My Arsenal XI to Face Southampton in the League Cup by AT
After finally getting back on track in a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa, Arsenal welcome Southampton to the Emirates to kick off their Capital One Cup campaign. With so many injuries to deal with and a North London derby to keep an eye on, Arsene Wenger will have a lot of tricky decisions to make. But based on player performances and fatigue, here’s how I’d go about it.
Starting from the defence, David Ospina should get his first start for the club, that’s a bit of a certainty. With Monreal continuing to stay on the sidelines, Kieran Gibbs will keep his place at left-back. Laurent Koscielny has played in every game in all competitions so far, so it would be ideal to rest the Frenchman by moving Callum Chambers to join Per Mertesacker at central defence and bringing in Hector Bellerin at right-back.
Moving on to the middle of the park, I would go with Flamini and Wilshere at the heart of the midfield. Wilshere got a good rest during the weekend and should really take the field against the Saints, his midfield running will be very important against their possession game. Coming to the Number 10 position, I’d prefer Tomas Rosicky. The Czech has been in the shadows so far this season and will surely relish an opportunity to remind Arsene Wenger about what he’s missing.
Out on the flanks, my choices would be Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joel Campbell. The Englishman had a good game at Villa Park and will be eager to shine against his former club, while the Costa Rican new boy really deserves a first-team opportunity. Speaking of players who deserve a first-team opportunity, another notable one is Lukas Podolski, who I’d start up front against Southampton. The German’s lethal left foot will surely be a factor.
Arsenal:
Ospina; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Chambers, Gibbs; Flamini, Wilshere; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rosicky, Campbell; Podolski.
Looking at this team, it certainly has the beating of Southampton whilst also being able to rest key players like Szczesny, Koscielny, Arteta, Ramsey, Ozil, Cazorla and Sanchez for the all important clash against Spurs at the weekend.
Anurag
ADMIN COMMENT: I, personally, am really looking forward to the game as I will be at the Emirates taking some pics with my Huawei Ascend P7 Arsenal Edition Smartphone. Look forward to lots of pics posted direct from the Emirates during the game. I’m keen on seeing Joel Campbell earn a permanent place in the Arsenal First Team…
I think more like this…
Ospina
Bellerin Chambers Hayden Gibbs
Coquelin Diaby
Campbell/Zelalem Rosicky Podolski
Campbell/Akpom
Pretty good you almost read my mind when I put my favourite team in.
This is a fantastic lineup that I totally agree with, let’s hope they can do some damage!
Agreed, but missing Gnabry. He’s supposed to play from what I’ve read on Twitter. Hope to see him back in action
Our youngsters need fielding this is the Capital One Cup. This formation will achieve that. Plus plenty of experience on the bench to come in if needed.
——-Ospina
Bellerin, Hayden, Mert, Gibbs
—–Coquelin, Diaby
—Ox, Zelalem, Campbell
———Akpom
Bench – Szczeny, Chambers, Podolski, Wilshere, Falmini, Rosicki
Carling cup is an oppurtunity for squad rotation
I would replace a fed of those inexperienced names
Martinez should be on the bench rest sczezney
Monreal swaps places with Hayden
Flamini swap with coqulan
Rosicky 4 zalelem
Podolski 4 akpom
Xll
———-ospina
Bellerin,mert,monreal,Gibbs
———flamini
Ox,Rosicky,diaby,Campbell
———-//podolski
Bench Martinez,chambers,Hayden,coqulan,wilshire,gnabry/zalelem,sanogo/akpom
The problem with Arsenal is Sanchez, he should be sold in January!
I think you’ve seriously lost the plot mate!
I am a wise man. You will learn that, but it will be late though!
You THINK you’re a wised man, and that is exactly where your problem starts…
We should also bench Szczeny in champions league, FA and the Capital one cup games.
Oh great! Another troll got out of the dungeon…. Sell Sachez my ass, you blasphemic abomination! :p
Ha ha ha.
Lol. Lol. Lol.
Like Sol Campbell why don’t you sell/send him for free to us Vertongen.
So we may do the Invincibles instead.
Imagine if we were in 2003 and we are discussing our line ups back then. “We should have Bergkamp and Henry up front, Pires on the wing, Ljunberg on the right, Vieira and Parlour should start, and we should bring in Edu and Gilberto sometime during the match, we should sell JEFFERS, Bentley and Alliadiere, what the hell is Wenger thinking? #WENGEROUT,”
I say we go all out in the Capital One Cup.
We already have a trophy, we should pursue the league cup and Fa Cup with interest.
Three thropies in a year will be a good haul.
And than build on that momentum next year.
Also Spurs and Liverpool have saved themselves from the 9years no throphy by winning this league cup. I say we try and win it.
Would love to see Diaby get some game time as well.. It has been so long.. And some Walcott too.. Might have to listen to the injury update..
Diaby > Arteta
Campbell needs to be given a full 90 mins. I would play him down the middle and Podolski down the left. People forget that although Podolski might not be the quickest of players, he had the highest assists at his first season with us when he actually got decent game time. Besides his lethal shot, his crossing is extremely effective and he has a good work rate too.
Campbell is injured I hear.
Diaby is the most important player regarding Arsenal on Tuesday. If he can complete 60 minutes, I will be veryy happy. GET DIABY BACK STRONG AND HEALTHY
He is past the 60minute stage he completed his first 90minutes 2 weeks ago vs aston villa he played very well we won aswell akpom scored 2 if i remember correctly
lololololololololol at the ADVERTISING of a phone.
Monreal had hit form by the time Gibbs returned, so it is good to to use the League Cup as a way to maintain it.
Players who should be on the pitch are Ospina, Zelalem, Bellerin, Monreal, Rosicky, Podolski, Sanogo. Campbell, Diaby.
I would not include Ox, he is always an injury waiting to happen and a league cup clash is needless exposure to injury when we have alternatives to play instead.
You forget this is the Spurs Cup, so they will be fielding their strongest side (the slick feckers, lol).
3-0 at Villa Park; who would have guessed that! Now that we have that monkey off our backs let’s get another one off by beating or even squeezing out Southampton tomorrow then get our team prepared to burst guts in killing off or treading on the spuds like mashed potatoes!
Ospina
Bellerin-Mert-chambers-monreal
Wilshere-Diaby
Ox-Rosicky-podolski
Cambell
Sub: scez,santi,coq,kos,arteta,sanchez
This team should be able to win the game easily
Southampton are second in
the table so if they play their
best team we need to match
them with quality and experience.
Ospina Podolski + Rosicky to start?
Martinez Diaby Campbell Hayden
Coquelin Zelalem Akpom on the bench?
Doubt the Saints will play their first X1 either, this IS the MMC after all.
We should rest our players for the NLD on Saturday.
Give some young guns their heads, plus a few experienced who are struggling to get a start.
We lose, who REALLY cares.
Win, and it is a BIG boost to those youngsters.
with Nacho out for an uknown time, I just hope Gibbs is not played and injured.
Also, all starting 11 first teamers need to use this week for practice. They didn’t practice enough due to world cup and the shameful cl qualifications matches. Practice builds understanding between them on the pitch. as thus the Carling cup should be purely for the youths with the few old players who Wenger benches without just reason
I think we should give Wilshere, Ox, Podolski, Campbell and Rosicky some rest.
This will be perfect:
Ospina
Bellerin, chambers, Hayden, Gibbs
Arteta, Flamini
Coquelin, Zalelem, Akpom
Sanogo
Haha! Out of all the names you’ve mentioned up there, if anything Wilshere is the only player who needs rest, the others haven’t even been playing!
Time to bring Ospina (Wojciech Szczesny is not far from a shocking performance), Campbell and Rosicky to the fold…
What about dis line-up OSPINA BELLERIN CHAMBERS METRESACKER COQUELIN DAIBY FLAMINI CHAMBERLANE ROSICKY PODOLSKI CAMPBELL….coquelin at left back if monreal isnt fit,cnt risk gibbs plastic legs for a C1C match
Ospina
Bellerin-Mertesacker-Chambers-Monreal
Flamini-Wilshere
Campbell-Rosicky-Podolski
Akpom
I think ox will be rested as he played in the weekend, both joel and poldi getting a chance; walcott on the bench maybe?…
The youth team have been playing well in their recent outings. I think the boss will start majority of them in our home Capital One Cup game with the Saints. I don’t think the boss should play his top notchers save 2 or 3 of them in this Cup tie to avoid picking up any possible injury by any Gunner. And also not to get his top players tired for our home top fixtures with Spurs and Galatasaray.
Completly rest ozil,kosc,chambers,santi,welbeck, , sanchez
Ppl may say wat abt ramsey, id say he needs to play becuase hes having such a stinker a goal or good performance in carling cup may just give him boost he needs b4 the derby.
My x11
Ospina
Bellerin,mert,hayden,gibbs
Coq,diaby
Ox, ramsey, pod
Campbell
Subs szec,monreal(if fit) rozza,jack,arteta,zalalem, yaya if not fit then akpom.
i would rest Rambo & bring the Ox as in as a sub (when the opposition is tired…bring in quick players)…play rosicky at No 10…play Zelalem on the right or Campbell…Akpom as your striker.
have welbeck and sanchez on the bench…this game can be won in the last 20-30 minutes…use the fresher guys to run them around like crazy…don’t concede/keep it tight…bring in the 3 big quick guns at 60 minutes or so if need be – Ox, Welbeck, Sanchez…game over.
Saints don’t have a very deep squad…they’ll be feeling the fatigue.
Saints have QPR at home – they will want to notch 3 points there..they won’t risk it all for the carling cup – getting through a couple rounds isn’t worth 3 points…a couple of table positions is worth a heck of a lot more than the carling cup. just check the payout figures.
It will be a mixed side i would guess and they will have both eyes firmly on getting 3 pts vs QPR.
We can put the blended academy/x1 side out and win it without risking any key players.
COYG! let the kids rock the house!