A return to Europa action in front of what could be our lowest attendance for some time. If only 33k turn up for a Spurs CL game, how many will bother paying to watch the kids tonight? That said, I wouldn’t turn up to see Spurs play anyone 😀
We know who is dropping down from the CL to the Europa: these are the contenders – Club Brugge, Inter Milan, Napoli, Galatasary, Benfica, Shaktar Donesk, Valencia (who just humiliated MU), and Viktoria Pizen.
Of these only Inter, Napoli and Valencia are to be feared, though we have lost to Benfica in the past.
Tonight we will see a return for our Team Captain, Mr. Koscielny. At 33 y.o. and having recuperated from such a chronic injury, I expect him to be unable to recover his former exccellence. Less pace, less stamina, less jumping ability, but more experience. He is an important player but IMO is unlikely to ever be a first choice player again.
A night for the youngsters who have done so well this season. Smith Rowe (no hyphen) Maitland-Niles (with hyphen), Willock etc Qarabag have nothing to gain from tonight either so we could see a a very open. attacking game.
My Team
Helmet
Licht Sokratis Kos Corporal Jenks
Douzi AMN Elneny
Smith Rowe Iwobi
Nketiah
Maybe a bit light upfront.
And what of Ozil? I expect him to ride the pine and then come on for the second half, or perhaps start and get subbed. He needs pitch time ahead of S’ton.
Sokratis is banned on the weekend so should start.
A dead rubber (whatever that means!!), nonetheless I expect us to win and continue our unbeaten run
Let it Be So.
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Thanks Rads
Happy Birthday Santi- never forgotten!
Happy Birthday Santi, what a nice thought.
Thanks for the read BR.
I shall be attending with my eldest son, although I have been offered enough tickets to take distant relatives.
Cech – Licht, Kos, Monreal, AMN – Douzi, El Neny, Willock – Smith-Rowe, Iwobi – Nketiah
I must be missing something here. Two of you have suggested that Emery will start with Lichtsteiner, this confuses me because the alarming question that is screaming in my head is: doesn’t he have to start on Sunday?
If we start with three at the back on Sunday then Monreal is a must, Koscielny is a must and so who else apart from Lichtsteiner can play the other CB, that being the case surely he needs to be rapped in cotton wool tonight or as I said above, am I missing something?
Maybe four at the back on Sunday
Bellerin, Koscielny, Monreal, Kolasinac.
But that looks as weak as a fortnight.
—————–Cech
Jenkinson, Sakratis, Koscielny
AM-N, Guendouzi, Elneny, Iwobi
——-ESM, Nketiah, Willock
Hi LB – you can put Jenks instead of Licht in my line up
It is a real mystery what happened to Julio Pleguezuelo, I have searched for info on an injury but there doesn’t seem to be anything on one.
You would have thought he would have been given an extra nudge up the pecking order because of his nationality, after all we are top heavy with Spaniards at the decision making end of the club – strange, very strange.
Ah, Smith Rowe is injured, so that one needs a rethink.
I wonder if Mkhitaryan will be pressed into service?
Ozil in from the start if fit to be on bench. Lots of fetch and carry runner around him and (almost) Chistmas Mesut Magic in the air.
Read Smith Rowe on Dick and his influence.
What a joy reading “oldies” and new “young ones” saying they “love playing for him”.
So I stop getting email on post is word press giving trouble
Thanks, Randy.
I cannot wait to see the game. It is always worth seeing the kids strutting there stuff.
It seems that Ozil will play tonight? In addition it also seems that Saka the speedy young winger will get a game from the start – and Zach Medley a gangly young CB, who impressed many inches last Euro game will be in the squad. Maybe he is the answer to your query as to who will start with Kozzer – leaving Licht the Lolly to start on Sunday. Maybe??
[Not sure if it is my poor old eyes acting up and causing misspellings and ‘inches’ instead of ‘fans’ — above — but I guess no one will give a toss.] 😎
Thanks Raddy,
My three wishes for tonight are:-
1. To continue our unbeaten run
2. To rest as many key players as necessary to protect our choices for the weekend
3. For the youngsters to play with freedom and expression and stake a claim for the first team squad next season.
…. not much to ask is it? 🙂
Inches/Fans? We understood
No Smith Rowe – that’s a shame
Forgot Licht could start on the weekend but I am expecting us to revert to a Back 4 with Catwalk, Nacho, Laurent and Wardrobe.
Cheers, BR.
A diificult one to predict the team.
Will both Mustafi and Big Sok play as they’re suspended on Sunday?
Apart from Kos (and maybe Mesut) who need a little pitch time, I’d rest everyone who might get a game on Sunday.
RA
I thought you had made a Spanish typo: “hincha” = fan
LB. Very impressive!
I get the feeling that Emery is enjoying his unbeaten run and is not ready to give it up yet and with that in mind I think the team could have a bit more steel than all of us are expecting.
Team: Cch, Jenkinson, Sokratis, Koscielny, Maitland-NIles, Elneny, Guendouzi, Willock, Ozil, Saka, Nketiah
Ozil starts, as does Saka and Willock.
Exciting team
Arsenal team: Martinez, Jenkinson, Sokratis, Koscielny, Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Willock, Saka, Ozil, Lacazette, Nketiah
Subs: Iliev, Medley, Monreal, Gilmour, Guendouzi, Mkhitaryan, John-Jules
Sorry, chaps, no ratings for me for tonight’s game.
Early start tomorrow.
Anyone fancy providing some match thoughts or ratings to save BR having to do both?
Where’d you get yours from, BR?
Read Arsenal. It let me down 👀
Who’d’ve thunk it? 🙂
Oh yeah, about Kos……I was thinking that he may come out a better player now that his achilles injury has been resolved and is properly behind him.
No longer any half measures protecting himself but full on quality.
One can but hope. 🙂
We are playing well against poor opponents
Just. A few m,empty seats 😏
I got the feeling that Ozil wasn’t out there for as long as he was to get important game time but as a kind of sop to us poor souls who braved the cold.
Well Chas, I can safely say that was a worse game to be at than even the recent 0-0 draw.
Good luck with player ratings. Not one of the youngsters did themselves justice. Sokratis OK, Kos OK Laca frustrated by no service. Mesut reasonable. Ref shit.
NEW POST
It’s only a mini post.
BR
If it’s too poor for the site and you have something else, just trash it and start again.