There's no way Arteta rests players here for the EL. If anything I reckon players who might have had a rest like White will probably play because they won't play in the week.
I'd go with with an unchanged team with Vieira in for Xhaka. Would be tempted to bring Eddie back in too but it doesn't feel right to mess with a formula that has got Martinelli scoring so stick to Trossard.
City could potentially drop points as Newcastle can be stubborn to beat, need to go all out for the win and our players can then have a bit of a rest. Partey available so tempted to start him and perhaps Eddie ahead of either Trossard / Martinelli. Would like for Saka to have a breather but he's too important for us.
This might seem an easy game on paper but I am expecting another deep block, teams in this league seem to become experts at doing it when they play us! Again need to keep our game level up and be patient but it won't be easy.
I reckon it will be easy.
This will be the easiest game of the season other than Spurs away which felt like a training game.
Hope we rack up the GD
I am Arsenal Till I Die I thought the same but before last nights match he was talking a lot about players getting a chance in the next couple of games so I think he'll make changes. Can definitely see the likes of Vieira, Eddie, Tomi, Tierney, Holding, Kiwior, etc getting a half or more over the next 2 games.
Qwiss think all of them start the EL game. The only change we might see is Tomi for White and Partey from the start.
Hoping my winning streak attending our home games continues here. Will be at this game on Saturday. Now let's smash these lot.
Clrnc other than Spurs away which felt like a training game
Well said
I never feel any game is going to be easy for us. I know we have the quality to win and if we can perform to that level then we probably will. But even on Wednesday we needed that elite quality from Saka to turn a potentially frustrating slog into a much more comfortable outcome. Everyone is these games is testing our credentials and we have to navigate them hopefully.
7 league home matches left, kind of odd seeing that number tick down.
awooga83 But even on Wednesday we needed that elite quality from Saka
As opposed to City or Liverpool who never rely on elite quality?
It's exactly what you need in games where things are tight. If anything our problem is that because our squad is still young and developing, we don't have enough of that individual brilliance to lean on to take the pressure off.
I think/hope Arteta will actually rest players on Thursday and not for this one. Seems like a no brainer to play e.g. Vieira against a side from a league he was tearing up last season. We don't need Saka to beat those guys.
It wasn't meant as a criticism or comparison with city and Liverpool. I just meant for me Saka is the only player of that calibre in our team who can get us through those moments. He is an exceptional talent so he may be able to see us through until the end of the season but as with everything about us right now it's an unknown quality. So he may do it but as with us for me we have no precedent here we are in unknown territory and everything we do now is helping me learn and see what we are capable of.
So he may graduate to those same levels where you count on him like a Salah or Aguero. But right now I don't know if we will. So the more games that we have to rely on that the bigger the challenge.
Ah fair enough, agree in that case but that's all a part of us evolving onto that next level. For now though, at least until Jesus is back, we just need to rely on out-footballing other teams and luckily we've been very good at that this season.
Either way I cannot see Bournemouth being an issue.
Gotta start the first team here, the Premier League is the priority. I think the floor of the team has now been raised sufficiently that we can do a little mix and match on Thursday without a disastrous effect on quality there, but let's not take the risk tomorrow.
I’d probably start Jorginho over Partey, and Nketiah over Trossard.
Partey and Trossard can grab some minutes but they strike me as more “needed” for Europa.
Also wouldn’t be surprised to see Viera get a start vs Sporting.
Nice to have these options!
Reporter asked Arteta if we could see two completely different sides for the next two games and Arteta said it's a possibility. I'm not sure where the impression has come from that Arteta doesn't change things up. He has always rotated as much the quality of squad depth has allowed him.
Well, I guess that's a debatable point in the sense that we have Sambi but never use him (because some would argue he's not adequate squad depth).
Eddie also barely got game time in the league until Jesus was injured.
I guess my point is, your squad is as big/small as you want it to be (to an extent) so whilst I understand where you're coming from, I don't think it's entirely fair to say Arteta uses the squad to its full potential.
My post was referring to cup games with Sporting coming up.
League Cup, Europa League and even the FA Cup against City saw quite heavy rotation. With ESR, Trossard, Jorginho, Kiwor all boosting depth I'd expect to see even bigger rotation on Thursday.
