PL: Cardiff vs Arsenal | September 2nd | KO: 1:30 BST | Sky Sports

[FEH]

I hope Emery fields an improved team. Been disappointed with his team selections thus far tbh. The below looks a far more robust unit than what we have seen this season. Two ****s in the back four and a rottweiler in midfield. Exactly what we need.

Lichsteiner Mustafi Sokratis Monreal

Torreira​

 

[krackpot]

International break after!

shoot! International matches are rarely shown on our cable.

 

[Preacher]

Beautiful Nike kit.

 

[rich 1990]

Don't really care who plays too much other then no Bellerin. He needs to be punished for his defending.

 

[ksarp]

Don't really care who plays too much other then no Bellerin. He needs to be punished for his defending.

Two ways to look at it.
1) Emre's been working with him 1-1 reviewing tape, so he gives him another chance to adjust to his tutelage by playing him in this game and observing him.
2) Emre could dump him for Lichty which could be a blow to his fragile ego.

I vote for the first scenario. We know who we have in Litchy, so let' s see if Bellerin and Özil can be integrated into this new OS...for now.

 

[tap-in]

Dropping Bellerin will reduce our attack. Do people think Lichsteiner would get forward like Bellerin and get back every time? The recent speed test suggests he will have no chance. We need to give the defence extra cover by playing Torreira in a middle 3. We don't have the quality of CB's to leave them exposed like we do on a regular basis. Dropping Bellerin is not the answer. That's my view anyway!

 

[TorontoGooner76]

I think Bellerin will keep his place. He has accounted for a lot of our goals and chances in these first few games and I feel this game is very important to Emery, especially with the break coming up. I have a feeling that Emery wants him that high up the pitch, because I also noticed that on the other side it was Monreal that was pressing high towards the touch line with the Iwobi tucked in more instead of pressing the man on the ball. I feel some of this is purely Emery's tactics, which if it works makes some sense. But without support for the CB's when it goes wrong it can leave us exposed.

I think Emery is still working with the midfielders positioning in these scenarios and they haven't been getting it right just yet. It is a process and I think once everyone is drilled enough on what they should be doing then it will work quite well.

This could have been posted in the tactics thread I suppose, so sorry for the tangent.

But Bellerin to start for me with a bit more cover one way or another will do fine. Lichtsteiner will get his chance soon, as the fixtures begin to pile up after the break.

 

[Gooner Zig]

Beautiful Nike kit.

I remember that game like it was yesterday. I so thought that win was a "coming of age" for that team.

 

[celestis]

Beautiful Nike kit.

Ramsey and Özil killing it , bring back the yellow kit .

 

[celestis]

I remember that game like it was yesterday. I so thought that win was a "coming of age" for that team.

It was , unforunately were still waiting for the medical team to come of age

 

[Wryer]

I would keep Bellerin in the line up to provide the width, and go for a narrow front 3 and compact midfield.

----------- Auba -------
-------- Özil - Laca -----
Douz - Torreira - Ramey

I think Laca has very good technique and underrated creativity, and should work well playing slightly behind Auba.

As for the midfield, there is plenty of movement and energy to provide some width. Cardiff is going to start the game trying to physically intimidate us. There's no other game that Warnock can come up with.

Xhaka, Mhki and Welbeck to come on and change things if we need to .

 

[Makingtrax]

Warnock on Arsenal and Arsène:
“Arsenal is very special to me.

“The first game I remember going to with my Dad was at Highbury with the big clock there.”

“When I went there with Sheffield United, it was my 1000th game, I was stood in the centre circle and I said to Arsène “Look how far the dugouts are apart, you won’t hear me today” and he looks both ways and says “Neil, you’ll find a way.”

“He invited me to his room. I used to say ‘you’ll get a bad reputation Arsène, if anyone finds out! He brought my children in and everything, he insisted that they come in. Superb.”

“I couldn’t have taken what Arsène did in the last few years. It’s not in my nature but he did that and he’s left a really good club. It will be interesting over the next few years to see if they can get more success than Arsène brought.

“They’ve had their wish now, everybody who campaigned to get him out.”

 

[Wizzard]

After Eddie not playing for the U23, i think we will see Laca and Auba both starting, with Welbz and Eddie on the bench to have two offensive options.

 

[yorch44]

Haha no crime - just hopefully helping a little boy see his favourite team

I hope your little boy is not a rifle, a knife or something even more silly

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Imagine the rage if Torreira and Laca won't start tomorrow

 

[Red London]

Dropping Bellerin will reduce our attack. Do people think Lichsteiner would get forward like Bellerin and get back every time? The recent speed test suggests he will have no chance. We need to give the defence extra cover by playing Torreira in a middle 3. We don't have the quality of CB's to leave them exposed like we do on a regular basis. Dropping Bellerin is not the answer. That's my view anyway!

I dont think Emery has an itention to play a 3 man midfield if his preferred formation he has gained success from is 4231, I might be wrong.

The silver lining anyway is that even if we stick to a 2 man midfield, Torreira playing on that right hand side of the midfield pairing can help bring stability and cover to our right flank. Also, I dont think Emery has found the right balance of how much his full backs go forward, right now Bellerin is taking it totally overboard without sufficient cover and its silly at times. I'm sure we will smooth that over in the coming weeks

 

[Red London]

Torreira HAS to start, I know its away but I dont care

 

[dashsnow17]

I was very confident all week but not so much today. I was thinking what on earth gives me the right to be so complacent? We were lucky to beat West Ham at home last week, and West Ham are a mess. How come all of a sudden we're gonna go to Cardiff - a prickly away trip - and breeze it?

I mean if we lose i'm gonna want some explanations for why we spent all week playing head tennis.

 

[Rex Stone]

It was , unforunately were still waiting for the medical team to come of age

Aaron then Theo going down in a month completely f*cked us that year. I still believe we’d have won the league with them fit.

 

[rich 1990]

Aaron then Theo going down in a month completely f*cked us that year. I still believe we’d have won the league with them fit.

Bollocks that geez. The state of our DMs that year is what ****ed us up. Arteta and Flamini were shambolic.