Arsenal travel to St Marys Stadium today to take on Southampton in the FA Cup in what should be a tight encounter.
The home side overcome Liverpool this week to make it to only their second League Cup final in their history, and will be full of confidence following their impressive win.
On their route to the final, they also eliminated us in the quarter finals, beating us at the Emirates in November, and now have the opportunity to become the first team to knock us out of both cup competitions since the 80s when Manchester United did the same. The Saints can also boast having kept four clean sheets in their last five outings against us, having won three of them.
Arsenal have the advantage of not having played in midweek, as well as the obvious advantage of being the better team, but all that is pointless without bringing their A game. We also look likely to bring Ashley Maitland-Niles into our first-team squad to cover for the absences of Mohamed Elneny (AFCON), Granit Xhaka (suspension) and Santi Cazorla (injured), although Wenger has insisted that Iwobi and Jeff Reine-Adelaide are also possibilities for the central roles as cover.
Other than the above, all our other players are believed to be available for our playing squad this weekend, with Danny Welbeck, Per Mertesacker and Theo Walcott all in line for a place in the squad today.
Predicted Arsenal XI:
Ospina
Bellerin Mustafi Koscielny Gibbs
Coquelin Maitland-Niles
Iwobi Ozil Lucas
Sanchez
The Saints have every reason to be flying high, but with them having had an extra game in midweek, while we have had all the time to prepare properly for the fixture, we simply must have the upper hand.
I’m not saying it will be easy, but I certainly am expecting a win today. I’ll go for a respectable 2-1 win over Southampton, with Lucas Perez getting a goal (should he get the expected game-time).
What are your predictions? Will Alexis return up top today?
Pat J
I love a lineup without Giroud
I think there will be a couple of rotations seeing as we have 3 big games in the space of 7 days. I would go for this lineup:
…………………ospina……………..
bellerin…mustafi…Holding…Gibbs…
………….Coquelin…Niles/Iwobi…..
Ox…………….Ozil……………Perez
………………Sanchez……………
Bench: Gabriel, Koscielny, Ramsey, Walcott, Giroud, Welbeck, Reine-Adelaide
I like the idea of Iwobi in a central role, he has a creative spark about him and is good in tight spaces which might best replicate santi’s role. It’s not often that we have an abundance of options to pick a side so it will be interesting to see what Wenger comes up with, hoping Sanchez starts through the middle. #COYG
If Lucas gets a hat-trick, he still probably won’t start in a PL match
Unlucky guy
I think Le Prof has said during his press conference that he’ll play mostly a senior Gunner team for this our FA Cup match today against Southampton. And I reason with him because last timeout at the Ems when he played a makeshift team against the Saints in the quarterfinal of the English League Cup match, we lost 0-2 to them. Therefore, I don’t expect Le Prof play any junior Gunner in this match but to play our top senior regular starting Gunners for the match to avoid being embarrassed a second time in the Cup competition this season by the Saints imho.
I think Le Prof has already fixed the starts and bench for this match but he’s yet to make them public. However, I’ve gazed in to them through my insight which has enabled to predict who are the Gunners he’ll be starting and have on the bench.
The starts:
Ospina
Paulista Mustafi Koscielny Monreal
Coquelin Ramsey
Sanchez Ozil Perez
Giroud.
The bench:
Cech Bellerin Holding Gibbs Chamberlain Walcott Welbeck.
I’ve decided to rest Iwobi for this match because he looked jaded and fatigued in our last home PL game against Burnley. And because of the injuries to Bellerin, Gibbs, Walcott & Welbeck who have all recently returned after recovering from their injuries but might have not deeply recovered, I’ve decided to start the quartet from the bench so as not to risk another injury to any of them.
Final scores: Southampton 0-3 Arsenal
I think Le Prof has said during his press conference that he’ll play mostly a senior Gunners team for this our FA Cup match today against Southampton. And I reason with him because last timeout at the Ems when he played a makeshift team against the Saints in the quarterfinal of the English League Cup match, we lost 0-2 to them. Therefore, I don’t expect Le Prof play any junior Gunner in this match but to play our top senior regular starting Gunners for the match to avoid being embarrassed a second time in the Cup competition this season by the Saints imho.
I think Le Prof has already fixed the starts and bench for this match but he’s yet to make them public. However, I’ve gazed in to them through my insight which has enabled me to predict who are the Gunners he’ll be starting and have on the bench.
The starts:
Ospina
Paulista Mustafi Koscielny Monreal
Coquelin Ramsey
Sanchez Ozil Perez
Giroud.
The bench:
Cech Bellerin Holding Gibbs Chamberlain Walcott Welbeck.
I’ve decided to rest Iwobi for this match because he looked jaded and fatigued in our last home PL game against Burnley. And because of the injuries to Bellerin, Gibbs, Walcott & Welbeck who have all recently returned after recovering from their injuries but might have not deeply recovered, I’ve decided to start the quartet from the bench so as not to risk another injury to any of them.
Final scores: Southampton 0-3 Arsenal
If Sanchez starts I hope it’s upfront with Lucas and Welbeck on the wings. I’ve got a feeling that those three would have chemistry and a serious workrate.
I will Start
OSPINA
BELLERIN–Holding –Gabriel –Gibbo
Coq———–Ramsey
PEREZ——-OZil————Welback
Sanchez
That a team played in midweek and then playing on saturday night is not a disadvantage to them. It is the mentality of the players on the pitch and desire they have to win the game. I hope Sanchez and Perez starts. Hopefully we would get the required winning.