Club Brugge v Arsenal Wed 10th Dec 8 PM KO

Sicario2

This game is a Must play our fucking squad players.

If Nwareni/MLS/Norgaard don’t start this game then something is seriously wrong.

I’m tempted to rest the whole damn team but realised we don’t have any defenders ffs.

This is the least important game of the season - try to manage it so we have the tired or ‘in the red’ players all ok for Wolves as that is when our second half of the season really starts.

Tactics

I'd go:

Martinelli---Gyokeres-----Madueke
---MLS----Norgaard---Ode-----
Cala----Hincapie---Saliba----White
--------------Raya

Play White central and Salmon at RB if Saliba isn't fit enough to start. Merino looked dead on his feet yesterday, so I wouldn't start him. Cala is suspended against Wolves, so fine starting him.

I'd take a draw

lorddulaarsenal

A must rest game.

HomeSteak

Arteta said after the Chelsea game that it was a game we should have won but did not, hinting at not winning because we were tired, he literally said "That's a learning point for me."

I wonder what he will do here.

Martinelli---Gyokeres-----Madueke
---Nwaneri ----Norgaard---Ode-----
MLS----Hincapie---Calafiori----Anyone
--------------Kepa

Timber needs resting and White can't go from 0 minutes to 3 full games in 7 days. So find someone in the academy that plays right back and stick him in. Jesus should get some minutes as well.
Rice, Zubimendi, Saka should stay at home, in bed by 20:00.

tazmania

Not a single player from the starting 11 plays this or Arteta is a donkey. Play Salmon and Dowman for all I care. Full rotation

Sicario2

tazmania Heinze LB

Gurgen

Fucking rest everyone

Mirth

Gurgen forfeit the game, it'll be a net plus for the season.

I reckon we'll see

Kepa
White-Hincapie-Calafiori-MLS
Norgaard
Nwaneri-Merino
Madueke-Gyokeres-Martinelli

Meringo is unlikely to start vs Wolves if Gyokeres looks sharp.

lorddulaarsenal

——————-Kepa
White—-Salmon—Hincapie—MLS
——————Norgaard
———-Odegaard—-Nwaneri
Dowman——Gyokeres—-Martinelli

Sicario2

lorddulaarsenal like the team (as well as Panda’s) but don’t think the risk adverse Arteta will play 15/16 year olds in an away CL tie

Panda

Kepa
White-Hincapie-Calafiori-MLS
Norgaard
Nwaneri-Eze
Madueke-Gyokeres-Martinelli

I think the front 3 are nailed on and I expect Norgaard, Nwaneri and MLS to start. Not sure who will play in defence (although not much choice) and in the other midfield spot.

Klaus

I think we need to win this game to avoid talk about an emerging crisis. The mental effect of that is going to be bigger than any fatigue effect brought on by one extra game. Be reasonable and rest Zubimendi, Rice and Timber. Raya too I suppose (although I have no idea what a fucking goalkeeper has to be fatigued about). Play everyone else.

Burnwinter

I don't think Arteta will rotate heavily for this. People persistently underestimate the importance of dignity in the Champions League to our players and manager. I believe we'll see a selection with a few rotations that would be expected to win the match and protect our perfect record, not Marli Salmon starting.

Klaus

Burnwinter Absolutely. Proper rotation is about resting a player here and there, not about batch swapping all of them at once.

The mental component of these fixtures is vital. Just look at Liverpool: you don't want to be caught in that downward spiral. We've hit two mines in the league in a short time but we can still pride ourselves on our Champions League record like you say. But beyond that I think we need to just go out and fucking kill someone soon, and there's no better way to turn your fortune around than dunking on some belgian farmers and then Wolves. We shouldn't underestimate how much that means to these guys.

QuincyAbeyie

Burnwinter People persistently underestimate the importance of dignity in the Champions League to our players and manager

I don't think a single person underestimates the importance to the manager. 😆 It's been well established that he values that dignity way
more than rest and health.

Qwiss

Burnwinter yep. Wolves at the weekend. He'll rotate a bit in both but nothing drastic

I'd like to see Eze and Ode together in midfield for one of these games.

Sicario2

Klaus was it a crisis when city lost to Leverkusen and their previous league game recently?

It would only be a crisis for us as we have PTSD and are insecure as fans. It would be a crisis if we lost this match and it had a big impact on the table. As we sit 3 points ahead of second place we can absorb a loss and anyway Wolves is only 3 days later - beat them and everything will be forgotten about.

The whole reason we played our strongest side v Bayern was to earn the right to rest players in forthcoming CL games. This is our actual competitive advantage in the title race that no one talks about when the likes of City will have to play a strong side v Real away in their game this week.

The opportunity cost of playing a strong team on Wed is too much if another key player gets injured especially at the back.

In every season you chose your battles wisely. Let’s learn from previous seasons ie when Arteta idiotically played Saliba and Tomi v Sporting in 2023 and countless other examples.

Learn, use your big squad, and prioritise Wolves game. End of.

lorddulaarsenal

Pleased we have Wolves at home next in the league

Burnwinter

Dare I say it but we're at home to Wolves last thing on Sunday, we're not away at the Etihad.

Then there's a week's break before we travel to Everton after that.

Klaus

Burnwinter The prospect of going into the Everton game with all our forwards having bagged a couple of goals each in these two games is enticing! You need to build on something if you want results.

Burnwinter

QuincyAbeyie I don't think a single person underestimates the importance to the manager.

They do underestimate what it means to the players, and the transitive importance of the appetites of the players to the manager.

Saka and Rice, maybe Zubimendi, might be our only available rusted on starters sufficiently secure about their first choice status, blasé about Europe and bodily crocked not to want to participate, and even they probably want to.

Klaus

Sicario2 was it a crisis when city lost to Leverkuson and the previous game?

I dunno. Kinda? Do you know any City fans who are happy with playing catchup to us this season? Because I don't.

Sicario2

Klaus we only know really after wed if Pep made the right call. As it stands they won their subsequent 3 league games and look fresh whereas we looked the opposite and dropped points.

P.S: I don’t know any City fans