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Confirmed Arsenal team to face the Hammers tonight – Very strong line-up indeed

WATFORD, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 06: Amario Cozier-Duberry of Arsenal celebrates scoring the fourth goal from the penalty spot during the FA Youth Cup Fifth round match between Watford FC and Arsenal FC at Vicarage Road on February 06, 2023 in Watford, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

There have been many opinions on this site Over whether Mikel Arteta should put out a very strong line-up against West Ham or whether he should use as many youngsters and fringe players as possible, and both of these viewpoints are valid, but I suspect that the fact will be that Arteta will be somewhere in the middle.

Some youngsters should be included, but not so many that we are in danger of getting knocked out, which would mean there would less opportunities to play them in the following rounds.

Earlier today, Daisy was of the opinion that Arteta would send out a very strong team to ensure we go through, and then maybe the youngsters could play from the bench during the game.

Her prediction was…….

Raya

White – Saliba – Gabriel – Tomiyasu

Havertz – Rice – Jorginho

Saka – Nketiah – Martinelli

But we are now going to find out exactly who Arteta has chosen, as here is the confirmed Arsenal starting XI

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95 Comments

  2. It seems that ESR has been put back into his box.

    Just like Ramsdale, if he has any idea of a long career in football, he needs to put in a “written transfer request” immediately and try to find a new club in January.

    He too must have seen the writing on the wall, that Arteta just does not feel comfortable with him starting.

    Remember he has played for England.

  4. NOT at all a strong enough side, quite the reverse.

    I fully expect us to exit the CARABAO CUP tonight , therefore; unless West ham also puts out a far weakened team, as we have done.

    1. Totally disagree but proof will be in the pudding. Do agree it’s a strong West Ham side so shouldn’t be easy away from home, trust that side to do the business.

      2. ANGUS Care to eat humble pie and admit you were wrong in the faceof our embarrasing 3-0 defeat, when most of our players did not turn up and MA only brought on the best players, who were benched, when the game was long lost??

        My post, made well before the game proved right and it was obvious, at least to me, that we were likely in for a beating with that mostly second string, so called team!
        Not that such a joke display deserves to be called from a “team”.
        You only needed to compare the two selected teams to see we were very likely going to get beaten.
        And bringing on our top but benched players and risking injuries,but only after the game was long lost, WAS ROTTEN MANAGERSHIP, truth compels me to say!

  7. ESR injured yet again, yet some of our fans demand MA has him as one of our main guys. MA proven correct yet again.

    Whether it be Tierney, Tomi, or Partey, if you can’t stay fit, you get replaced. Like them, ESR cannot be relied upon to stay fit, hence he’s a bit part player these days.

    1. It’s sad how such talented players are injury prone.
      Reminds me of Wilshere and Diaby.

      Hopefully, Partey is replaced with a strong and technical midfielder.

      1. Saddest thing about professional sports sometimes you just get unlucky with injuries. Some who end up injury prone may not have helped themselves with diet, action etc. But equally some just get cursed. Diaby would of won a balon dor injury free imo.

    2. Can’t believe how he gets back in the first eleven on Saturday and then boom picks up an injury.
      I think him and Partey work load really needs to be monitored very carefully. They are both good players but can never be relied upon.

      1. @Olivia Dunham
        Both players seem to have a propensity to pick up injuries
        Not much use if forever crocked, I’m sad to say.

    3. Has MA been proven correct tonight then Jen?!
      3-0 down as I write this.
      Perhaps if MA rotated his squad, we wouldn’t get so many recurring injuries?
      Did you think ESR could go straight into action against another PL side with just minutes under his belt?

      1. Like I said, ESR is injured yet again, so MA is proven correct.

        Blaming MA for his injuries is hilarious! Was it MA fault that Timber did his ACL?

    4. I can always rely on Jen for this kind of statement.

      ESR is injured again because, exactly like I said many times over the past months, MA is going to give him almost no game time then throw him in when not match fit as a starter. It’s an injury waiting to happen at this level.

      For the past few months he should’ve been used consistently from the bench while gaining match fitness. Once again, mismanagement of a player coming back.

      Oh and Partey definitely hasn’t been replaced, he’s just injured so no idea where you get these stories from 🤣 obviously he can’t play

      1. So Rice hasn’t been brought in to replace him long-term? So who should sign in Jan/summer to replace Partey then?

  8. High hopes for Vieira tonight. Only Fabianski and Mavropanos (somewhat ironically) would be surprise starts for West Ham. Soucek, Emerson and Benrahma are very much in the 1st team picture. So a good test for himself and Ramsdale, Kiwior, Jorginho, Nelson and Trossard away from home.

      1. West ham actually came out playing as others were talking this half and I’ve been humbled assuming we can’t bring it back. Strange world we live in.

      2. He’s scored in 1 out of his last 10 games 🤣 “keep the goal scoring up”

        The facts are illusive….

  11. Convenient no Var tonight for that pull on Ramsdale. White should have an open day with west ham keeper if ref is consistent.

  14. The movement of the ball is so slow. I am not surprised with the officiating considering the referee in charge of the game.
    Zinchenko needs to stop being too cute with the unnecessary step overs in the midfield.
    Havertz just needs to relax a bit with the ball and he will find the back of the net.

  15. We are going out UNLESS MA brings on the key players benched If he leaves it too late we will be out!

  18. A keep saying Arsenal need another mobile and powerful midfielder, we have been out muscles in the middle of the park.

    Only the big German seems to be matching the Hammers physicality

    This is a game for Smith Rowe direct running

  19. Trossard and Nketiah are having one of those days.
    Arteta was trying to rest some players, but the way this game has panned out those plans will have to be thrown out of the window and substitutions made.

  20. West ham’s xg is literally 0.00 because they have had no chances at all. Lets not talk var if it was an option. Suspect we won’t make changes because the goal was a freak. Hear the commentary talk nonsense about changes less about performance.

  21. Also see the above blah blah when we’ve played well, agendas going to agenda. Probably not watching the game.

  23. Arsenal who haven’t lost in their last 5 visits to the London Stadium 3 wins 2 draws. To me this serve as a confidence booster for the Gunners in their Carabao Cup match encounter against the Hammers tonight.
    And I think and believe the match starting Gunners who Arteta has named to start the Cup match is a very strong team. And I see the team do the business of knocking out West Ham from the competition successfully tonight. And keep their dreams to win the quadruple this season alive.
    Let Nkethia be composed in front of the Hammers goalmouth, box or in the 18 yard area. And measure the weight of his shootings at goal very well to be accurate in them to not miss hitting the back of the net for Arsenal but score.
    In fact, all Gunners MUST as a principle avoid any form of profigacy in front of the Hammers’ goal area in the match. But bury the goals scoring opportunities the team will create to score including those that will accidentally falls to them in the match.
    My final score-line prediction is: West Ham 0 Arsenal 3.

  26. Zinchenko is very poor at defending and I don’t know why they bother playing him in that position.
    None of our attacking players have created any clear cut chances 😔.

  28. If you play skinny,powder puff, second string players like HAVERTX AND VIERA IN MIDFIELD AND LEAVE ALL YOUR BEST PLAYERS ON THE BENCH, then as I predicted before the game, you lose. And now we will.

    Plainly MA does not take this comp seriously and that is why he played a second string side without six of our best players, all benched

    1. Jon, it was the attitude and approach of the selected players given the opportunity to represent the Arsenal that upset me. The mental attitude, not counting ability falls away with some squad players; they don’t take the chance to impress!

  30. We just don’t have the quality in depth but what annoys me more is the lack of hunger. If Havertz hasn’t grown in confidence by now he never will. For all our ball posession how many shots on target? Tippy-tappy football but nothing to show as usual. We need a massive kick up the arse!

  35. One man to blame and that is that idiot Arteta. An absolute moron and a disgraceful display by these players no pride whatsoever and playing with so much fear. Just need a few injuries to make the night a complete mess

  36. Arteta should learn and stop being stubborn. Havertz should not be in midfield. Play the guy as a CF or put him on the bench Forever

  37. BRINGING ON Martinelli. but far too late! Why?

    Just trying to shut the stable door when the horse bolted long ago. Accept we got thrashed and just keep the best players, who SHOULD HAVE PLAYED but were benched, fit for Newcastle.

    Too late now to rescue an already lost game, so its stupid to try and risk injuries to key players. BAD MANAGER DECISIONS ALL ROUND, I REGRET TO SAY!

    1. I agree with you Jon. I am yet to see what Havertz offers in midfield. He is like a wanderer in that midfield. Arteta should know what he wants from these cup games. Or better still, he should let us know he does not take the milky mouse competition seriously.

  38. This is a mauling, my concern with the gaffer he doesn’t makes early changes to change the tide.

    From the very first 10 minutes you could see we weren’t at the races

  39. The fringe players fail to step up again. Idk why Arteta is getting the blame. He is giving these players a chance to prove themselves and they’ve done nothing. Trossard should be challenging Martinelli and now its pretty obvious why he’s not. Such a drop off from the beginning of our season. Havertz gets infinite number of chances, Ramsdale doesnt impress today, and Nketiah transforms back into the least threatening striker in the division.

    1. Also, im pretty set on shipping Vieira out. If he fails to make an impact this season it’s time to move him on. He can’t impact seemingly any game and is just too lightweight. That hasn’t changed since we first bought him.

    2. Spot on. They have made West ham look like a Man City in this match.
      If Arteta was serious about this competition, he should have started with his best eleven and sub them off later.
      Talk about taking medication when you are dead.

    3. Arteta is the manager that’s why he is to blame. He picked the team which was so obviously not good enough as it was to soft in the middle and we haven’t looked like scoring yet so who should we blame 🤔

      1. You’re blaming him for utilizing his full squad in a week we have 3 matches to play. If one of our starting XI got injured, then you’d be blaming him for starting them in a less important match. How about we blame the players for once who Arteta has trusted to make an impact and they’ve mostly failed miserably.

        2. I blame him for bringing on our best and benched players, but only when it was FAR TOO LATE, as we could all see.

          And he risked them getting injured and for nothing, as the game was out of sight already. Had he introduced say Rice and SAKA to start second half, and then MARTINELLI very soon after, we WOULD HAVE HAD a serious chance ro recover.

          AND I AM A STAUNCH MA supporter, but he was BAD tonight!
          But by the TIME he did make subs, the horse had long bolted. I call that rank bad managership tonight, I regret to HAVE TO SAY!

          1. Jon, what will it take to test your support of MA, given the money spent and success rate after 3 seasons?
            Unfortunately the Havertz transfer for a hard earned £65 million instead of investment in a striker or midfielder, continuing the run of poor performers from Chelsea and Mikel’s continued apparent blind support of him, may do it for me.

  40. Seeing the line-up I had a feeling we can’t win this game.
    We’re playing WestHam away and you’re putting up the weakest midfield selection so far this season.
    Not to mention starting with a Zinchenko who doesn’t know how to defend.
    I knew that left side we leak the goals.

  41. Viera, Nelson, Cedric, Jourginho, Nketiah, and Havertz all need to go . We need two midfielders, one right winger, winger and a striker. Every bloody season the same crop of players get injured, and they are as follows Jesus, Partey, and ESR. I am not saying sell them, but for goodness sake, players should replace them.

    1. I’d sell all of them besides Jesus. Partey form drops at the drop of a dime whenever we come to the business end of anything anyways. And ESR is consistently injured and isn’t ever going to hit the level where he’s a regular starter. If he’s fine with his squad role it makes sense to keep him but if he doesnt like the minutes he’s getting, honestly, I’m not as bothered anymore. Jesus is the only player worth dealing with his injuries, even then, we 100% need a striker regardless.

  43. Humbled almost like the negatives willed it into existence. If the 1st half was like the 2nd I’d of agreed.

  44. Oh No! Why risk Odegaard NOW, when its pointless and thegame is long lost!

    He SHOULD have played a far stronger side but he chose not to andso we got well beaten with an attack that was a powderpuff joke.

    Then, when thegame was long lost, he stupidly brought on our benched players, all to no avail and simply risks them getting injured And for WHAT REASON? IDIOTIC MANAGERSHIP FRANKLY!

  45. Bring on the captain when you have already lost the game. FANTASTIC MANAGEMENT, I WONT BLAME ARTETA FOR THAT I SHALL BLAME THE TEA LADY

  46. To put it bluntly, West Ham played like they wanted it more. Thier pressing, passing and determination to score was just too much for an Arsenal team that just could not be interested enough. A mentality that reflects the softer side of Arsenal once again.

  47. I know tonight’s problems are bigger than this but can we please please please please please stop buying players from Chelsea.

  49. Fabio Viera really needs to step up his game. I mean Bernardo Silva is not buffy but really plays the game intelligently.
    Just goes to show how we can only rely on our first eleven to get results.

  51. Vieira, Havertz aren’t good enough for this team and where we want to go. It’ll always be a mystery how the scouting and coaches landed on Havertz for 65mill being a good buy. I could’ve told them not to do that for free.

  53. The problem is when you play them together it’s a problem but just rotated 3 players and they will do just ok

    1. Absolutely. One can’t ever make a quick forward pass, the other is too light weight and last but not the least the other one ‘s first touch always lets him down.

  54. Let’s be honest, our summer window can only boast of Rice. Raya, havertz and unfortunately the injured timber, there’s apparently nothing to show for here. Kudus was there for the taking, 200 mil spent and our midfield still not upgraded? I doubt if we make top two at the end of the season.

    I am not bothered about this game, I am more concerned about our approach to games and urgency. There seems to be no urgency with our play. Still not up to gear.

  55. I know we can’t win all our matches but come on at least go out fighting like a soldier on a battlefield 😭 or a wounded animal.

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