Sporting v Arsenal, 17:45 GMT (09/03, BT Sport 2)

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I'm really not sure what our team will be. :lol:

Kiwior, Saliba, Jorginho and Martinelli to start I guess?

[Marc Overmars]

I’d assume we’ll have to mix it up a bit.

Dangerous game on the weekend at Fulham so we need to spread the game time out. Having 3 forwards out sucks balls though and people in the media have the nerve to say we’ve been lucky.

Maybe something like:

Turner

Tomi Gabriel Kiwior Tierney

Vieira Jorginho Xhaka

Saka Martinelli Nelson


Hopefully escape with a draw then do them at home next week.

[Mac76]

I'd go even further - we should pretty much completely rotate for this game apart from players like Xhaka and Zin where it's 'who cares?' if they get injured

I'd ideally not even play Vieira but not sure what other options we have there

Saka in particular shouldn't be on the plane, nor should Jesus or Martinelli

I'd play Tierney but apparently he's ill so won't be there


Turner

Tomi
Holding
Kiwior
Zinchenko

Jorginho
Vieira
Xhaka

Marquinos
ESR
Nelson

[Mac76]

oh and 3-0 Goncalves hatter

[HCZ_Reborn]

Not a popular view on this forum but I’m still resolved to my view that I’d preferably like us to exit this competition. I understand the counter argument about momentum, but I just don’t agree with it. I don’t think going out of the FA cup against Man City caused the wobble in the league. Especially if you look at the fact that we lost to PSV in the Europa League and three days later put 5 past Forest and three days after losing at home to Brighton in the league cup won 2-0 at Wolves.

I’d love us to win a European trophy, but when you have a coach that doesn’t know how to rotate…you absolutely have to prioritise

[Mac76]

30 Turner
4 White
12 Saliba
15 Kiwior
35 Zinchenko
21 Fábio Vieira
20 Jorginho
34 Xhaka
7 Saka
11 Martinelli
24 Nelson

Substitutes

1 Ramsdale
5 Partey
6 Gabriel
10 Smith Rowe
16 Holding
18 Tomiyasu
41 Bandeira
56 Hillson
71 Sagoe Junior
72 Smith
97Walters


really glad he's not gambled Jesus but it seems he is still determined to drive Saka into the ground as usual...

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I'd go even further - we should pretty much completely rotate for this game apart from players like Xhaka and Zin where it's 'who cares?' if they get injured

I'd ideally not even play Vieira but not sure what other options we have there

Saka in particular shouldn't be on the plane, nor should Jesus or Martinelli

I'd play Tierney but apparently he's ill so won't be there


Turner

Tomi
Holding
Kiwior
Zinchenko

Jorginho
Vieira
Xhaka

Marquinos
ESR
Nelson



Marquinhos was difficult when he is at Norwich on loan.

[Mac76]

Marquinhos was difficult when he is at Norwich on loan.

ha, i forgot about that :doh:

[Mac76]

Goncalves miles wide :lol:

[Mac76]

all pretty scrappy so far

[McNamara That Ghost...]

SALIBA!!!

[GP]

SALIBA!!

[Mac76]

0-1 Saliba header :scarf:

[Mac76]

who ever thought a corner played straight into the middle of the box would produce a goal...? :rolleyes:

[GP]

Good hit from Zinny

[Mac76]

Saka seems to go into the RB position when we fall back

[Mac76]

1-1- from a corner - too easy

[Mac76]

Zinchenko is just hopeless

[Mac76]

1-1 HT - pretty scrappy, some bad mistakes

just no point in Saka being there, he's making no difference and Arteta is just tiring him out for nothing

As for Nelson, he's doing his best but Xhaka and Zin are ignoring him most of the time, just as they ignore Martinelli and Trossard when they are on the left - even the commentators pointed it out

[Mac76]

good effort from Vieira, just wide

[Mac76]

2-1 Paulinho

[HCZ_Reborn]

2-1 Sporting

[Mac76]

at least this time no-one can say it's because Xhaka isn't in the team, like some people did when we went behind to Bournemouth

[HCZ_Reborn]

at least this time no-one can say it's because Xhaka isn't in the team, like some people did when we went behind to Bournemouth

I just plain don’t care, as I said earlier this competition is a distraction

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Incredible run from Martinelli but should've struck earlier.

Now should be 3-1.

[Mac76]

I just plain don’t care, as I said earlier this competition is a distraction

the only benefit would be to give other players minutes while resting key personnel, but then he goes and plays Saliba, White and Saka anyway

[McNamara That Ghost...]

2-2 OG!!!!

[Letters]

I just plain don’t care, as I said earlier this competition is a distraction
Probably our best chance of a trophy tbh.
The silver lining of going out is a clear run in, but I don’t want us to throw it.

Judging from the noise coming through the wall from my Gooner neighbour I reckon it’s just gone to 2-2 :lol:

[Mac76]

2-2 deflected shot from Xhaka :haha:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Zinchenko off, Tomiyasu on.

[WMUG]

:haha:

Goal stands

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Before we go back to the Champions League I want us to have won this tournament.

Vieira header saved!

[Mac76]

Tomi on for Zin - maybe Arteta's just realised a left-back can be handy sometimes

[Mac76]

Vieira's corners are so much better than the shite we get from Saka and ODegaard

[Mac76]

Partey coming on to get injured, also ESR and Gabriel

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Kiwior off, Gabriel on.

Jorginho off, Partey on.

Nelson off, Smith Rowe on.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

2-2 FT. Not too bad.

[Marc Overmars]

FT 2-2

That will do. Hope we’re not fucked for Sunday.

[Letters]

Aye, that’s fine.

[Mac76]

just criminal to play Saka and White for 90 mins in that game, although tbf it looked like Saka was basically taking the night off anyway - if Arteta doesn't have the sense to conserve Saka's energy he'll just do it himself...