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Arsenal lineups and match information
for all Arsenal teams
(men, women,
u23, u21, u18)
Arsenal lineup for their next match:
Arsenal vs AFC Wimbledon
Arsenal lineup: Leno, Cedric, Holding, Mari, Tavares, Sambi, Partey, Maitland-Niles, Martinelli, Nketiah, Lacazette
Subs: Hein, Chambers, Kolasinac, Elneny, Smith Rowe, Saka, Balogun
Predicted lineup is below
Latest team news can be found
on our Arsenal injuries page
Arsenal’s lineup for their last match:
Burnley 0 vs Arsenal 1
Turf Moor, 18 September 2021, 3pm
Arsenal lineup: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Saka, Pepe, Aubameyang
Subs: Leno, Cedric, Holding, Mari, Tavares, Sambi, Maitland-Niles, Martinelli, Lacazette
Arsenal women lineup vs Reading women
Sunday, 12 September 2021, 2pm ko
Arsenal: Zinsberger, Maritz, Williamson, Beattie, Catley, Walti, Maaum, Little, Mead, Miedema, McCabe
Subs: Williams, Goldie, Wubben-Moy, Patten, Houssein, Iwabuchi, Hennessy, Parris
Xhaka to return: How Arsenal could line up vs Tottenham Hotspur
With the chance to overtake their North London rivals with a two-goal win, let's take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Spurs.
Heavy rotation but no debuts: How Arsenal could line up vs AFC Wimbledon
Taking on AFC Wimbledon in the next round of the League Cup, let's take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup for the fixture.
Why Odegaard is Arteta’s key to Arsenal’s future: Tactics vs Burnley
Join Stephen Bradley as he analyses Arsenal's 1-0 away win over Burnley in the Premier League including why Martin Odegaard is key to any Arteta success
Martin Odegaard: “I am really excited to be part of this club”
Along with Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Odegaard was the key difference between Arsenal and Burnley on Saturday and the Norway international has been speaking about how excited he is to be at Arsenal.
Mail on Sunday moan about ‘extraordinary’ Arsenal VAR call vs Burnley
The Mail on Sunday thinks Burnley's penalty against Arsenal should have stood because the referee didn't make a 'clear and obvious' error.
Daily Cannon Arsenal predicted lineups 2021/22
Xhaka to return: How Arsenal could line up vs Tottenham Hotspur
With the chance to overtake their North London rivals with a two-goal win, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Spurs.
Three games into the season, Arsenal were rock bottom of the Premier League table and Spurs were top.
But after consecutive wins and defeats respectively, there’s now just a three-point gap between the two sides.
A two-goal win would see Arsenal overtake their local rivals, but any win would be vital to gain some momentum after a terrible start.
With no midweek game following Sunday’s match, there’s no reason for Mikel Arteta to hold back with his selection.
Here’s our predicted Arsenal lineup to face Spurs.
Goalkeeper
Aaron Ramsdale seems likely to keep his place, after three clean sheets in his first three Arsenal appearances.
This would be his first real test as a shot-stopper, given the chance he’s faced so far, but he’s already shown good qualities in the air and with the ball.
There were some rumours from Germany that Bernd Leno was going to get his spot back for this game, so that’s worth mentioning.
But Arteta claimed he hadn’t made the decision at that stage.
Defence
This one seems like an easy decision.
Kieran Tierney should start at left-back, Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White at centre-back, with Takehiro Tomiyasu at right-back.
There’s no-one even particularly close to showing strong enough form to displace one of those four right now.
Nuno Tavares has looked lively in his cameos, but Tierney is still a nailed-on starter at the moment.
Of course, we won’t see this back four all season, not with the recent injury records Tierney, Gabriel, and Tomiyasu have.
Fortunately, they all seem to be fit for the derby.
Midfield
This is the area of the pitch where there’s the biggest question mark around Arteta’s selection.
He could stick with the same trio that started against Burnley, with Thomas Partey behind Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard.
But this is a very different game to the Burnley fixture. Plus, Granit Xhaka is available.
Like it or not, he probably has a good chance of coming back into the side, particularly given his experience in this fixture.
I just have a sneaking suspicion Xhaka will return next to Partey, with only one of Odegaard and Smith Rowe slotting in ahead of them.
My bet is on Odegaard.
Forwards
Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will probably all reprise their roles from last weekend, though Alexandre Lacazette might be pushing for a start given his record against Spurs.
Lacazette has four goals and two assists in eight Premier League North London derbies, including three goals in the last three home games.
It’s not implausible that he gets a place in the team on that basis.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs Spurs
Heavy rotation but no debuts: How Arsenal could line up vs AFC Wimbledon
Taking on AFC Wimbledon in the next round of the League Cup, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup for the fixture.
After a couple of wins in the Premier League, Arsenal return to the League Cup for the third round, the last round where new teams are introduced into the competition.
The Gunners have already played one League Cup fixture, knocking out West Bromwich Albion 6-0. They now face AFC Wimbledon at the Emirates Stadium, ahead of the North London derby this weekend.
Given such a big game is coming up a few days later, we’re predicting heavy rotation from Mikel Arteta. Here’s our predicted Arsenal lineup to face AFC Wimbledon.
Goalkeeper
Given Aaron Ramsdale’s form, he has to be the favourite to start against Tottenham Hotspur. But Bernd Leno should get a chance in this game, and it’s an opportunity he’ll want to take to win his spot back.
Defence
Arsenal certainly have enough options for full rotation in defence. Nuno Tavares should start at left-back, with Pablo Mari and Rob Holding coming in at centre-back.
Calum Chambers and Cedric Soares are both available to take Takehiro Tomiyasu’s place at right-back, but Cedric made the squad at the weekend, so he’s probably the favourite to start.
That will allow the first-choice back-four of Kieran Tierney, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, and Tomiyasu to rest up ahead of the Spurs clash.
Midfield
Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ainsley Maitland-Niles both seem pretty likely to come into the team, especially given Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe were both forced off early against Burnley.
There really aren’t many alternatives in the number 10 position, so Arteta may need to call on Martin Odegaard once again, after his winning goal at the weekend.
It would be nice to see an academy player getting a call-up, and Kido Taylor-Hart or Omari Hutchinson are certainly capable of filling in, or perhaps Salah Eddine Oulad M’Hand or Ben Cottrell.
The issue is that none of them have even seemed close to a first-team appearance recently, so it would be a bit of a jump to suddenly start one of them.
Forwards
Arteta has quite a few strikers to give a game to, with Alexandre Lacazette, Eddie Nketiah, and Folarin Balogun all fit and waiting behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Arsenal boss can get at least two of those three into the team by pushing one of them wide, likely Nketiah or Balogun with Lacazette up front. Nketiah will probably make it into the team on seniority.
Gabriel Martinelli should get a chance on the other wing, as he’s the most natural fit out wide from the players remaining.
Another possibility is that Arteta might choose to drop Lacazette back to the 10 position, playing Balogun up front. But a front four of Lacazette, Balogun, Martinelli, and Nketiah really lacks balance, so it’s a risky call.
Finally, one option would be to switch to a back three, playing Tavares and Cedric as wing-backs with a third centre-back (either Kolasinac or Chambers) joining the side. That would allow both Odegaard and Smith Rowe to rest, but it would be a bit negative.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs AFC Wimbledon
Partey to start: How Arsenal could line up vs Burnley
Facing Burnley in another Premier League fixture on Saturday, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup for the clash.
After finally getting a first Premier League win on the board against Norwich City, Arsenal travel to Turf Moor to face Burnley, who sit two places below the Gunners in the table. It’s another must-win game, particularly with Spurs coming up the following weekend.
Due to the lack of European football this week and a lower-league cup draw next week, there’s no reason why Mikel Arteta shouldn’t name his strongest team against Burnley. Here’s our predicted Arsenal lineup for the fixture.
Goalkeeper
Whether or not you believe the reports that Bernd Leno is going to return to the team when Arsenal face Tottenham Hotspur, all sources appear to be in agreement that Aaron Ramsdale has the goalkeeper spot for now. We expect him to start.
Defence
Arsenal’s back four against Norwich City currently looks like their strongest defence available, with Kieran Tierney at left-back, Gabriel and Ben White in the centre of defence and new signing Takehiro Tomiyasu at right-back.
It would be a surprise to see any changes, particularly after the clean sheet against Norwich. Any squad players looking for minutes have the League Cup game against AFC Wimbledon a few days later.
Midfield
Granit Xhaka is still suspended, Mohamed Elneny is injured, so Thomas Partey, Albert Sambi Lokonga, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are the three likely options for the two deeper midfield positions.
Partey is probably ready for a start now, and Lokonga is the player in better form at the moment, so we’re tipping those two to make the lineup.
Ahead of them, it seems pretty likely Martin Odegaard will continue to start. If Emile Smith Rowe does come back into the starting lineup, it will probably be wide on the left, rather than in the middle.
Forwards
With Arsenal’s only Premier League goal this season, and four in all competitions, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should start up front.
Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe could well keep their places alongside him, but Smith Rowe is an option to replace one of the two, as is Gabriel Martinelli. It’s an interesting call for Arteta. We’re predicting Saka and Pepe starting again.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs Burnley
New signing to debut: How Arsenal could line up vs Norwich City
Arsenal return from the international break to face Norwich City on Saturday, let’s take a look at our predicted lineup for the clash.
Arsenal currently sit bottom of the Premier League table with no wins and no goals in their first three games. The good news is that they’ll now face one of only two other teams to fail to pick up a point – Norwich City.
The Gunners absolutely have to get their season going with a win, particularly at the Emirates Stadium in front of their own fans. Here’s our predicted lineup for the match.
Goalkeeper
It seems likely Bernd Leno keeps his place in the team, though Aaron Ramsdale is certainly putting the pressure on. Ramsdale kept a clean sheet against West Brom and another in the international break friendly against Brentford – for what it’s worth.
Still, Leno has been away during that same international break keeping a clean sheet for Germany. Despite the criticism often aimed at him, he prevented quite a few more goals against Chelsea and Manchester City and will probably continue to start.
Defence
Thankfully, Ben White is back from his Covid-19 absence, and he should start at right-centre-back. Kieran Tierney is also still a nailed-on starter, but the other two positions are a little harder to call.
Gabriel Magalhaes is closing in on full fitness, but he’s still only recently back from his extended injury absence. We’re predicting Mikel Arteta to stick with Pablo Mari for now, but it could go either way.
As for the right-back position, Hector Bellerin is gone, but Cedric Soares and Calum Chambers remain to provide competition for new signing Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Our prediction is that Tomiyasu will make his debut, given how keen Arteta was to push the deal through and the fact neither Cedric nor Chambers have really managed to nail down their spots.
Midfield
Thanks to Granit Xhaka’s red card and Mohamed Elneny’s injury, Arsenal’s midfield options are a bit short right now. Thomas Partey is supposedly close to a return, but he wasn’t ready to feature in the international break friendly against Brentford.
As a result, Arteta may have to turn to Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, as basically his only available deep midfielders.
Ahead of them, you get the sense Arteta may have to choose between Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe. With Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli to squeeze into two wide positions as well, it’s difficult to find room in the team for both.
It’s not ideal to give up Odegaard’s chance creation when you’re struggling for goals as badly as Arsenal are, so we’re giving him the nod.
Forwards
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should start up front, though Alexandre Lacazette is definitely putting the pressure on him.
Pepe and Saka are the likely choices either side, with Saka in good form over the international break and Pepe back from illness to provide an assist in the Brentford friendly.
Youngsters Martinelli and Folarin Balogun will have to wait for chances, likely in the Carabao Cup against AFC Wimbledon in mid-September, and Eddie Nketiah remains out injured for now.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs Norwich City
5 changes: How Arsenal could line up vs Manchester City
After a big League Cup win, Arsenal need to carry that momentum into the Premier League. Let’s take a look at our predicted Arsenal lineup to face Manchester City.
After no goals in their first two Premier League games, Arsenal lifted spirits with a 6-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the League Cup.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starred with three goals and an assist, but Nicolas Pépé, Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and Alexandre Lacazette were all involved in the scoring as well, an encouraging sign for the coming league fixtures.
Unfortunately, Arsenal’s next game is about as tough as it gets, away to Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta has no reason to hold back, given the international break coming up afterwards, but his side will need to be at their best to have any chance at all. Here’s our predicted Arsenal lineup to face Manchester City on Saturday.
Goalkeeper
Aaron Ramsdale played well and kept a clean sheet against West Brom, but it seems pretty likely Bernd Leno will come back in anyway. At least there’s some competition for the position now, and we can only hope that pushes both of them on.
Defence
Gabriel Magalhaes is back in training, but it seems more likely he’ll rejoin the starting lineup after the international break. Ben White is also still a doubt for this match after his positive Covid-19 test last week. As a result, Pablo Mari and Rob Holding will probably start.
Nuno Tavares played at left-back in midweek, giving Kieran Tierney a rest after he struggled with cramp against Chelsea. Tierney should be available to come back in.
On the other side, Calum Chambers may return to the side after he performed well against West Brom. It’s a tight call between him, Cedric Soares, and Hector Bellerin at the moment, so it makes sense to pick the player in form.
Midfield
Granit Xhaka is pretty certain to start, fresh from his recent new contract. Albert Sambi Lokonga will probably come back into the side whilst Thomas Partey remains absent.
Martin Odegaard surely has to have a place in the side after his performance against West Brom as well. That obviously makes it difficult for Emile Smith Rowe to feature in midfield, but it’s very possible the youngster starts out wide instead.
Forwards
With a hat-trick and an assist in midweek, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will surely start up front.
There’s some competition though, with Alexandre Lacazette performing well in his cameo, Nicolas Pepe and Bukayo Saka both involved in goals as well, and Smith Rowe still to come back in.
Our prediction is that Lacazette and Pepe will be the unlucky pair to miss out on starts, with Saka, Odegaard and Smith Rowe backing up Aubameyang.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Manchester City
2 new signing debuts: How Arsenal could line up vs West Brom
Arsenal take on West Brom in the League Cup on Wednesday looking for their first win of the season, let’s take a look at our predicted lineup for the clash.
Mikel Arteta is likely to rotate for this match, partly because these cup competitions are the only way some players are going to get minutes, and partly because all the injuries and Covid-19 disruptions are going to put a strain on the current starting lineup if he doesn’t.
Those injury and illness absences will make it difficult to make changes in a few positions, but for the rest you’d expect heavy rotation.
The exciting part about that is we might get to see a couple of debuts (or a second debut in one particular case). Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup to face West Brom.
Goalkeeper
This seems like a good chance to hand Aaron Ramsdale his Arsenal debut, so it’s one that Arteta should take. If you don’t give players chances in these sorts of games, they aren’t ready for the games that really matter.
Bernd Leno made a couple of great saves against Chelsea at the weekend, but he’s not going to be too upset about missing the League Cup second round.
Defence
Nuno Tavares probably would have come in for this game anyway, but he’s definitely going to now that Kieran Tierney has an injury problem. On the other side, Calum Chambers could come in to replace Cedric Soares, with Hector Bellerin also injured.
At centre-back, Ben White is going to be out, Gabriel Magalhaes isn’t yet back, and with Chambers at right-back that only leaves Pablo Mari and Rob Holding starting again.
Midfield
As long as Martin Odegaard’s visa issues are resolved in time, Arteta has three players available to bring in to his midfield: Odegaard, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and Mohamed Elneny.
Maitland-Niles is also probably a good pick as he spent the last half a season on loan with West Brom, so he’ll be comfortable facing their players. Plus he needs to be in the shop window if he’s not going to be involved for Arteta when it matters this season.
With Thomas Partey still injured, and Granit Xhaka, Emile Smith Rowe and Albert Sambi Lokonga all starting the first couple of games of the season and likely to start the next too, this is a chance to give them a rest.
Forwards
Arsenal are really low on options in the front three. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will probably be saved for the Manchester City game after recovering from Covid-19, and there’s no guarantees Alexandre Lacazette will have recovered by then.
Willian also had Covid-19, and he wasn’t really in contention for matches anyway. Bukayo Saka is clearly still building his fitness and seems unlikely to start, whilst Gabriel Martinelli is injured – though hopefully it’s nothing serious.
That leaves Folarin Balogun to start up front, Reiss Nelson to fill in on the left and another likely start for Nicolas Pépé. There really aren’t many other options, barring Smith Rowe slotting in on the left. But Smith Rowe is another better rested for City – if possible.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs West Brom
Bukayo Saka to start: How Arsenal could line up vs Chelsea
Arsenal take on Chelsea in their first Premier League home game of the season on Sunday, let’s take a look at our predicted lineup for the clash.
After the poor opening-day defeat to Brentford, Arsenal don’t have a simple task bouncing back in their next couple of league games, as they’ll face Chelsea and Manchester City.
Chelsea are up first, at the Emirates Stadium, following Arsenal’s recent pre-season defeat in this exact fixture. Winning goalscorer Tammy Abraham is unlikely to be available this time around, but there’s just the small matter of facing Romelu Lukaku instead.
Mikel Arteta is undoubtedly going to pick the best team available to him for the match, but there are a few injuries and potential illness issues that will force his hand in some areas of the pitch. Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Chelsea.
Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno will inevitably start in goal, with Arsenal’s limited goalkeeping options cut down even further by Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson’s illness and subsequent unavailability last weekend. Rúnarsson may well be back by Sunday, but Leno will still start.
The good news is that Karl Hein and Arthur Okonkwo are getting more first-team chances than they may have expected, and one or both will join the squad again as they did against Brentford.
Defence
There are unlikely to be many changes in the back four, simply because there aren’t too many players available for Arteta to bring in.
Kieran Tierney and Ben White are both clearly in Arteta’s first-choice lineup anyway, and Gabriel Magalhaes is still injured so Pablo Mari’s spot isn’t under threat. The only possible change is at right-back, but we’re predicting Arteta will stick with Calum Chambers there anyway.
Midfield
Again, there isn’t a huge capacity for changes here. Granit Xhaka and Albert Sambi Lokonga are the best options in the deeper midfield positions with Thomas Partey injured, and Emile Smith Rowe is effectively the only choice in front of them.
The situation only emphasises the need for Arsenal to get Partey fit again and make at least one midfield signing before the transfer window closes. But for this match, they’ll have to work with what they have.
Forwards
Bukayo Saka looked bright in the latter stages of the game against Brentford, and he’s now likely in a much better position to start matches again, having had a few weeks to build his fitness.
Saka will probably start opposite Nicolas Pépé, but it will be very interesting to see who ends up in the centre-forward position. Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are still doubts with their illnesses, leaving Folarin Balogun and Gabriel Martinelli to fight it out.
It honestly could be either of them, but if Balogun isn’t going to get chances up front when Lacazette, Aubameyang, and Eddie Nketiah are all out, when will he? So if he’s not imminently set for a loan, he surely has to start this match.
Predicted Arsenal Starting Lineup vs Chelsea
2 competitive debuts: How Arsenal could line up vs Brentford
Arsenal kick off the Premier League season against Brentford on Friday, let’s take a look at our predicted lineup for the clash.
After some very mixed results in pre-season ended on a low note with defeats to Chelsea and Spurs, Arsenal will be hoping those matches have helped fire them up for the new campaign.
First up, they travel away to promoted Brentford in the Premier League opener on Friday. Mikel Arteta has most of his squad back from their holidays, with only Lucas Torreira still abroad, but not everyone will be fit and ready for Friday.
Here’s our predicted Arsenal lineup to face Brentford this week.
Goalkeeper
Given Arsenal’s failure to bring in a goalkeeper so far this window, the fact they’re still rotating between Karl Hein and Arthur Okonkwo in the pre-season squads and the high likelihood Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson leaves this window, there’s only really one option here – Bernd Leno.
Defence
Three of the back four should be pretty easy to predict, with Kieran Tierney obviously starting on the left, and Pablo Mari and Ben White in central defence.
Calum Chambers is the only player who could realistically displace the centre-backs, given Gabriel Magalhaes and Rob Holding’s fitness problems, and it seems very unlikely he starts ahead of White.
Instead, Chambers might be a better bet at right-back, but Hector Bellerín and Cedric Soares are also options. It’s not an easy call, with Bellerín starting against Spurs, Chambers against Chelsea, and Cedric against Watford in the last three games.
Chambers has probably been the most impressive of the three in pre-season, so we’ll guess that he’ll get the nod.
Midfield
With Thomas Partey absent through injury, there really shouldn’t be much debate over the three midfield positions. Granit Xhaka has to start, and Albert Sambi Lokonga has looked more up to the task of filling in for Partey than Mohamed Elneny in pre-season.
Ahead of those two, Emile Smith Rowe is basically the only option. At the moment, the alternative to Smith Rowe is Willian, who wasn’t even selected for the squad against Spurs.
Forwards
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are back, and Saka did feature in a cameo appearance against Spurs, but it seems a bit soon for either of them to start this match. Hopefully, they’ll both make the bench, because Arsenal may well need them.
With Eddie Nketiah out injured and Folarin Balogun yet to break into the starting lineup, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will likely take their places in a front three along with Nicolas Pépé.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Brentford
Arsenal absolutely smashed West Brom in the second round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
Arsenal started shakily in a game that saw our new reserve left-back deployed at right-back, but once they found their rhythm there was no stopping them and West BRrom were brushed aside with barely a whimper.
A Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hattrick on his 150th Arsenal appearance, along with an assist, would have been enough to see this game over the line, but then we wouldn’t have seen Bukayo Saka’s superb goal, nor Nicolas Pepe’s or Alexandre Lacazette’s, just two minutes after coming on as a sub.
This was, of course, a young West Brom side, but let’s make no mistake, Arsenal could have scored 10 in when you factor in saves and the number of times they hit the woodwork (3), and when was the last time we could say that?
Arsenal got nine of their 14 shots on target telling me somebody has been making them do shooting drills.
Finally.
It’s also worth noting that against Chelsea, only one player was rated 7, everybody else was below that. Against West Brom, only one player was below 7.
Next up, City, but we’ll all just to agree that doesn’t count.
Arsenal lineup vs West Brom (a):
Ramsdale, Tavares, Chambers, Holding, Kolasinac, Elneny, Xhaka, Odegaard, Pepe, Saka, Aubameyang
Subs: Leno, Mari, Maitland-Niles, Sambi, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Lacazette
Arsenal goals vs West Brom
Me miró, lo miré y Lacazette hizo el sexto 🕺🏻#CarabaoCup ⚽ 🏴 pic.twitter.com/3oukYieGRN
— DAZN España (@DAZN_ES) August 25, 2021
https://twitter.com/DammitArsenal/status/1430625407657598979
Pepe's goal put @Arsenal 3-0 up over West Brom and a step closer to Round Three!#EFL | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/zI921Xb7Fx
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) August 25, 2021
GOAL ! Aubameyang scores his 2nd goal of the game vs West Brom pic.twitter.com/biZu3InMfH
— Manny (@ArsenalEdits___) August 25, 2021
Auba is back! #EFL | @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/kjnY7BJzo7
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) August 25, 2021
4-1: Arsenal play behind-closed-doors friendly against Millwall
Arsenal managed to find a replacement friendly for their planned Florida Cup game on Saturday, facing Millwall at London Colney, reportedly winning 4-1, and they’ll be showing the game at 4pm.
Earlier this week, Arsenal had to cancel their participation in the Florida Cup after a few positive Covid cases in the staff. That meant calling off Saturday’s planned friendly against Inter Milan, and the following match against either Everton or Millonarios.
But the majority of the squad were kept isolated from those that tested positive and have now had a few more days of testing to confirm they’re safe from infection, so Arsenal are planned to hold two replacement friendlies behind closed doors.
According to multiple sources including Arsenal Fixture News, the plan was first to play a friendly against Millwall behind closed doors at London Colney on Saturday, July 24th.
There was obviously a risk that Arsenal wouldn’t be able to find an opponent, given the short notice, but fortunately, it seems Millwall were available. It was a nice early reunion with Daniel Ballard, who is on loan with Millwall from the Gunners.
Unfortunately, the game wasn’t streamed live, given it was at London Colney and behind closed doors. They have the capacity to stream fixtures at their training centre, they just almost never do.
In all honesty, we thought we’d be lucky to even learn the score, let alone get a match report or a highlights package. It seems that Arsenal won the game 4-1 with goals from Chambers, Lacazette, Pepe and Balogun.
Hearing Arsenal beat Millwall 4-1 at London Colney this afternoon, goals from Chambers, Lacazette, Pepe & Balogun
— Harry Symeou (@HarrySymeou) July 24, 2021
There’s no word if Millwall’s ‘1’ was a header from a set-piece but we can find out from 4pm UK time as Arsenal will be showing the match for free on Arsenal player.
Rangers vs Arsenal lineups
Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Bassey, Lundstram, Goldson, Hagi, Defoe, Davis, Kamara, Roofe, Balogun
Subs: McLaughlin, Itten, Simpson, Patterson, Jones, Wright, Kelly, Edmundson, Hastie, Mayo, Arfield, Middleton
Arsenal: Okonkwo, Cedric, Holding, Pablo Mari, Tavares, Elneny, Partey, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Balogun, Aubameyang
Subs: Hein, Chambers, Bellerin, tierney, Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Nelson, Willian, Nketiah, Lacazette
Arsenal’s first match of pre-season is here so let’s take a look at how they lineup against Hibs:
Arsenal: Okonkwo, Cedric, Clarke, Mari, Kolasinac, Nelson, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Willian, Nketiah, Aubameyang
Subs: Hein, Rekik, Hutchinson, Pepe, Partey, Balogun, Smith Rowe, Lacazette, Bellerin, Henry-Francis
Hibs: Macey, McGinn, Hanlon, Porteous, Stevenson, Newell, Gogic, Boyle, Allan, Bradley, Nisbet
Subs: Dabrowski, Brydon, Campbell, Hallberg, Magennins, Wright, Mackay
Lokonga to start: How Arsenal could line up vs Chelsea
Arsenal will finally be back in front of their fans on Sunday, so let’s take a look at our predicted starting lineup for the Chelsea clash.
With only a couple of friendlies to go until the Premier League season starts, Arsenal and Mikel Arteta are likely to take their upcoming friendlies against Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur pretty seriously.
Friendlies or not, they’re also London derbies, so there’s a little bit of pride at stake. Combine that with how little time there is left to prepare for the season and you’d expect Arteta to name a strong lineup to start the match.
At the same time, there are probably still a couple of positions up for grabs in the team to face Brentford, so nothing is nailed-on just yet. Here’s our predicted Arsenal lineup to face Chelsea.
Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno is back after the Euros, and he needs a game to get up to speed, so he’s likely to take up the spot in goal.
Arthur Okonkwo and Karl Hein both got chances over the last few pre-season friendlies, and they’re likely to join the squad again given Arsenal are yet to sign an experienced deputy to Leno.
Defence
Ben White should have completed his move to Arsenal by Sunday (he hasn’t at the time of writing), but it still might be an ask for him to start the match given the tight turnaround. We’re likely set for another round of pairing Pablo Mari and Rob Holding instead.
In the full-back positions, you’d expect Kieran Tierney and Calum Chambers to be the first-choice options at the moment, though there’s certainly competition from Nuno Tavares, Cedric Soares, and Hector Bellerin – despite rumours of an exit.
Midfield
Emile Smith Rowe is the only real option for the number 10 position, with Willian still filling in as a backup in that role at the moment. Behind him, Thomas Partey is sure to start, and it might be an opportunity for Albert Sambi Lokonga to make his first start.
Granit Xhaka may well be available again too, with his transfer to AS Roma dragging on. Mohamed Elneny, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and Joe Willock are all options too, but Sambi Lokonga did well against Millwall so he’s our prediction to make the side.
Forwards
With Bukayo Saka not yet back, Gabriel Martinelli away at the Olympics, and Willian filling in at 10, there’s still not much competition for Nicolas Pepe on the right. Reiss Nelson is an option but remains out of favour under Arteta.
In the other two positions, it just feels like Arteta is going to pick Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang together. Folarin Balogun and Eddie Nketiah are the alternatives, with Balogun fresh from his goal in the Millwall game.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Chelsea
Tavares scores: Rangers 2 vs Arsenal 2 – with goals
Arsenal played out a 2-2 draw with Rangers to end their mini-tour of Scotland.
Great goal for Leon Balogun 1-0 Rangers #RANARS pic.twitter.com/6f0UTgChtS
— Andrew Mulder McCoi5t E5q. (@ojmiester87) July 17, 2021
Nuno Taveres scores for the Arsenal 👏
pic.twitter.com/Kjy7L3tOjY
— Gunners (@Gunnersc0m) July 17, 2021
Rangers retook the lead with another set-piece header before Eddie Nketiah scored in the 83rd minute to make it 2-2.
Cedric Itten 2-1. Another header for Rangers! #RANARS pic.twitter.com/emuWZANZri
— Andrew Mulder McCoi5t E5q. (@ojmiester87) July 17, 2021
Eddie Nketiah equalises for Arsenal. 2-2 now. 🏴 pic.twitter.com/H7EdAb5XcT
— TheAFCnewsroom (@TheAFCnewsroom) July 17, 2021
Thankfully, Arsenal have hired a new set-piece coach from Manchester City to replace the one that left.
Rangers vs Arsenal lineups
After defeat to Hibernian FC, Arsenal are preparing to face Rangers in their second pre-season fixture, so let’s take a look at their lineup for the match.
Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Bassey, Lundstram, Goldson, Hagi, Defoe, Davis, Kamara, Roofe, Balogun
Subs: McLaughlin, Itten, Simpson, Patterson, Jones, Wright, Kelly, Edmundson, Hastie, Mayo, Arfield, Middleton
Arsenal: Okonkwo, Cedric, Holding, Pablo Mari, Tavares, Elneny, Partey, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Balogun, Aubameyang
Subs: Hein, Chambers, Bellerin, Tierney, Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Nelson, Willian, Nketiah, Lacazette
Rangers vs Arsenal predicted lineup
As expected in their first pre-season fixture, Arsenal made plenty of changes throughout the match to ensure everybody on the bench got at least a few minutes.
You’d expect the same against Rangers, but we’re predicting Mikel Arteta will start a team more similar to the one that finished the match against Hibernian, so they all get a chance to compete in a first-half against fresher opponents.
That said, here’s our predicted Arsenal lineup to face Rangers on Saturday.
Goalkeeper
We now know Arsenal have brought a batch of youth goalkeepers on the trip, including Arthur Okonkwo, Karl Hein, James Hillson, and Tom Smith. The likes of Runar Alex Runarsson and Dejan Iliev appear to have been left behind, possibly to secure transfers.
Our prediction is that Hein and Okonkwo will continue to get chances though, with Hillson and Smith acting as the backups, as that seems to be the hierarchy within the academy. So we’re picking Hein for a start in goal.
Defence
Nuno Tavares’ paperwork should be sorted by the time this game comes around, so that gives him a chance to feature from the start for his new club. On the other side, Hector Bellerin only played the final 27 minutes against Hibs, so he’ll likely get a chance to start.
At centre-back, Arsenal have a bit of a problem, because so few senior defenders have made the trip. Pablo Mari is really the only one, and he played the entire 90 minutes against Hibs.
As a result, we may be set to see youth players Harry Clarke and Omar Rekik starting together.
Midfield
After Mohamed Elneny made a 75-minute appearance and with Jack Henry-Francis unlikely to start (as well as he played against Hibs), we’ll probably see Thomas Partey and Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the middle – as they only played 45 minutes each on Tuesday.
Forwards
Arsenal played somewhat of a front four against Hibs, with two wide players and two up front. All eight players only played a half each in that match, so it’s feasible that any four of them could make a start.
Our guess is that Arteta will start this match as he finished that one, with Folarin Balogun and Alexandre Lacazette backed up by Emile Smith Rowe and Nicolas Pepe.
Predicted Arsenal lineup to face Rangers
1st team of pre-season: How Arsenal could line up vs Hibs
Arsenal kick off pre-season with a friendly against Hibernian FC on Tuesday, let’s look at our predicted team for the clash.
After returning to training this week from their summer holiday, the Arsenal squad are preparing for their Edinburgh training camp and a couple of fixtures in Scotland against Hibs and Rangers.
For unexplained reasons likely related to quarantines and isolation periods, not every available player has returned to training with Arsenal just yet.
It’s possible they’ll feature in the Hibs friendly anyway, but for now, we’re going to assume the Arsenal side will largely be made up of the players who have been in training already over the last week. Here’s our predicted Arsenal lineup for that match.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup – Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno is on holiday and Mat Ryan has left, so Runar Alex Runarsson is the most senior goalkeeper and the most likely to start this match.
Arthur Okonkwo has a fresh new contract and has been promoted to the first team, so he’ll likely get some minutes too. So far there’s been no sign of Dejan Iliev in training photos, nor Karl Hein, but they’re both possibilities for a squad spot.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup – Defence
The only senior defenders we’ve seen in training so far are Sead Kolasinac, Pablo Mari, Calum Chambers, and Cedric Soares, so that’s probably the back four that will start against Hibs.
Left-back Nuno Tavares has joined in the last couple of days, so he’ll likely get his debut from the bench. Centre-backs Harry Clarke and Omar Rekik look to be stepping up from the u23s for a pre-season chance as well.
There’s no sign of Rob Holding yet, but he should be involved soon. William Saliba is closing in on a loan move, and Gabriel Magalhaes is injured.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup – Midfield
Again, our team prediction will be based on the midfielders we’ve actually seen in training so far, so Emile Smith Rowe, Thomas Partey, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Granit Xhaka is away on holiday, as is Lucas Torreira. Matteo Guendouzi has left the club, and there’s no sign of Joe Willock or Mohamed Elneny just yet. Ideally, those two, Miguel Azeez and a few other youngsters will join the squad.
Arsenal Forwards
With Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli on international duty, this is another area where numbers are limited. There’s also no sign of Willian, Alexandre Lacazette, or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, though you’d expect them all in training very soon.
For the time being, that leaves Reiss Nelson and Nicolas Pepe to start on the wings, with either Eddie Nketiah or Folarin Balogun up front. The backup wing spots will have to be filled by u23s, with Kido Taylor-Hart close to a new deal.
Nketiah and Balogun will likely both get chances in the coming weeks, but there’s an element of keeping Nketiah in the shop window that has me predicting he’ll start.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs Hibs
Arsenal lineups 2021/21
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5 changes: How Arsenal could line up vs Manchester City
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Arsenal face Chelsea in the Premier League on Wednesday, let’s take a look at our predicted lineup for the London derby clash.
Arsenal and Chelsea go into Wednesday’s match in embarrassingly different circumstances.
Chelsea are trying to secure top four before their FA Cup final this weekend and the Champions League final later this month. Arsenal are trying to keep their hopes of a top-seven finish alive, relying on multiple teams above them imploding.
All the same, it’s a derby, and Arsenal may as well at least try to restore some pride by winning it. Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup for the match.
Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno should start. Despite losing his clean sheet to an excellent finish at the weekend, Leno had a good game in terms of coming out to claim crosses and distributing the ball quickly. Mat Ryan was also ill, so it’s unlikely he comes in on Wednesday.
Defence
Rob Holding is the only right-centre-back available until David Luiz returns, and Calum Chambers played well on Sunday, so they’ll probably keep their places.
Kieran Tierney can come back in at left-back, although Bukayo Saka did a great job filling in at the weekend.
The other change I’m expecting is Pablo Mari coming in for Gabriel Magalhaes. I’m not sure it’s a change I’d make myself, but Mikel Arteta seems to want to rotate between the two every game.
Midfield
Martin Odegaard should start in the number 10 position, with Emile Smith Rowe forced off with an injury over the weekend. Thomas Partey is also an obvious choice for the midfield.
I’m a bit torn on whether Arteta will start Mohamed Elneny or Dani Ceballos alongside Partey. It could go either way, but given Chelsea’s threat on the counter, perhaps the Arsenal manager will opt for the extra defensive contributions of Elneny.
Forwards
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should start up front, after his rest at the weekend. Gabriel Martinelli didn’t make a hugely compelling case to take his place centrally on Sunday, and Alexandre Lacazette is still working his way back after injury.
As for the wingers, Saka will probably move back to the right-wing. It’s a close thing between Nicolas Pepe and Martinelli on the left, but Pepe probably just about has the edge.
Despite Willian’s positive performance on Sunday, he hasn’t shown the consistency this season for us to trust him to maintain that form two games in a row.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Chelsea
Aubameyang + Elneny in: How Arsenal could line up vs Villarreal
Arsenal host Villarreal in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday, let’s take a look at our predicted lineup for the clash.
Arsenal have a one-goal deficit to overturn in midweek, as they try to make the Europa League final with a win over Unai Emery’s Villarreal. The Gunners lost 2-1 away from home, meaning a goal and a clean sheet would be enough to go through.
From that perspective, Arsenal had the perfect warm-up for Thursday with a 2-0 win over Newcastle United at the weekend. But it’s sure to be a different game with the pressure on and the knowledge that every goal conceded makes the job much harder.
Dani Ceballos is suspended and there are still a few major injury doubts, but Mikel Arteta will try to go as strong as he can for such a big game. Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Villarreal.
Goalkeeper
Mat Ryan kept a clean sheet at the weekend, but Bernd Leno will probably come back in for this one. Leno made a vital save in the first leg to keep the tie alive and is still edging the number one goalkeeper spot.
Defence
The two players Arsenal were hoping might come into the defence and change this game were David Luiz and Kieran Tierney, but it seems both are likely to miss out through injury.
That probably means Granit Xhaka at left-back again, and Rob Holding at right-centre-back. If Holding is starting, it will probably be Pablo Mari alongside him, as Arteta doesn’t often opt for the Gabriel-Holding pairing anymore.
Calum Chambers is also likely to come back in to complete an unchanged back four from the first leg.
Midfield
There’s no Dani Ceballos, but without Tierney there’s also not much chance of Xhaka moving into midfield. As a result, Mohamed Elneny will probably start alongside Thomas Partey.
Ahead of them could be Martin Odegaard or Emile Smith Rowe, and it’s a close thing either way. Odegaard finished the week strongly and probably has the edge right now.
Forwards
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has to start up front, in the absence of Alexandre Lacazette. Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe will probably keep their places on the wings.
It’s harsh on Gabriel Martinelli, who played very well against Newcastle United. But Pepe has been the key man for Arsenal in the last few Europa League knockout games and Saka remains a big threat, particularly with Aubameyang and Odegaard to play off.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs Villarreal
Select Predicted Arsenal lineups from throughout the 20/21 season
How Arsenal could line up vs Leicester City
Arsenal return to Premier League action with a trip to Leicester City on Sunday, let’s take a look at our predicted lineup for the clash.
After scraping through in the final minutes of their Europa League tie against Benfica, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal return their focus to domestic competition for a couple of games.
First up, they face Leicester City, on the back of the Foxes’ disappointing Europa League exit to SK Slavia Prague. Brendan Rodgers’ side will be looking to bounce back and consolidate their current spot in the top four.
With this game coming so soon after Thursday’s trip to Athens, you’d expect a few chances from Arteta. But he’ll know this is a tough game and likely stick with his starters wherever he thinks it’s safe to do so. Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup.
Arsenal lineup – Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno didn’t make a save in the second leg against Benfica, but he had no chance with the goals and at least he avoided a red card after rushing out to try and salvage something following Dani Ceballos’ poor headed pass. He should keep his place.
Arsenal lineup – Defence
Largely, we’re expecting a similar back four to the one that played against Benfica. There’s no real necessity to drop Gabriel Magalhaes or David Luiz, but perhaps Kieran Tierney will drop out for Cedric Soares after his recent injury problems.
That only leaves Hector Bellerin (or Calum Chambers, perhaps) to start at right-back.
Arsenal lineup – Midfield
Thomas Partey is fit again, but rushing him back into the starting lineup is ill-advised. Ceballos may well get an immediate shot at redemption after his midweek mistakes by starting again alongside Granit Xhaka instead.
Martin Odegaard has now made more starts in 11 days than he did in his final four months with Real Madrid. It may also be a good idea to give him a rest and let Emile Smith Rowe take over at 10 for this one. Smith Rowe came off early against Benfica.
Arsenal lineup – Forwards
We’re predicting some changes at the front, given the recent busy schedule. Smith Rowe moving into the 10 position leaves a gap on the left, whilst Bukayo Saka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang realistically need a rest.
Alexandre Lacazette can come in up front, with Nicolas Pepe on the right, but that leaves an opening on the left. Willian is likely to fill it, in the absence of the usual alternatives of Pepe, Saka, and Smith Rowe.
It won’t go down well with the Arsenal fans, but Willian had a decent cameo against Benfica and it seems like Arteta plans to use Gabriel Martinelli centrally rather than on the left.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Leicester City
Arsenal lineup vs Benfica:
Starting XI: Leno, Bellerin, David Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney, Ceballos, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang
Subs: Ryan, Hein, Cedric, Chambers, Pablo Mari, Elneny, Partey, Willian, Pepe, Nketiah, Martinelli, Lacazette
Tierney to start: How Arsenal could line up vs Benfica
Arsenal travel to Athens for the second leg of their Europa League tie on Thursday, let’s take a look at our predicted lineup for the clash.
Mikel Arteta made his priorities clear last week, picking his strongest side against Benfica before rotating a few players out against Manchester City at the weekend.
The manager knows Arsenal’s best hope of a positive end to the season is through success in the Europa League, so defeat in the second leg would be very damaging. As a result, we expect him to pick a strong side in Athens.
Although they didn’t get the win in Rome, arguably Arsenal outperformed their opponents, so you wouldn’t expect a huge number of changes from that much. Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup.
Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno will start in goal, with Mat Ryan on the bench. Karl Hein looks the most likely to step up and join Ryan on the bench from the Arsenal academy after he made the squad last week.
Defence
Pablo Mari and Rob Holding started against Manchester City, but they’re likely to come out for Gabriel Magalhaes and David Luiz, who seem to be the first-choice pairing at the moment.
There are a few possible combinations at full-back. Kieran Tierney will probably start if he’s ready, but he’s only recently back from injury and played 90 minutes against Manchester City. Cedric Soares is the likely alternative if Arteta decides against Tierney.
Arguably, Cedric also has a shot at getting into the team at right-back. Hector Bellerin didn’t play particularly well against City and he’s started eight in a row. But we feel Arteta will select Tierney and Bellerin for this one if at all possible.
Midfield
This is another area of the pitch where individual fitness is going to play a part in the selection. Thomas Partey seems to be edging closer, but we’re expecting him to be just short to start against Benfica.
Instead, Dani Ceballos will replace Mohamed Elneny to come back in alongside Granit Xhaka. Ahead of the two of them, Martin Odegaard will probably keep his place so Emile Smith Rowe can start on the left again.
Forwards
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has had a couple of off-games now, but we’re still expecting him to start.
Even though his accuracy was off in the first leg, Aubameyang still had all of Arsenal’s best chances. Arteta will surely pick the striker and expect him to hit the target this time.
Bukayo Saka has to start, ideally on the right, leaving the left side open for Emile Smith Rowe or Nicolas Pepe. Smith Rowe had a rest at the weekend, only playing a few minutes from the bench, so he’s probably the player to get the nod.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs Benfica
Pepe replaces Smith Rowe: How Arsenal could line up vs Manchester City
Arsenal return to Premier League action with a match against Manchester City on Sunday, so let’s take a look at our predicted lineup.
With the Benfica Europa League tie still very much in the balance at 1-1, Arsenal have to briefly shift their focus to facing the Premier League leaders.
Manchester City are 10 points clear at the top of the table on the back of a 17-game winning streak, defeating Spurs, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal during that run. So this game is evidently no big deal.
Given the busy schedule at the moment, and the fact he’s just named the same team twice in a row, we’re expecting a few changes for this one.
Here’s our predicted Arsenal lineup to face Manchester City.
Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno will start as usual. After his run of clean sheets at the start of the year, he’s gone a couple of games without one, but you can hardly blame him given the chances he’s faced.
Mat Ryan should make the bench.
Defence
After his substitute appearance on Thursday, this would be a good time to reintroduce Kieran Tierney. Getting him up to speed ahead of a tough fixture list is key.
Rob Holding could come back in to give David Luiz a rest, but we’re predicting another start for Gabriel Magalhaes at left-centre-back. You never know, but Manchester City doesn’t seem like the best game to reintroduce Pablo Mari after injury.
Hector Bellerin will likely start at right-back. He hasn’t had a rest for a while, but neither has Cedric Soares. One of them has to play.
Midfield
We’re not expecting many changes in the middle, largely due to the lack of alternatives.
At least one of Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe have to start in the number 10 position, and Smith Rowe is probably more in need of a rest, so Odegaard will keep his spot.
Without Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny is the only real option to replace Granit Xhaka or Dani Ceballos. But Partey should be back before too long to give Ceballos a rest, and Xhaka rarely seems to need one, so we’re predicting them both to start again for now.
Forwards
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had an off game on Thursday, and whilst he’s sure to bounce back, it’s probably a good time to give him a rest and bring Alexandre Lacazette back in.
Similarly, Nicolas Pepe can offer Smith Rowe a break on the left.
We’re clearly getting into the territory of overplaying Bukayo Saka a bit, but Arsenal also just can’t afford to rotate their entire front three at once.
Taking Saka out would probably mean moving Pepe to the right (despite playing all his recent games on the left), and putting Willian or Gabriel Martinelli on the left, which is a lot of changes at once. So we’re predicting another start for Saka.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Manchester City
Midfielder recalled: How Arsenal lineup vs Leeds United
Mikel Arteta faces a number of crucial choices ahead of Arsenal’s game this weekend so how will Arsenal lineup vs Leeds United?
For the first time in a while, the Arsenal team got a proper break this week. After playing in the early kickoff against Aston Villa on Saturday, they had until the following week on Sunday to wait for their next fixture.
As a result, they’ll hopefully come back refreshed and ready to put things right. A couple of defeats on the bounce haven’t done much for confidence, but we’ll just have to hope they inspire the side to get back to winning ways ahead of the Europa League’s return.
Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Leeds United on Sunday.
Arsenal lineup vs Leeds United – Goalkeeper
After his suspension, Bernd Leno should come back into the Arsenal team. Mat Ryan did a good job against Aston Villa, and it’s a positive to have him available when Leno isn’t, but the German international remains the number one for now.
Arsenal lineup vs Leeds United – Defence
We aren’t expecting too many changes in defence. Obviously, Kieran Tierney is going to return to the team when he’s fit, but there’s no suggestion he is yet.
David Luiz is back from his suspension and might replace Gabriel Magalhaes. Pablo Mari could even come in after his recovery. But Gabriel seems to be finding form again after his shaky return from Covid.
As a result, we’re predicting the same back four as against Villa, with Cedric Soares joining Gabriel, Rob Holding, and Hector Bellerin.
Arsenal lineup vs Leeds United – Midfield
There’s no official word on the length of Thomas Partey’s injury just yet, but it looks like he’ll miss at least a game or two. The good news is that Dani Ceballos is back from injury and made the bench for the last couple of games.
Ceballos should be able to start alongside Granit Xhaka, with Emile Smith Rowe ahead of them as usual. Arteta kept picking Smith Rowe when the games were coming thick and fast, so he’ll surely stick with him for this one after a week’s break.
Arsenal lineup vs Leeds United – Forwards
Even though they blanked in the last game against Aston Villa, Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka, and Alexandre Lacazette still seem like Arsenal’s most balanced front three at the moment.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang didn’t even make it to 10 touches in his half an hour against Villa. It’s not his fault, but the team is just better set up for a striker like Lacazette right now.
When Tierney returns, that’s when I’d expect Aubameyang to make it back into the starting lineup. Those two worked well together, in a way we haven’t seen from Aubameyang and Cedric.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Leeds United
Arsenal have just announced their team for the game against Aston Villa and Mat Ryan gets his first start for Arsenal:
Arsenal lineup: Ryan, Bellerin, Holding, Gabriel, Cedric, Xhaka, Partey, Saka, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Lacazette
Subs: Runarsson, Chambers, Mari, Elneny, Ceballos, Odegaard, Willian, Martinellie, Aubameyang
After an incredibly frustrating defeat to Wolves, let’s have a look at the Arsenal team we predict Mikel Arteta to select to bounce back against Aston Villa.
The less said about the Wolves game, the better, but it’s fair to say the Arsenal squad will be feeling a sense of injustice. They now need to channel that into motivation to get a result away at Villa Park on Saturday.
One bit of good news going into this game is that Arsenal don’t have another for over a week afterwards. The next midweek is for FA Cup fixtures, so Arteta’s squad can rest up.
As a result, we’re not predicting a huge number of changes. Obviously, there are one or two required by the red-card suspensions for Bernd Leno and David Luiz, but here’s how we think Arsenal will line up overall.
Goalkeeper
We know this is one position where Arteta has to make a change. Bernd Leno picked up a one-match ban for his handball on Tuesday, and this is that one match.
The big question is whether Mat Ryan will be fit. If he is, you’d expect him to start, given the amount of Premier League experience he has compared to Runar Alex Runarsson. Otherwise, Runarsson will be making his first league start in England.
Right now, it looks like Ryan has passed his late fitness tests. Icelandic reporter Hjörvar Hafliðason, who seemingly has links to Inaki Cana and Runar Alex Runarsson, claims Ryan will start.
Defence
It’s hard to see many changes from the back four that finished the match against Wolves on Tuesday.
If Arteta sounded pessimistic on Ryan’s fitness, he was even more so on Kieran Tierney, admitting Tierney “wasn’t close at all” to playing in midweek. As a result, Cedric Soares should start.
David Luiz is out with his suspension, and Pablo Mari is only just returning from injury, so Gabriel Magalhaes is nailed on to start at left-centre-back. Rob Holding will probably keep his place on the right, with Hector Bellerin at right-back.
Midfield
One small positive consequence of the red cards against Wolves was that a couple of players came off earlier than expected. Thomas Partey was one of them, leaving the field to make way for Runarsson. As a result, he should be able to start this one too.
Granit Xhaka will surely start alongside him, as the pair are forming a good partnership at the base of Arsenal’s midfield.
It’s hard to call who will get the nod in front of them. For the time being, Arteta seems to be keen to continue giving Emile Smith Rowe chances if at all possible. Tuesday seemed like a chance to rotate with Martin Odegaard, but it didn’t happen.
After Smith Rowe was forced to complete the full 90 against Wolves for a team with nine men, after his recent injury problems, surely this time he has to rest.
Forwards
Like Partey, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe came off early against Wolves, with Lacazette making way for Gabriel at half-time and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang replacing Pepe.
You’d think that would mean both are available to start against Villa. It seems like Pepe is also a better fit than the alternatives on the left while Arsenal are playing a right-footed left-back, as they are at the moment.
Bukayo Saka has to start on the right, as he remains one of Arsenal’s main threats in attack. He was unlucky not to get a single goal from his explosive start on Tuesday.
That means Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Willian, and Gabriel Martinelli on the bench.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs Aston Villa
Arsenal’s team for their match vs Wolves has been released:
Wolves: Patricio, Boly, Coady, Kilman, Semedo, Neves, Moutinho, Neto, Adama, J. Willian, Podence
Subs: Ruddy, Hoever, Silva, Gibbs-White, Vitinha, Leander Dendoncker, Richards, Otasowie
Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, David Luiz, Holding, Cedric, Xhaka, partey, Pepe,. Smith Rowe, Saka, Lacazette
Subs: Runarsson, Gabriel, Chambers, Elneny, Ceballos, Odegaard, Willian, Martinelli, Aubameyang
Looking to get back to winning ways on Tuesday, let’s have a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Arsenal extended their Premier League unbeaten run to seven games with a draw against Manchester United at the weekend, but Mikel Arteta’s side aren’t really in a position to be celebrating dropped points.
The Gunners are still a way off the European places, and they need to keep winning to maintain any hope of finishing the season in them.
Arteta will probably need to make a few changes in midweek, however, having started almost exactly the same team against both Southampton and Manchester United last week. Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup vs Wolves.
Goalkeeper
After Mat Ryan’s knock ahead of the weekend, there’s even less doubt about the starting goalkeeper. Bernd Leno played excellently and kept another clean sheet against Manchester United, so he’ll keep his place here.
Defence
Gabriel Magalhaes and Pablo Mari are both potential options to give David Luiz a rest, but Mari is still a fitness doubt at the moment. It’s hard to see Arteta dropping both Luiz and Holding at once, so Holding will probably keep his place alongside Gabriel.
Unfortunately, Kieran Tierney is still unavailable, so Cedric Soares is likely to start at left-back. That leaves Hector Bellerin to start at right-back, given the alternative is Cedric.
Midfield
Granit Xhaka put in a good performance at the weekend and is likely to continue to keep his place in the side. He’s one of those rare players who doesn’t often need a rest, and he’s also important to the team right now.
We’d all like to see Thomas Partey alongside him, but the Ghana international has had all those injury problems lately and it would be a risk to include him as a starter again. The same goes for Emile Smith Rowe.
As a result, we’re predicting a couple of changes in midfield, with Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard coming in. This is partly what Odegaard was brought in for, to help ensure we get the best out of Smith Rowe by not overplaying him.
Forwards
It’s hard to see anyone other than Alexandre Lacazette starting up front. Eddie Nketiah is available, but right now he’s only playing when Arteta absolutely has to rest Lacazette. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is seemingly quarantining.
If Bukayo Saka is fit, he’ll surely come back in. Nicolas Pepe worked hard and completed another 90 minutes on Saturday, so a rest might be a good idea for him.
Gabriel Martinelli and Willian only played 45 each at the weekend, so it could be either of them against Wolves on the left. Martinelli is surely the bigger goal threat, which is important in Aubameyang’s absence, so we’re putting him in.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs Wolves
Arsenal have welcomed four players back to training from their various complaints but Kieran Tierney is still struggling with his calf injury and will not play any part.
Kieran Tierney has been out since 23 January with a sore right calf and it’s not clear when he will return to action.
Speaking to the press before Arsenal’s game against Wolves, Mikel Arteta said, “We don’t know yet [if Tierney and Bukayo Saka will return].
“Today we’ve got a training session and they haven’t been able to train with us yet, so I think it will be really difficult for them. But I don’t know, we’re going to try to last-minute see how they are feeling.”
Later on, Arsenal issued another update, stating, “Kieran is continuing to be assessed for discomfort in the right lower leg. Kieran is unavailable for Tuesday’s match.”
Bukayo Saka, however, is back in training and will be tested before the game on Tuesday night.
Pabloi Mari (right calf), Dani Ceballos (left calf) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (quarantine) have all joined Saka in full training and will all undergo a test before the game.
For those wondering why Alex Runarsson was back on the bench at the weekend, it’s because Mat Ryan has a hip injury that will also keep him out on Tuesday night.
Arsenal hope to welcome him back in training before the end of the week.
Arsenal injury news
Early Arsenal team news vs Manchester United: Odegaard, Partey, Aubameyang
As Arsenal prepare to face Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, some information is emerging about which players might be involved.
Starting off with the bad news, Chris Wheatley reports that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang won’t be available for the game. There was some speculation that he might have trouble with quarantine after going to visit his family over his mother’s health issue.
The rest of the updates are largely positive. TheAFCBell write that Thomas Partey passed his late fitness test on Friday, so he’ll make the squad. Martin Odegaard will also reportedly feature in the matchday squad.
Emile Smith Rowe, another injury doubt after Tuesday, looks to be ready for involvement as well. He was in training on Friday with the team, and James Benge reports that it was just cramp that forced him off against Southampton.
Similarly, Kieran Tierney trained with the squad in the last couple of days. Sam Dean reported earlier this week that the left-back’s injury is nothing serious, and he should be available for United.
Mikel Arteta wasn’t giving anything away on the injuries in his press conference, as you’d expect.
There are still a couple of unknowns ahead of kick-off. Pablo Mari and Dani Ceballos returned to training this week, but it’s not clear whether either are available to feature. Ceballos is by far the more likely of the two.
To sum up, it looks like Arsenal will be missing Aubameyang, Mari, and possibly Ceballos. The rest of the squad should be available for selection, and debutant Odegaard will be involved for the first time – likely on the bench at first.
Looking to keep their unbeaten run going against tough opposition, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup vs Manchester United.
Even if they have just lost at home to bottom-of-the-league Sheffield United, Manchester United are still among the top teams in the division. Arteta will need to pick his strongest available side to get a result on Saturday.
Arsenal are on a run of five wins in six matches in the Premier League, since their Boxing Day rejuvenation. But the real test is keeping it going in the tougher fixtures now. The win away to Southampton was a good start, but it was only a start.
Yet Arsenal fans will have some optimism, particularly given their recent results against United. Many might consider placing a bet on Arteta’s side using comeonbetting.com.
Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Manchester United this weekend.
Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno will start, barring injury. He almost made a wonder-save to prevent Southampton’s only goal on Tuesday, and he made plenty of other difficult stops to keep the hosts to just one. Before that, he was on a run of four Premier League clean sheets.
But it’s good to see Mat Ryan involved with the squads immediately after his loan move. Hopefully, he can put some pressure on the German to keep performing.
Runar Alex Runarsson seems to have dropped out of contention for starts, amid the rumours of a possible loan away.
Even if he doesn’t leave, the goalkeeper may find games difficult to come by in the next few months, given the risk that Arsenal have to leave out another non-homegrown player. You’d think he’s high on the list of candidates for exclusion with Ryan and Leno around.
Defence
David Luiz did not have a good day against Southampton, and Pablo Mari is only just returning to training after injury this week. As a result, Gabriel Magalhaes seems like the most sensible choice at left-centre-back right now.
It’s true that Gabriel also had a poor first half against Southampton in the previous game, but he very much improved after the break. Some rustiness was expected after his recent absence. Plus, he played very well against United in the away match.
Rob Holding will probably start alongside him, with Hector Bellerin at right-back. Cedric Soares played well at left-back on Tuesday, but if Kieran Tierney’s back it’s difficult to leave him out, and the signs are that he will be.
Midfield
Granit Xhaka is likely to keep his place, but the other two spots in the midfield really depend on how the injury situation develops in the next couple of days. Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe, and Dani Ceballos all have question marks around their availability.
Reports suggest Partey ‘should be fine’ after his early substitution, which would be a big boost after his performance at Old Trafford.
Thomas Partey has recovered well from the Southampton game. He will have one last check today, but is expected to be fit to face United.
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) January 29, 2021
If Smith Rowe isn’t available, Martin Odegaard is fit and eligible for selection. But perhaps this game would come too soon for him, after only a couple of days training with his new side. Then there’s Willian, who replaced Smith Rowe on Tuesday.
Given Smith Rowe’s injury has only been described as ‘discomfort’, we’re going to stay optimistic that he can start the match, even if he has to come off early.
Forwards
Nicolas Pepe is one of only a few players who played the 90 minutes of both matches against Southampton – though he did come off in injury time in the second.
It’s not impossible he starts on the left once again, but perhaps it’s more likely Gabriel Martinelli gets a game. Particularly if Tierney is available, as they probably suit each other better with the left-foot right-foot combination.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is another option, but his current circumstances are somewhat unclear. It’s possible he’ll have to quarantine after visiting his family. So we’re leaving him out, for now.
For the other two positions, there shouldn’t really be any debate. Alexandre Lacazette up front, Bukayo Saka on the right. They each got an assist for the other’s goal on Tuesday.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs Manchester United
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