Arsenal (A) - Sun Oct 8th, 16:30 | PL | Pre-Match Thread

[SWPISHOME]

My Gooner workmate says he hopes Haaland plays instead of Alvarez.
Bet he wouldn't have said that last season ha

Hahahahahaha how thick could you actually be as an opposition fan to think "I hope Erling Haaland starts".

Really? What a fucking idiot.

 

[The Black Shed]

How about replacing Rodri with Stones instead (if he’s fit)? I’d rather Stones over Kova if I’m honest.

Like you I'd love to see him back, but fitness wise I think it will be late subs for him for a couple of games.

 

[SWPISHOME]

Because imo, depending how the game pans out, if City need an injection of real quality as evident last night, we can bring him on. We don't really have an alternative if he starts and things need shaking up. Attacking wise. Grealish is ok at the moment, just ok. He manages to retain the ball to our benefit, but that's it, there's zero thrust/creativity/invention/taking your man on from him. He keeps the ball and that's what Pep wants. So he keeps his starting place for me.

I can see the point you are trying to make, The bench had been very light over the last few weeks. Grealish isn't going to come on and be a real goalscoring threat.

But for me when KDB is missing it has to be Alvarez that starts in his place and with the form he's been in he's a must to be in the staring eleven. He's been our go to man this season.

I've watched Arsenal alot this season and being honest I thought they were really bang average in alot of there games. We can beat these twats to the sword on Sunday.

 

[the blue panther]

How can we possibly win after the thread was started without a poll?

 

[TonyM]

Id go

...............Ederson..............
........Akanji Dias Ake .......
Walker Bernardo Gvardiol
..Foden Alvarez Grealish..
..............Haaland..............

Use Walker and Gvardiol as wingers to overlap Foden and Grealish who are possession men.

Bernardo and Alvarez as the engines through the middle.

Doku, Nunes and Kovacic to come on later on.

 

[Blue Steel]

About time we see Grealish on the left and Doku on the right.

Foden in just behind Haaland. That said Alvarez deserves to start so it’s a bit of a headache for Pep. Another solution would be Grealish midfield as he’d excel there.

Lewis has earnt himself a start as well.

Shame Stones didn’t get any minutes last night in preparation.

 

[Craig]

Because imo, depending how the game pans out, if City need an injection of real quality as evident last night, we can bring him on. We don't really have an alternative if he starts and things need shaking up. Attacking wise. Grealish is ok at the moment, just ok. He manages to retain the ball to our benefit, but that's it, there's zero thrust/creativity/invention/taking your man on from him. He keeps the ball and that's what Pep wants. So he keeps his starting place for me.

Yeah tend to agree. Would start Doku on the right to attack Zinchenko muse and get Bernado in the middle for some legs. Would want Walker concentrating on defending for this one

 

[FantasyIreland]

--------------Eddie-----
Stones-Akanji-Dias-Gvardiol
--------------Kova----------
----------Foden--Nunes-------
Bernie-----Alvarez-----Doku

Big decision to drop Haaland,but he isnt quite at the races,and against Arsenals quality the extra cohesion/aggression and link play from the 11 above would serve us better IMO.

 

[Ali B's Heel]

Here’s what Pep told me:

*Too risky to start Stones though he will get some minutes from the bench.
*No need to go the 3-2-4-1 route with Rodri’s unavailability. A more traditional set up will be favoured
*I wouldn’t trust the Nunes-Kova duo against Arsenal so Bernie needs to be our emergency option in the middle
*Doku to target Zinchenko as someone here mentioned earlier but he can swap sides with the guy on the other side as the game wears on

Ederson
Walker Dias Gvardiol Akanji
Kovacic Bernardo
Doku Alvarez Foden
Haaland
​

I see the 11 like above but with Akanji central stepping into midfield as he did last night. Alvarez must start at expense of Jack and Kovacic as rested will probably be in ahead of Rico who was superb. Rico and Jack on towards the end for fresh legs and control. Haaland knows goals are due at the weekend

 

[Craig]

I can see the point you are trying to make, The bench had been very light over the last few weeks. Grealish isn't going to come on and be a real goalscoring threat.

But for me when KDB is missing it has to be Alvarez that starts in his place and with the form he's been in he's a must to be in the staring eleven. He's been our go to man this season.

I've watched Arsenal alot this season and being honest I thought they were really bang average in alot of there games. We can beat these twats to the sword on Sunday.

Only problem is if you do that you would probably have to tell Foden to play on the right and not drift as much. Can’t have Walker playing so advanced against these. That’s assuming Grealish starts on the left and i think he’s almost certain to be there for this game.