training a bit earlier, so they’re both in with a good shout, but I’d expect Arteta to stick with the experience of Luiz for a big game like the Community Shield. He’d be paired with one of the above two, and I’m hoping for Saliba.

Midfield

Arsenal’s midfield is in flux at the moment, as so many players have uncertain futures. There’s Mesut Özil and Matteo Guendouzi, who both look very unlikely to play after so many weeks out of the squad.

Lucas Torreira and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are still here, but it seems like they might not be for long. Mohamed Elneny is back from loan, but likely to leave again this summer even though he did start and score against MK Dons.

Video: Mohamed Elneny capitalises on a mistake from the MK Dons goalkeeper to slot home from near the half-way line to put Arsenal ahead. #afc pic.twitter.com/wVS9cUOSMi

— afcstuff (@afcstuff) August 25, 2020

Emile Smith Rowe is more likely to stay, especial after Arsenal turned down an offer from Monaco to sell him permanently, but he’s also just settling back in after a loan spell. Dani Ceballos is back with Real Madrid.

Granit Xhaka is the only midfield starter still at the club with no real question marks around his future. Joe Willock and Bukayo Saka are both available as well. As is new signing Willian, who may well start in midfield.

It’s guesswork which trio start, but Xhaka, Saka and Willian seem like good bets.

Forwards

In forward areas, things are a bit simpler. Assuming Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe are all available, they should all start.

As for alternatives, Willian is a possibility for the front three if he’s not in midfield. Reiss Nelson ended the season nicely and could be involved, as could Eddie Nketiah.

Gabriel Martinelli is out with injury and currently back in Brazil until the end of the month.

Full Predicted Starting Lineup

FA WSL, 12 September 2020, 17.20, Dagenham and Redbridge Stadium

Match report and goals here

West Ham lineup: Arnold, Fisk, Flaherty, Vetterlein, Pacheco, Cho, Dali, Svitkova, Lehmann, Daly, Leon.

Subs: Brosnan, Reidsch, Dunbar, Cruickshank, Loghurst, Grant, van Egmond, Kiernan, Nor.

Arsenal lineup: Zinsberger, Maritz, Williamson, Schnaderbeck, Catley, Walti, Little, Roord, Nobbs, Miedema, Mead.

Subs: Stenon, Gut, Evans, van de Donk, McCabe, Maier, Foord, Mace.

Arsenal official preview

Match report and goals here

Arsenal Lineup

Zinsberger, Maritz, Schnaderbeck, Williamson, Catley, Walti, Roord (3), Little (1), Nobbs, Miedema (2), Mead.

Substitutes: Stenson, Gut, Evans, Van de Donk, Maier, Foord, Mace.

Reading lineup

Moloney, Leine, Mitchell, Williams, Bartrip, James, Fishlock, Eikeland, Harding, Cooper, Carter (1).

Substitutes: Nayler, Jeon, Rowe, Skeels, Quirk, Bruton, Woodham, Roberts, Harries.

Player of the Match: Jill Roord

See the goals

Arsenal u23s 1 vs 2 Southampton u23s

Match report and goals here

Premier League 2: Arsenal u23 vs Southampton u23, Friday 11 September, Arsenal Training Centre, 3pm

Arsenal lineup:

Macey, Alebisou, Oyegoke, McGuinness, Bola, Azeez, Olayinka, Cottrell, Cirjan, Balogun, Lewis.

Subs: Hillson, Ogungbo (Oyegoke 77′), Akinola (Alebisou 63′), Salah (Cirjan 58′), McEneff.

Arsenal goalscorers: Cottrell (11)

Southampton lineup:

Lewis, Kpouhmouh, Ferry, O’Connor, Ramsay, Slattery, Mitchell, Jankewtiz, N’Lundulu, Sims, Olaigbe.

Subs: Scott, Chauke (Jankewitz 46′), Watts (Olaigbe 57′), Agbontohoma (Mitchell 86′), Robise.

Southampton goalscorers: J. Sims(48). Chauke (64)

Arsenal u18 4 vs 2 Southampton u18

Match report and goals here

Arsenal u18 lineup

Gracyk, Laing, Ogungbo (c), Kirk, Awe, Patino, Flores, Bandeira, Plange, Hutchinson, Taylor-Hart.

Subs: Foran, Ejeheri, Edwards (Taylor-Hart 71′), Francis, Vigar.

Arsenal goalscorers: Plange (19′) Tizzard (OG, 25′), Flores (36′), Edwards (90+8′)

Southampton u18 lineup

Wright, Otseh-Taiwo, Carson, Tshaka, Tizzard (c), Pambou, Davey, Finnigan, Smith, Babic, Rus.

Subs: Payne (Otseh-Taiwo 74′), Lillenburg, Woods, Edwards (Finnigan 46′), Pearce (Davey 64′).

Southampton goalscorers: Babic (pen, 81′), Smith (90+1′)