The Carabao Cup returns on Tuesday evening. Arsenal welcome Nottingham Forest to the Emirates, in the 3rd round of the competition.
Our opponents are on a pretty impressive run, not only knocking out Derby in the last round, but are also sitting in 6th place in the championship, having lost only once, on the opening day.
Forest is now home to the one and only Carl Jenkinson (we love you, Jenko!) After 8 years (& various loan spells) with us (41 appearances, 1 goal) he bade us farewell & headed for pastures new. He’ll always be welcomed back at the Emirates ……….. just a shame it won’t be tonight, as he’s injured his ankle! Get well soon, Jenko!
After our heroics, against Villa, on Sunday.. I expect a lot of rotation. Maitland-Niles will be missing through suspension, due to his dismissal. Lacazette is still out of contention. It may be too soon for Bellerin & Tierney, having only played 62 minutes for the U23’s at the weekend. Holding is now available and we may even see Mavrapanos.
This is who I’ll go with –
Martinez
Chambers Mustafi Holding Kolasinac
Willock Torreira Saka
Martinelli Ozil Nelson
I also think we’ll see John-Jules and Balogun make an appearance, from the bench.
We’ve played Nottingham Forest before, at the same stage of this competition, back in 2016. Arsenal ran out 4-0 winners at the City ground. Forest had their revenge, 2 years later, winning 4-2, at the same venue, in the FA cup and completely ruined my Birthday! So come on Arsenal!!!
I’m fancying a penalty shoot out….
Mrs Kolasinac
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Morning all
Apologies if I’ve got those wingers the wrong way round ………… if I have, can someone put me right and I can change them.
Thank you Sue, I think this competition is a great opportunity for our academy players to show what they can do.
If any of our readers are going and want to do a match report or Player Ratings just get in touch at arsenalnuts@live.co.uk or leave a message on the blog.
Thanks Sue
I’ve always had a soft spot for Forest (except when they beat us, grrrr).
This is partly because some Notts Forest players helped us out with our very first club kit back in 1886.
And partly because of memories of their exciting teams under Brian Clough.
And partly because a favourite uncle when I was growing up (long since gone to the great terrace in the sky) was an avid Forest fan.
That said, I hope we beat them 10 nil.
Martinez – Mustafi, Chambers, Holding, Tierney – Willock, Torreira – RN, Ozil, Saka – Jules
My post has disappeared.
Thank you, Peaches 😊
Kelsey
There’s a comment from you at the end of the previous Post – is that the one?
If so you could re-post it here.
Rocky.. my Dad is a Forest fan, because of Brian Clough!
Also, the guy who runs our dart league is a fan, so we can’t lose!! As I’ll receive lots of grief & I’ll want to throw my darts at him 😂😂
Thanks for that Mrs K, what about Smith Rowe getting a start?
It’ll be interesting to see how being the father figure in a team of youngsters will impact on Mesut Ozil, will he rise to the occasion and take the lead or?
I’d like to see John Jules get some minutes on the pitch, he seems a very mature young man for his age, a player who can fit into any position across the attack.
I want to see Martinez, Chambers, Holding, Tierney, Torreira, Willock, Saka, RN and Jules on the pitch from the kick-off onwards.
Ozil is our grandpa figure in Cup games and this is fine with me although there is a good case to let Ceba play as well…
Tonight is a must win.
As for the captain, Merson thinks Luiz should have the armband but to be honest I d rather have one of the six players below in that order. I also think we should have 1 captain and 3 deputies (1 per line):
– Auba, Laca
– Guendouzi, Ozil
– Holding, Luiz
My final choice: Laca – captain ; Auba, Ozil and Luiz co-captain
Future captains: Holding, Douzi, Nketiah
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/32461/11818284/david-luiz-has-got-to-be-arsenal-captain-says-paul-merson
No Rocky, it was forth comment on this new post but I have forgotten exactly what I said bar that they are bringing 8000 fans down to the game,they are in form and depending who plays for us or not it won’t be a stroll in the park.Pity jenkinson is injured as he would have got a good reception.
Matinez obviously starts, Mustafi and Willock and Saka and Dani should start then I am not sure if any of Tierney,Holding or Bellerin will start., or even Ozil.
Afternoon, Sue.
A very nice Post, and I hope your predictions for the introduction of younger players tonight turn out to be correct.
We have been very nice to Forest — giving them our cast off shirts a few hundred years ago (not exactly true, of course, – see Rocky’s comment, he always speaks the truth) 😜 and because Forest are playing a Championship game on Friday we have brought forward the game to help them out. True word.
It will be painful if our largesse results in us playing rubbish and losing.
The I will, naturally, blame you!
Hi Kelsey, 😁
Interesting comment re Embers — we have missed the inside info you usually have access to — but, if we go on an unbeaten run, I doubt Emery will be let go in January — if we are playing rubbish, then that might happen.
Kev,
I would like to see more of John Jules too. Like Eddie Nketiah he seems a natural born goal scorer.
Do you think Mesut will play tonight? It has all gone Pete Tong for him recently which is a real shame for a class player. [I was quite pleased with the vernacular usage of Pete Tong — now I think I may have got that wrong. 🥺 ]
Hello RA.. check you out – using pete tong 😉 very impressive 😁
Blame me?! Bloody cheek… 😂
Hi Red, yeah I think that John Jules has the mentality and technique to play centre forward, in the hole or wide on the flanks, from the little I’ve seen of him he can hold up the ball and bring others into play, he’s probably more Lacazette than Aubameyang if you get my drift?
Kelsey
Your inside stories of unhappiness with UE are somewhat alarming.
Ultimately results will decide what happens to him. If we hit a run of form the pressure will ease and I would imagine even the internal backbiting will subside.
Success is a great balm.
If results go south, on the other hand, it could ‘all go Mark Strong’ for him pretty quickly.
(I prefer a more contemporary vernacular Redders 😀 )
Morning all. I think we’ll see ESR, I’d also be very surprised if we see Kolasinac. I think Mrs Kolasinac should have used her protective instinct to sense that her hubby is knackered. Unless she knows different….. !!! Anyway, we might play 3 at the back, if not, someone is probably going to play out of position at LB. My money’s on Chambo or Mustafi. Unless Martinelli can play in the middle, I also think John-Jules will get a start. But I’ve also come to realize Dick is very unpredictable and so it’s a bit of a crap shoot. Maybe he’ll play Xhaka because he had the temerity to take him off on Sunday and because after he went off, we looked like a much better team. He can’t have his reputation damaged now can he??!! He’s such an “important player” for us. Anyway, whoever plays ………….
Go Goooooooners !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With Mike here about Kola, needs rest.
Would not play Bel, Tier or Holding, as they all just played over 60 minutes and are coming off injury. Just read about a doctor who looked at long term effects of ACL injuries, and he suggested 2 years to get back to full strength, and if not the possibility of re-injury remains high.
Bring up some more youth, this cup does not mean jack. Call it the under 25’s and be done with it.
The real question is will he start Xhaka in the next game. Inquiring minds want to know.
Could we be seeing Hector this evening?
Hi Rocky,
Is it the case that Pete Tong, like Ding Dong, and now Mark Strong are all made up names?
I know none of them.
It is peculiarly a Brit thing, because you lot are all doo lally, or should that be Aunt Sally? 😳
Further to RA’s comment earlier – yes it was good of us bringing the game forward a day, to help Forest prepare for their game against Stoke on Friday night. So, I’m thinking maybe they could do us a favour? Gift us a goal, perhaps? Would make a pleasant change for it to be that way round, as I’ve lost count of how many we’ve gifted recently.. the other favour is to go and batter Stoke.. then we’ll all be stoked 😂😂😂
Peaches… 8 months out, ain’t it about time we saw Hector again?! 🙂
Ah Redders…
Pete and Mark are real. Not so sure about Ding…
Thanks Sue
If your team is correct then it could set up either as a 4-4-2 with Saka and Nelson either side of Torreira and Willock and Ozil tucked in behind Martinelli as a classic number 10. That can quickly morph into a 4-3-3 if Ozil drops slightly deeper and Saka and Nelson push up either side of Martinelli.
I too would like to see this game used for our youngsters, but maybe with experience in a few positions. Forest I think will take this very seriously and are 6th in the Championship, having only lost once this season as others mention, so I expect decent quality but also a real physical battle from them. We need players in this game that are hungry to prove something. I would like to see ESR, Nelson, Saka, Martinelli, John Jules all get some game time tonight. I think Willock is more 1st team now so can rest this one out or start on the bench.
I think Kelsey mentioned that Ozil had indeed not been well while I had thought it may have been UE sidelining him more. If it is the former then this could represent much needed game time for him and we could get a shift out of him. If it is the latter he may feel this is kind of a sleight and a demotion and we may not get much out of him, so his inclusion or not should rest on which of the 2 scenarios is true.
Also much could depend on the readiness of Bellerin, Tierney and Holding. Will they feature? Lets say they don’t then I would say that it is Chambers at RFB and Kola at LFB. There is no alternative for Kola if Tierney can’t feature but on the weekend we know AMN can cover that position as well, but can’t tonight. In the CB positions it would be nice to see 1 youngster at least, maybe either Mavro or 1 of the academy lads. I would probably still play Soc as the other for the physical battle.
Torreira hasn’t played as much so start him and then 2 others with a front 3 pick and mix from Nelson, Martinelli, John Jules and Saka. Saka could also play more centrally as the more attacking of the midfield 3. We could go with this:
Martinez
Chambers, Mavro, Soc, Kola
Torreira, ESR
Saka
Martinelli, John Jules, Nelson
Omg it’s time for Tierney 👊
Wish I was there now. The Box Office is still open!!
I quite like that team for tonight
I do too, GB 👍
Not starting until 8 now… travel issues…
Looking out onto the Armory and the amount of people out there, I think they will need de delay it further.
I’m watching on a great stream but the commentary is in Arabic. Can’t understand a word except for the names.
So far they’ve name checked Brian Clough and Peter Taylor; Tony Adams and Steve Morrow (presumably talking about Morrow’s worst ever experience of being dropped); and Andy Linighan.
Now they’ve just mentioned Martin O’Neill. Kinda fun.
Larry Lloyd… McGovern… Kenny Burns… Roberto Mancini… I wish I could speak Arabic to know how they’re linking all these people together
Have they mentioned Rocky Rocky?
What a goal by the way
Hesgoal are showing it & it’s in English 😂
No Rocky yet…
Peach of a goal. What a cross from Chambo on the volley – and the way Martinelli adjusted his position for the header belied his young age.
Hope ESR is OK and that they’ve taken him off as a precaution (concussion)
Very encouraging half. We could be 3 or 4 up with a few lucky breaks.
It’s apparent that my husband’s days are numbered…..
Tierney has played well! 👍👍
I’m enjoying Ozil tonight. He’s such a Rolls Royce on the ball.
Sue
How do Kieran’s thighs match up with your hubby’s?
I shouldn’t tempt fate but…
With this Arsenal team I’m normally sweating bullets when we’re one up. But tonight, for whatever reason, we seem to be more in control of things.
Our defence seems, dare I say it, well organized.
There’s better connectivity between our defence and MF and players are working their socks off all across the pitch.
Now let’s get that second that our effort deserves.
Rocky… they don’t 😂
I’ve really enjoyed this game.. brilliant goal from Holding! Only thing is.. what on earth does Mesut have to do to play the whole 90???
Sue – he looked a bit miffed when he came off. It’s a shame because he had a good game.
This has been possibly our best performance this season, although obviously we have to take into account the standard of the opposition.
Wow – we get Hector too. What a night of treats!
Instant impact from Hector 😀
Tierney off.. Bellerin on… pops up with an assist!! Omg how good are we going to be with these 2 in the team?!
Revenge is sweet!!! (So much for the penalties 😂😂)
What a night full of positives!! Absolutely superb 👌
And the spuds lost 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Peaches.. I have to ask you – so with us winning and the spuds losing… and with your partner being a spud… are you going to be sympathetic or are you going to give it some??!! 😂
Oooohwah what a result. Well done Calum Chambers …… a hat trick of assists 😁😁😁
Sue – it’s not my partner that’s a spud, I look after two Totts Academy players. And I will be giving it some 😁
Oops, sorry!! Good, glad to hear it… Colchester, who are they?!! 😂😂😂
Martinez, Chambers, Holding, Willok showing why they could or should be starter while Bellerin and Tierney piling up the pressure to join first XI soon too.
Great effort by Chambers, that lad has been written off and loaned out, but he’s kept his head down and worked at his game and come back strong, he deserves to be considered as a starter for the team now.
So pleased for Holding, you could see what it meant to him to be back when he scored and after what happened to him last season it would be brilliant and rather poignant if he played at Old Trafford and made a major contribution to us taking all 3 points…
Delighted for Hector and Tierney, a very satisfying evenings work, not least by our youngsters…
Didn’t watch the full game only highlights bit chambers really should be start
Morning all
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