Patino full debut: How Arsenal could line up vs Nottingham Forest

Coming up against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round on Sunday, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup for the clash.

After the Liverpool League Cup match was postponed, Arsenal have had a week off between their clash with Manchester City and their FA Cup game this weekend, so the whole squad will be rested for the trip to Nottingham.

All the same, Arsenal have a trip to Anfield and a North London derby coming up next week, so Mikel Arteta is likely to make some changes to his starting lineup.

Arteta will be the man leading the team, having recovered from his infection and returned to training. Here’s the Arsenal side we’re predicting him to select against Nottingham Forest.

Goalkeeper

Bernd Leno should start in goal, as Arsenal’s cup goalkeeper this season. Aaron Ramsdale will be available to make the bench, and Arthur Okonkwo is back in training as the third-choice option after a recent absence.

Defence

Gabriel Magalhaes is unavailable through suspension, but he may well not have been picked to start this match anyway. Rob Holding should come in alongside Ben White, as Arteta doesn’t even seem to trust Calum Chambers or Pablo Mari to start in the cup games.

In the full-back positions, Nuno Tavares and Cedric Soares could give Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu a rest ahead of a busy week.

Midfield

Arsenal’s midfield has been ravaged since the last game. Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny left for AFCON, Ainsley Maitland-Niles is off on loan to AS Roma, and Granit Xhaka has been mysteriously absent from training.

If Xhaka has Covid-19 or a knock, Arsenal are low on options to replace him. Arteta may decide to turn to Charlie Patino for a full debut alongside Albert Sambi Lokonga at the base of midfield.

Other options include pushing Chambers or White up into midfield, or dropping Emile Smith Rowe or Martin Odegaard back. But this does seem like a good opportunity to give Patino a chance.

Ahead of him, Smith Rowe will likely give Odegaard a rest. The young England international has earned a start with all his goals off the bench.

Forwards

Once again, Arsenal are a little low on options here, following the AFCON call-ups for Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Bukayo Saka may well be set to keep his place, though academy star Omari Hutchinson has been in training and could make the bench to come on when Saka needs a rest.

Folarin Balogun is edging closer to a loan move, so Gabriel Martinelli might also keep his spot on the other side. But Eddie Nketiah can come in up front, having recovered from Covid.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Nottingham Forest

Partey to stay: How Arsenal could line up vs Manchester City

After a run of five wins, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup to face league leaders Manchester City.

There’s no hiding from the fact that this next game is tougher than any Arsenal have come through recently. Manchester City aren’t just the best team in the league right now, they’re also one of the sides Arsenal simply can’t beat in recent seasons.

But with the recent postponement of the Wolves clash and a Saturday-Thursday gap after the City game, Arsenal really have no other match to prioritise. Mikel Arteta may as well go all-out and at least try to keep their recent run going.

Here’s our predicted Arsenal lineup for the Manchester City clash on Saturday.

Goalkeeper

Barring fitness or illness issues, Aaron Ramsdale will start in goal, after yet another clean sheet against Norwich City. Bernd Leno will make the bench.

Defence

We’re going to be optimistic here and predict the return of Takehiro Tomiyasu to the side. The right-back recently tested positive for Covid-19, along with every other right-back at the club, but he hopefully has enough time to recover.

Tomiyasu was already absent from training for the week before the Norwich City game, but we don’t know how much of that was the knock he picked up recently, and how much was Covid isolation.

If most of it was the latter, he should be back in time. If not, Arsenal will be waiting on Cedric Soares and Calum Chambers to see if either of them recover first.

If none of them are ready, Rob Holding can step in again.

The rest of the back three will be Kieran Tierney, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Ben White.

Midfield

There’s another major doubt here, relating to Thomas Partey. We don’t have official confirmation yet that Ghana will allow Partey to play this game before leaving for AFCON, but it’s seeming more likely now.

Partey would slot into the side alongside Granit Xhaka as usual, with the in-form Martin Odegaard ahead of them.

If Ghana do decide to refuse Arsenal’s request, Albert Sambi Lokonga would surely be next in line to replace Partey.

Forwards

Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, and Alexandre Lacazette all seem likely to keep their places, though Emile Smith Rowe is really knocking on the door to replace someone – most likely Martinelli or Odegaard.

Eddie Nketiah will probably make the bench as the Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang situation drags on. Aubameyang will be off to AFCON with Gabon anyway.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Manchester City

Tomiyasu to return: How Arsenal could line up vs Norwich City

As we prepare to kick off the busy festive period, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Norwich City on Boxing Day.

Arsenal have put together a run of wins since this month’s defeat to Everton, beating Southampton, West Ham, and Leeds United in the league before thrashing Sunderland to reach the semi-finals of the League Cup.

Things are really going to get busy now, with three Premier League games in less than a week leading into the two-legged League Cup semi-finals and the FA Cup trip to Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal’s next midweek off will be in mid-to-late January, and they’ll face this period with a diminished squad due to AFCON and the growing threat of Covid infections.

For now, however, most of Arsenal’s players are set to be available as Mikel Arteta’s side prepare to take on Norwich City this weekend.

We’re expecting Arteta to go as strong as possible, especially when you never know which games are going to be postponed. You may as well pick up the points while you have the chance and worry about the next game afterward.

Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup for the clash.

Goalkeeper

Bernd Leno made his post-injury return to the side against Sunderland, but Aaron Ramsdale remains the clear first-choice option in goal.

Even though Leno didn’t do anything particularly wrong in the Sunderland match, you could see the difference in and out of possession when Ramsdale isn’t in the team.

Defence

Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White both featured for at least part of the Sunderland match, but neither completed the full match, so they should both be available to start this one.

Neither Kieran Tierney nor Takehiro Tomiyasu played any minutes on Tuesday, but there is the slight injury doubt around Tomiyasu after his early substitution in his last Premier League game.

At the time, Tomiyasu’s injury didn’t seem to be anything too serious, and we haven’t heard anything further about it, so we’ll assume he’s fit to start. If he isn’t, it will be Cedric Soares, given Calum Chambers’ Covid-19 absence.

Midfield

This will likely be the last chance for Thomas Partey to feature ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, so he should definitely start alongside Granit Xhaka. Martin Odegaard came off early against Sunderland, so he should be ready to complete the midfield.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been ill lately, and Albert Sambi Lokonga has had Covid-19, so neither of them have been available, and Mohamed Elneny played 90 minutes against Sunderland.

Arsenal don’t really have too many alternative options in midfield right now. They’ll have even fewer when Elneny and Partey head off.

Forwards

The front three pretty much picks itself at the moment, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli nailed on for starts, and Alexandre Lacazette extremely likely to join them in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s probable absence.

Emile Smith Rowe is seemingly ready to start matches again after his injury, it’s just hard for him to displace a couple of Arsenal’s Player of the Month candidates in Martinelli and Odegaard.

Eddie Nketiah’s hat-trick may have him in contention for plenty more minutes in January when Aubameyang is at AFCON, but perhaps not immediately, given he’s just played 90 minutes.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Norwich City

Smith Rowe to start: How Arsenal could line up vs Sunderland

After a few league wins, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Sunderland in the League Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Mikel Arteta is likely to rotate heavily for this match. Facing League One opposition in the League Cup, the Arsenal manager has to feel he can rely on his backup side to get a result.

It’s worth mentioning that our predicted lineups are likely to get less and less reliable as the Covid cases continue to spread. If Arsenal’s game even goes ahead, we aren’t going to know exactly who can play until the day of the match.

With that all in mind, here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Sunderland.

Goalkeeper

Bernd Leno has been out for a few games with a groin injury, but he returned to the bench at the weekend against Leeds United. Not a moment too soon, as he should now get a chance to start against Sunderland.

It will be interesting to see whether Arteta opts for Aaron Ramsdale or Arthur Okonkwo on the bench for the game. Perhaps that will tell us a little about how he views this competition.

Defence

Cedric Soares came on for Takehiro Tomiyasu against Leeds United, and there’s no point risking Tomiyasu for this game, so it should be a start for Cedric this time.

Nuno Tavares can come in for Kieran Tierney at left-back, with Rob Holding and Calum Chambers getting rare starts in the centre of defence. Pablo Mari is out with Covid.

That will allow Tierney, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Ben White a rare rest ahead of the hectic festive period coming up.

Midfield

Arsenal also have the option to make a full cast of changes in midfield, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Mohamed Elneny, and Emile Smith Rowe coming in.

Smith Rowe probably needs to get a start under his belt after his recent injury, so it’s a different situation for him compared to many of the other Premier League regulars. He needs a game, whilst they need rests.

Among the rested group should be Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, and Granit Xhaka. Albert Sambi Lokonga is out with Covid.

Forwards

Nicolas Pepe and Eddie Nketiah seem likely to come in on the wings. Neither have been at all popular in Arteta’s recent team selections, but they remain the primary backups on either side.

With no Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Gabriel Martinelli starting the Premier League games on the left, there’s no obvious alternative to Alexandre Lacazette up front.

Personally, I’d love to see Folarin Balogun starting, as would most of the Arsenal fanbase. But I have my doubts Arteta will go for that, and I just get the feeling he’ll opt to start Lacazette and bring Balogun off the bench instead.

That would be a shame, but Balogun will just have to make the most of whatever minutes he can get.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Sunderland

Smith Rowe back in: How Arsenal could line up vs Leeds United

After a big win over top-four rivals West Ham, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup for the trip to Leeds United.

Arsenal shot up into a somewhat false position in the top-four on Wednesday, after a big win over West Ham United.

The Gunners are ahead of West Ham in fourth, but Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur both have the games in hand they need to overtake Mikel Arteta’s side with wins.

For the time being, it’s a boost to be back sitting in the top four, and to have beaten a rival for the European places so convincingly.

Next up, Arsenal travel to a struggling Leeds United side, and they can’t afford to slip back into their recent run of away defeats. Let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Leeds.

Goalkeeper

Aaron Ramsdale will start, as he gets involved in the hunt for the Golden Glove. The goalkeeper is up to eight clean sheets, putting him hot on the heels of Alisson and Ederson on nine – both of whom have played more games than Ramsdale.

Bernd Leno is still yet to return to the Arsenal squad after his groin injury, with Arthur Okonkwo making the bench consistently.

It’s not impossible the German goalkeeper doesn’t make it back for the League Cup, and it will be interesting to see if Arteta puts faith in Okonkwo for that game.

Defence

Arsenal’s defence seems to have settled again, after the back-and-forth between Kieran Tierney and Nuno Tavares.

As well as Tavares did in his spell in the team, Tierney seems to have won his place back with his performances, and he should start on Saturday.

Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain nailed-on starters, and you wouldn’t expect any of them to drop out of the side after strong performances against West Ham.

Midfield

Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey are building their partnership at the moment, and it’s just a shame we’re so close to losing Partey to AFCON. Arteta is unlikely to rest the Ghana international when he knows these are his last chances to use him pre-tournament.

Ahead of them, it has to be Martin Odegaard. Emile Smith Rowe did well and scored against West Ham, but with Gabriel Martinelli’s injury substitution, Smith Rowe is probably going to be needed on the left.

Forwards

Whether or not Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is available, Alexandre Lacazette is performing well enough that he should start against Leeds.

The striker may have had his penalty saved, but he provided an assist and put in a strong all-around performance against West Ham.

As mentioned, Smith Rowe will probably come into the team on the left, with Bukayo Saka a sure thing to keep his spot on the right.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Leeds United

Lacazette again? How Arsenal could line up vs West Ham

Looking to get a winning run going against a rival for the European places, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup to face West Ham.

Mikel Arteta went with an unchanged Arsenal lineup in Saturday’s win over Southampton, but the performance was very much an improvement on the limp display away to Everton earlier in the week.

Critics may put that purely down to Southampton’s struggles at the back, with emergency loan goalkeeper Willy Caballero slotting in behind a changed defence due to suspensions and injuries.

Arsenal’s task is to show they can put in a similar performance against West Ham on Wednesday, and Arteta is likely to stick with a similar team to try and do it. Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup to face West Ham United.

Goalkeeper

Another clean sheet for Aaron Ramsdale and another top performance from the summer signing suggests he’ll continue to keep his place in the team against West Ham.

Bernd Leno still hasn’t even returned to the matchday squad, so there’s little chance he’ll be starting on Wednesday. Arthur Okonkwo should make the bench again if Leno is still out.

Defence

Kieran Tierney’s return to the Arsenal team has been marked with a couple of assists, even if Nuno Tavares was showing good form before that. Tierney will likely keep his place on Wednesday.

The rest of the back four remain very predictable. Mikel Arteta has confirmed Gabriel Magalhaes didn’t pick up an injury against Southampton, he was simply withdrawn as he was on a yellow card, so he’ll start alongside Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Midfield

Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey looked much better in the Southampton game than they had against Everton, and Arteta will hope they’re getting back into a rhythm together. You’d expect both to start, particularly for a big game like this.

Ahead of them, Martin Odegaard is making himself difficult to drop with three goals in his last three games. He seems as likely to start as anyone right now, particularly with Emile Smith Rowe still working his way back in after injury.

Forwards

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continues to be absent for disciplinary reasons, after having the club captaincy stripped from him this week.

Alexandre Lacazette may now have won his place after finally ending Arsenal’s centre-forward goal drought against the Saints.

On the wings, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka played well enough to retain their spots as well. Smith Rowe will be pushing to reclaim the wide-left role from Martinelli, but there’s no rush to put him back in when Martinelli is performing like this.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs West Ham

Aubameyang back in: How Arsenal could line up vs Southampton

Returning home after a terrible run of away games, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Southampton.

Arsenal have lost their last three away fixtures in a row, getting thrashed by Liverpool before picking up an embarrassing zero points against Manchester United and Everton.

The good news is that the next two games are at home, where Arsenal’s record is much better.

Mikel Arteta’s side haven’t lost a home game since the first of the season against Chelsea, and they’ve won seven of the following eight.

They absolutely must get back to winning ways now, and here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Southampton on Saturday.

Goalkeeper

Aaron Ramsdale made a couple of good saves against Everton, and he had little chance with either of the goals, both stemming from fantastic shots by Demarai Gray.

Bernd Leno was back in training ahead of the Everton game, but clearly still not quite fit for the squad that day, with Arthur Okonkwo taking his place once again. Presumably, Leno will be back on the bench by Saturday.

Defence

Kieran Tierney returned to the starting lineup against Everton on Monday and provided an assist, but it was notable that he didn’t complete the full 90 minutes.

Whether he’s still carrying his injury a bit or Arteta simply preferred to bring Nuno Tavares on, the end result is a fair amount of doubt that Tierney will keep his place on Saturday.

Tavares seems the more likely to be the lucky left-back selected right now, and if you’re feeling lucky you should try out Griffon Casino. As usual, we expect Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, and Takehiro Tomiyasu to start in the other three defensive positions.

Midfield

Granit Xhaka is back, and our feeling is that Arteta will want to get the Swiss international’s partnership with Thomas Partey going.

Arsenal really need the Ghana international to return to his best as soon as possible, and that seems the most likely with an experienced partner like Xhaka.

Albert Sambi Lokonga is a bit unlucky to lose his place, but he’ll get plenty of chances when Partey heads off to AFCON.

Ahead of Xhaka and Partey, Martin Odegaard will probably start. Barring the penalty at Old Trafford, the Norway international seems to be finding some form, creating quite a few chances and scoring in his last two games.

Forwards

While doubts remain about Emile Smith Rowe’s fitness and Gabriel Martinelli has an injury, we could be set to see a start for Eddie Nketiah.

Though he missed a good chance, the forward did well on the left against Everton, creating strong opportunities for Odegaard and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Bukayo Saka should start on the right.

Up front, it will probably be a return to Aubameyang. He and Alexandre Lacazette are both on extended goal droughts at the moment.

At least with Aubameyang, it seems like he just needs to get the finish right. Lacazette doesn’t even seem to get chances when he plays.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Everton

Lokonga to return: How Arsenal could line up vs Everton

After a disappointing defeat to Manchester United, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup for Monday’s trip to Everton.

The Premier League’s top three pulled further away from the rest in midweek, whilst the trailing pack just grew more congested. There’s now a three-point gap between fourth and eighth.

Arsenal sit fifth, ahead of Spurs by a point having played a game more, and now just two points clear of Manchester United. They need a win against Everton, who have dropped down to 14th.

Arsenal haven’t had the best recent record at Goodison Park though, failing to win on the last three attempts.

As Mikel Arteta looks to change that, here’s our predicted Arsenal lineup to face Everton.

Goalkeeper

Aaron Ramsdale will keep his place in the team, given little of the blame for the three goals Arsenal conceded to United can be laid at his feet.

There’s also the fact that Bernd Leno missed the United match through injury, and may not be fit by Monday anyway. In that case, Arthur Okonkwo will presumably keep his place on the bench.

Defence

It’s hard to see many changes in defence, as Arteta seems pretty committed to the current back-four.

Once again, there’s a question over whether Kieran Tierney or Nuno Tavares starts at left-back. Arteta has opted for Tavares every time over the last few weeks, so we would be foolish to bet against another start for the summer signing.

As for the other three positions, we’re very likely to see more minutes for Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Midfield

Albert Sambi Lokonga should come back into the team, as he’s arguably Arsenal’s best-performing central midfielder at the moment.

Conversely, Thomas Partey will likely keep his place not because he’s earning it, but because Arsenal need him to start stepping up if they’re going to achieve anything this season.

Martin Odegaard will likely start ahead of them, after a mixed game at Old Trafford where he scored and conceded a penalty.

Forwards

There’s a lot of talk about Gabriel Martinelli, and his performances in the last two games probably have him deserving of a start, but it’s just hard to see how he gets one.

The fact is, Martinelli’s strong performances have come on the right-hand side, not up front or behind the striker.

So the only way in for him is if Arteta drops Bukayo Saka, and that seems unlikely, especially when Martinelli has just played his first 90 minutes of the season a few days before this game. It was a different story on Thursday, with Saka carrying an injury.

Emile Smith Rowe will probably keep his place on the left, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is similar to Partey in the sense that he’ll start because Arsenal need him to find form.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Everton

Martinelli to start: How Arsenal could line up vs Manchester United

Travelling to Old Trafford for a big game against Manchester United, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup for Thursday.

The defeat to Liverpool was certainly disappointing, but it wasn’t hugely unexpected.

Everyone knows that Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea are some way ahead of the rest of the league right now, so you need more than a bit of luck to beat them.

Either side of that game, Arsenal have been winning matches against teams they really do need to beat to stay in contention for top four. Playing the likes of Watford or Newcastle United at home absolutely has to result in all three points.

So the real test of where Arsenal are comes in the form of a trip to Manchester United.

This isn’t a game Mikel Arteta’s side is guaranteed to lose, but nor is it one they’re expected to win. The performance and result will tell us something about the team.

Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Manchester United.

Goalkeeper

It’s going to be Aaron Ramsdale, barring injury. He added his sixth clean sheet in 10 Premier League games at the weekend, following a strong performance at Anfield despite the heavy defeat. Bernd Leno should be on the bench as usual.

Defence

Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Ben White should all start. The big question is whether Arteta sticks with Nuno Tavares, or if he switches to Kieran Tierney.

Tavares has now played five league matches in a row, despite Tierney being available for the last three. Arteta stuck with him despite his mistake against Liverpool, and the summer signing rewarded that decision with an assist against Newcastle.

But Tierney is probably a better fit for the bigger games right now, and with three games in just over a week, it’s not a bad idea to rotate between the two from a fitness perspective.

Midfield

Thomas Partey and Albert Sambi Lokonga are another pair that seem extremely likely to keep their places for the game in Manchester.

Like Tavares, Lokonga didn’t have his best game against Liverpool, but he really bounced back in the win over Newcastle.

Emile Smith Rowe will probably start on the left, but Arsenal will be left sweating on Bukayo Saka’s injury status.

Given the tight turnaround, Arteta may need to look elsewhere for his wide option on the right. Gabriel Martinelli’s goal may have earned him the chance to make a start. Nicolas Pepe is also available, and we wouldn’t completely rule him out either.

Forwards

Even though they haven’t been in the best goalscoring form lately, it seems pretty likely Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette start this one.

Once again, it’s an experience thing, as the two of them have been here before and know this kind of game well.

Martin Odegaard and Lacazette are probably neck-and-neck in terms of their chances of starting games right now, so like with Tavares and Tierney, it may just come down to fitness rotation.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Manchester United

Tierney to start: How Arsenal could line up vs Newcastle United

Aiming to bounce back from defeat at Anfield, let’s take a look at our Arsenal predicted lineup to face Newcastle United on Saturday.

Arsenal’s 10-game unbeaten run came to an emphatic end with a heavy defeat to Liverpool at the weekend, but they have the chance to turn things around against the Premier League’s bottom side on Saturday.

Newcastle United travel to the Emirates Stadium, and with no game for five days on either side of the match, Mikel Arteta isn’t going to have any restrictions on his starting lineup – barring the injuries to Granit Xhaka and Sead Kolasinac.

Here’s our Arsenal predicted lineup to take on Newcastle United.

Goalkeeper

Aaron Ramsdale was one of few players to come out of Arsenal’s match against Liverpool with some credit, making a number of top saves to keep the score down. It’s pretty likely he keeps his place over Bernd Leno.

Defence

We’re predicting one change in defence, with Kieran Tierney coming in for Nuno Tavares.

Tavares had a tough day away at Anfield, which will happen as a young and inexperienced player, but Arteta can take him out of the spotlight and give Tierney his first Arsenal minutes since October 18th.

The rest of the defence should stay as it’s been for a while now, with Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, and Takehiro Tomiyasu all starting.

Midfield

Thomas Partey should start, but his midfield partner is up for debate. Albert Sambi Lokonga didn’t have his best game against Liverpool, but Ainsley Maitland-Niles wasn’t a huge improvement in the 37 minutes he spent on the pitch either.

It’s a bit of a toss-up, but perhaps Maitland-Niles has the edge after his Man of the Match performance in the previous home game against Watford was followed by an underwhelming start from Lokonga.

Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe should keep their places in the wide positions.

Forwards

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette will probably both keep their places, as Arsenal have done well against the league’s lower sides with the duo up front.

Though it’s arguably now the case that their places are more under threat now. The duo need to step up and start scoring again, as it’s been three games for Aubameyang and five games for Lacazette since they contributed to a goal.

Martin Odegaard will probably be the most hopeful of breaking back in and taking Lacazette’s place. Gabriel Martinelli is another option up front.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Newcastle United

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