Probable Lineups
Missing Players
Arsenal
Brentford
| Player | Reason | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sead Kolasinac | Out | |
| Laurent Koscielny | Out | |
| Konstantinos Mavropanos | Out | |
| Ainsley Maitland-Niles | Out | |
| Carl Jenkinson | Out |
| Player | Reason | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Emiliano Marcondes | Out | |
| Rico Henry | Out |
Team News
Arsenal
Brentford
- With Sead Kolasinac, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Laurent Koscielny and Konstantinos Mavropanos all ruled out, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Nacho Monreal may be forced to start at centre-back and left-back respectively.
- Lucas Torreira looks Arsenal's most reliable sitting midfielder, but Matteo Guendouzi has certainly given a good account of himself so far and should start here.
- Romaine Sawyers can be an excellent advanced playmaker, but he's only effective when Brentford dictate the tempo; Dean Smith might feel this type of match calls for a third central midfielder, so Nico Yennaris could start against his old club.
- Rico Henry continues to build up his fitness after almost a year out, while Emiliano Marcondes continues his recovery from an ankle problem.
Barring the opening 20 minutes we couldn't control the game, lost possession many times (then failed to win it back) and at no time did we really dominate despite starting many players who are fringe first teamers. After Brentford scored via an excellent free-kick from Judge, we didn't let them back in though and I'm sure in the Wenger days we would have conceded a second not long after the first. Mustafi had a very poor game. He puts himself, and his teammates, in danger from seemingly innocuous situations. Holding wasn't great but with Sokratis guaranteed to start when he is fit, Holding makes a much better choice as a partner. Guendouzi was a mixture of very good and very bad but mainly the former, Mkhitaryan was decent, Welbeck very good throughout (MotM even without the goals) and Lacazette did reasonably well once he came on. Everybody else was average.
Arsenal win to nil
2-1.btts for sure.
Hope Nketiah and Smith Rowe start this. I see no need or reason for Aubameyang nor Lacazette to.
@Overmars- I'm sure they will. Guessing something like: LENO, LICHTSTEINER, MUSTAFI, HOLDING, THOMPSON*, GUENDOUZI, ELNENY, NKETIAH, SMITH-ROWE, IWOBI, WELBECK. Not sure who will play LB but Monreal has been run into the ground thus far, so somebody other than him needs to play, even if it is a fan from the stands. Kolasinac is back training but he should be eased back into it imo. Also, our lack of CB depth with both Greeks and Pleguezuelo injured is a massive issue. I don't think Sokratis' is serious but we only have Mustafi and Holding for this game. I would like Holding to get a run in the first team. He is quicker than Mustafi and better on the ball. Sokratis was injured because of Mustafi. My patience with him is running out.
@SteveHyland Pleggy maybe fit according to Jeorge Bird. I agree with your line up except for Mustafi who I would rotate it.