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Rob Holding will play against Notts Forest and so may Tierney and Bellerin

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has confirmed that Rob Holding will start in this evening Carabao Cup against Nottingham Forest at the Emirates.

The Spaniard also hinted that both Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney could feature at some point in the game depending on which squad players are fit to play and which ones are not.

“We are going to decide tomorrow but the first idea is if we can, they will have minutes on Tuesday,” Emery said on Sunday.

“This is the first idea, but it depends on tomorrow for their feelings and the decision for the first XI because we played today and we are going to play on Tuesday.

“It’s not normal [to play again within] two days and we need fresh players and we need different players.

“Holding for example, he will play on Tuesday and we are going to decide tomorrow with Hector and with Tierney [if] we will want to use them. I don’t know if that’s starting in the first XI or after from the bench, or if they are feeling well.”

That sounds to me that Holding is almost certain to start and that Tierney and Bellerin are likely to be on the bench but as usual with Emery, it is probably best not to try and second guess him.

This surely means that within the next couple of Premier League games we could see all three in contention and that is huge for Arsenal.

The defence has been nothing short of a nightmare and to have all three back at more or less the same time is massive, of course, they will need some time to get up to speed and match fit but it is very very close now and about time.

These players could easily be the difference this season and the sooner they are back and available to replace the underperforming defenders we got right now, the better.

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29 Comments

  1. Wenger left the club in a mess when he was sacked.
    Ok he walked but if he did not walk he was gonna be pushed.
    Wenger had to be forced out so left his mess on the floor.
    That’s why we are still cleaning up Wenger’s mess today.
    Gazidis also left the sinking ship and Mislintat soon after.
    Replacement Sanllehi is useless.
    Unai was left with a management structure in free fall
    and run badly by idiots, an owner who has no interest in the game
    and 20 garbage retard squad members left by Wenger.
    It is incredible with the pile of sh#te he was left both
    on and off the field that Unai with no English language
    only missed CL by a point and made EL final.
    But because of the financial chaos left by Le Pratt
    the defense remains pitiful at best .
    Now the squad actually only has 2 decent players available
    Auba who scores the goals and Guendouzie who is the
    entire midfield and defense.
    These two will break down any minute. Then what?
    In fact the Arsenal squad is only the 9th best in the league.
    Anything higher than 7th with this garbage team will
    be sensational and a 5 year extension for Unai should follow.
    In Unai we trust.

      1. Agu. Wenger didn’t make the mess. He’s the one who built the club!

        Negative fans made the mess. We could have won the league in 13/14 but instead of supporting the club the negative fans started a big campaign, started a bunch of pathetic self-defeating protests and made our club a laughing stock. But the players heard the “fans” loud and clear and the negativity had exactly the effect anyone would expect–worse results.

        Players complained that what fans do affects them, the fans said “no, what we do doesn’t affect them!” Perfect self-serving logic for anyone who is sabotaging the club, creating antagonism between players and fans and wants to deny all responsibility.

        To lay the blame at Wenger’s feet–who built the club and spoiled the lot of you ungrateful twats, is beyond idiocy, but perfectly encapsulates the misdirected madness that infects this plague of counterproductive so-called “supporters” who don’t know the meaning of support. We were in 1st place, we had the best defensive record in the league, we had the best win ratio vs the top 6 out of the top 6, and rather than support the club and go for silverware, these morons decide to fly banners, throw fruit at players, attack them on social media and boo them. Great work!

        Glad you’re willing to give Emery more time before your next paroxysm of self-defeating stupidity. To see so-called fans already calling for new players’ heads within the first few games is aggravating and embarrassing to say the least. You’d never want to be caught in the trenches with these people, they won’t have your back or fight the enemy, they’ll be lobbing grenades at their own and taking selfies in some imagined protest over perceived slights.

        Wenger’s gone now, so quit whining about the man who gave you the best Arsenal memories you might ever have and gave you a new stadium and paid for it in record time too. He’s a legend and deserves respect. You have earned nothing but scorn and derision. Off with you.

      2. John and Stephan, the best way to deal with a troll is to ignore him, don’t give him the satisfaction of a response.
        I thought about replying to his ridiculous bile and half truths but no point, he’s just a wind up merchant who will move on when he realises no one is interested in his trolling.

      1. Wenger brought so many things to English football and to Arsenal he changed the clubs culture,just like gadiola and klopp are currently linning up their cv at their current clubs regardless of how they arr going about it. wenger was very successful and our longest serving manager he brought so many things to the league and club eg giving youths a chance identifying bargain talents, bringing/playing exiting football one of the best in the league if not the best etc. but if you have been long enough you would know wenger didn’t take Arsenal from the league one to come so far he took over an arsenal that has not been terrible who have also had success with previous managers and won some trophys too.
        Example, George Graham. He led Arsenal to appearances in the League Cup final in each of his first two seasons, winning in 1987, before losing in 1988.Arsenal’s performances in the league also improved and in Graham’s third season his team won the league championship in unprecedented fashion, defeating title rivals Liverpool by two clear goals on the final night of the season to be crowned champions on goals scored.He won his second league title in 1990–91, fielding a side that only lost one game throughout the season.

        Arsenal’s European Cup defeat to Benfica in October 1991 is regarded as a watershed moment in Graham’s managerial career.He altered his tactics and built a stubborn team, which lacked the creativity associated with the first half of his Arsenal reign. Graham’s Arsenal struggled to put together a title challenge in the newly-formed Premier League, but were cup specialists in the early half of the nineties.In 1992–93, Graham became the first manager to win the FA Cup and League Cup in the same season. A season later, he guided Arsenal to their first European trophy for almost a quarter of a century, as the team won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

        I would have put up more but am not a type that likes spending much time on keyboard

  2. Great to hear that. We have to try Holding again after failing with the senior CBs

    I believe similar blunders and defensive frailties would still occur despite having Holding, Bellerin and Tierney in the field, mostly because of the club’s leniency towards the players/ staffs and the inability of the new management to impose their plan

    Nonetheless, it’s nice to see the young defenders back and hopefully they would be accompanied by Willock, Nelson and Saka tonight

  3. Seriously agu are u high on something? Unai had whole season last year to observe n analyse arsenal team so this year with new players in arsenal should be in better condition but look at unai’s tactic n strategy. That is if headless, loss of direction n playing like schoolkids can be called tactics or strategy. Dont blame wenger, that time has passed.

  4. @Stephan Luc Larose

    The fact you said “He’s the one who built the club” in reference to Wenger, speaks volumes!

  5. Bellerin and Tierney will probably come back after the international break. I believe though, Kolasinac and Chambers will be enough to get as a draw at Old Trafford. Maybe might even break our 15 year duck and get all 3 points. Man U are a mess.

    1. I’d love nothing more, QD… but how many times have we been to OT, with them having been really crap & we still haven’t won?!
      It should be a hell of a game though, I’m hoping confidence will be higher after our win on Sunday. They’ve got a few injuries.. my only worry is – which Arsenal will turn up??

      1. @Sue
        We don’t even need to go to OT for a rubbish Man U to tea-bag us and whoop us silly! Lingard moon walking at the Emirates ring a bell? ?? You should have seen those arrogant Man U fans on AFTV..”we can lose 36 games in a season but still beat Arsenal home and away” ?

        Anyway, I was convinced it’s Wenger who created those nasty statistics with Man Utd..still am. This year might be different! I don’t expect much though and will be quite okay with a draw. It’s an away game after all.

        1. Yes & what a bell end he is!! Bloody moon walking or doing the milly rock, i was kind of hoping he’d fall over & injure himself ?
          It would be awesome to come away with all 3 though, imagine OGS’s face!! I’m not holding my breath though…

        2. Hi georgie, how are you? And how are things in the good old US of A? I’m sure he would have done, but he’s injured.. i read that he’s hurt his ankle. Such a shame, I’d have loved to have aeen him back at the Emirates… so unlucky. Maybe next season!

        3. Hi georgie, i did reply but it seems to have disappeared! Strange!
          All i said was how are you & how are things in the states?
          Yes, i believe he would have received a very warm welcome, but he’s injured.. hurt his ankle, so i read. It’s such a shame.. maybe we’ll see him next season, if we draw them. Would have loved to have seen him back at the Emirates!

    2. We almost won at OT last year but then Kola decided to make that horrendous blunder in the last few mins of the game:(

  6. Niles is banned from the Nottingham Forest match and not against United in case anyone doesn’t know

    I think we should start Mavrapanos and Mustafi against Forest. Also Niles and Bola.

    I’d prefer that Bellerin/Holding/Tierney not start against Forest but be brought on later in the game and play in the 2nd half. If they play well against Forest then maybe start against United.

    I’m very uneasy with our current defence playing United. But don’t want to rush our players coming back and make them play 90mins immediately.

    Against United, I think we should start Holding at least if he is fit enough. Chambers instead of Niles unless Bellerin is fit. No need to start Tierney as Kolsanic will do against United.

    1. Less than 2 weeks to go till the international break. Might as well allow Bellerin and Tierney the few extra days to work on their fitness and better yet, avoid them being called up for international duty immediately after their return.

      Oh boy, I had hoped Niles would miss the Man utd game. Shucks, we won’t survive with him present. It’s another all too familiar L waiting for us at OT if he plays.

        1. Yep, seems there is a damned international break sandwiched between every month till December.
          I hope AMN sits this game out..the fixture is already hard enough as it is, we don’t need someone shooting us in the foot.

  7. I think that if we play against Man Utd with the same team we played against Villa (with Chambers for AMN), we will lose simply because our 2 CBs are rubbish, and the midfield combo is not working.

  8. I’m not even sure why we are talking about the united game. Arsenal will beat ManU ..,,,give the coach and his players the time…..and support to do their job……we are in fourth place …… only lost one game so far …….there are no easy games in the EPL…….

  9. Now that Holding is coming back. Play Luiz in Xhaka’s role. He will do better there and and pair him with Torriera or Niles. Get the under 23 RB to play right back until Bellerin comes back. Play Guendouzi in Number 10 role, we need his energy there too. We will stronger and energetic in midfield.

    ———————-Leno—————–

    Under 23 RB…..Chambers—Holding—Kolasinac…

    ————–Niles/Torriera—–Luiz———–

    —Pepe————-Guendouzi——–Saka/Martinelli

    ——————–Aubamayang——————–

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