The boys head to N17 tomorrow night for a game that will have a huge influence on which of the North London rivals is going to be in the Champions League next season.
If Arsenal win, top four is guaranteed.
If it’s a draw, we’ll go into the final two games of the season with a four point lead, meaning one victory will do.
If the Spuds win, we’ll still have it in our own hands to secure fourth spot, but we will potentially have to win our two final games (Newcastle away and Everton at home), while the Spuds have two easier games (on paper) against Burnley and Norwich.
The logic of the points situation would dictate that the Spuds should go all out for the win tomorrow. The problem for them is that that is not how they like to play under Conte’s leadership: they prefer to defend deep and hit opponents on the break with the prolific goal scoring threat of Kane and Son.
It’s an approach that almost bagged them three points at Anfield last weekend.
I hope we don’t play into their hands by going for all-out attack. I would prefer we play them at their own game, setting out not to lose and hoping to catch them on a break.
Son and Kane may make many Gooners nervous, but the Spuds for their part will be worried about the attacking threat from Saka, Martinelli and an in-form Nketiah.
So, here’s your chance to play at being Mikel Arteta by picking the best possible Arsenal line-up for the game.
Will you stick with Cedric? Keep Eddie up front? Bring back Ben White?
Over to you, but first here’s my preferred team:
Ramsdale
White – Holding – Gabriel – Tomayisu
Xhaka – Elneny
Odegaard
Saka – Nketiah – Martinelli
RockyLives
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Cedric. Holding. Gabi. Toni
Elneny. Xhaka
Saka. Odegaad. Martinelli
Eketiah
Just an idea!
Ramsdale
White. Gabriel. Holding
Saka. Elneny. Xhaka. Tomiyasu
Odegaard. Smith Rowe.
Nketiah
With martinelli g’ed up to come on and cause some chaos later on?
A kind of 5-2-2-1 / 3-4-2-1 which can come out more standard 4-2-3-1 if Saka moves forward? (But i guess that lot are strongest when saka is forward and we are in attack and lose possession).
An exciting post Rocky, to add to the almost uncontrollable general excitement (I need a wee just thinking about it!)
Firstly, recommend Keown v Crouch debate in Mail this morning( nothing else about Mail to recommend!)
Secondly, Martin’s comment about playing with heart, but firstly with HEAD, is my No 1 request. Interesting and frightening stat that X would get an extra two match ban if Sent off on Thursday, and Gabi and Martinelli an extra one match. Don’t do it, play with you head.
North Bank Pacer offers a very interesting suggestion, which I must admit I like in part. The requirement essentially is to starve Kane of the ball in that dropped off position. Three at the back, dropping to five on occasions, used recently is my choice. This also floods the midfield when we move forward, with Saka and Tomi providing outlet ball for X and Elneny when under pressure, which they will be. ( keep you head X!).
I was going to keep Martinelli in when I started this, but I’ve changed my mind. Smith-Rowe is an Academy boy, knows how important this is, has scored against Spusey recently. Bring Martinelli on as legs tire, to scare the eebee jeebies out of them.
My team would be the Pacer’s ( with White in the middle and Holding on right, pedantic git) COYG make our day, week, month, season!
PS
The Boot Room suggesting Arsenal might be selling Martinelli, and another site saying Partey is off for £30m! As Chas so often says to me, football stories are so often b*******, don’t read them. 🤞
Keeping our heads is a must.
Given what the atmosphere is going to be like I worry about us giving up a penalty.
Kane and Son have both trained at the Tom Daley Academy of Diving and graduated with honours.
You could easily see the ref feeling pressured to point to the spot when he’s being howled at by tens of thousands of swamp dwellers.
It might be a night where we’ll be glad there’s such a thing as VAR.
Nice post and posit Rocky! I’m torn between your choice and NBP’s. I have read that Sp*r/s have more difficulty scoring against teams that sit deep. I do like the idea of White for Cedric rather than for Holding. Martinelli’s been on fire, especially against Leeds, and his speed on the retreat might be advantageous. On the other hand, ESR would not let us down.
I do fear that the customary Sp*r/s shenanigans will cost us, and we’ll have to try and get something from the Gallowgate.
But we will see…
LBG. Good morning. As well as Martinelli and Partey, Gabriel’s off to Europe (various destinations) and Saka’s going to Liverpool.
What me worry? Must be Mad!
Ramsdale
White – – – Tomayisu
Xhaka
Pepe – Odegaard – Lacazette – ESR
Saka – Nketiah – Martinelli
Hi ya Maxwell
Makes you wonder though! Write some s*** and get paid for it as well!
VP
Not attacking enough! Azeez in for X.
We have to be very clinical tomorrow who ever we pick si for me ESR over odegard
Fred
You are almost as persistent as I am over X!! Question:- Do you give bOdeguard no credit for four wins in a row?
Just think ESR is more direct and definitely a better finisher than odegard, there are games for odegard and there games for ESR
The games when we lost against Brighton, Southampton and Palace odegard couldn’t unlocked the defense but when ESR plays in 10 position wetend to be more direct which would be needed against a pack spurs defense
I like White at RB. If not, I think they target Cedric. In terms of manager vs manager, this is “kindergarten vs Post- grad”. So I wonder what Conte will do? Inevitably I think he man marks Ode, probably with Hjoberg (dirty bastard) or Bentancur. Probably risk Sessegnon against Saka because of his pace but would imagine their left mid will play very deep or who’s left of Hoj of Bent will play very left sided. I think Martinelli because he takes up more of Royal’s attention, although he’s not that great at crossing generally, so maybe we’re not too worried.
More interesting to me is what Mikel does. Do we just play our game or try to man mark Son and allow our CB’s to drop off with Kane? Maybe this time Conte lets Son drop and Kane goes behind, or play Lucas. I think Conte will have something up his sleeve attacking wise, it’s just up to us to figure it out.
Going to be a nervy next 30 hours in my life !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Extension for Elneny. Well deserved from our Egyptian Flamini.
Starting:
Ramsdale; Cédric, Holding, Gabriel, Tomiyasu; Elneny, Xhaka,
Ødegaard, Saka; Martinelli, Nketiah
Bench:
Leno, White, Tavares, Sambi, Smith Rowe, Pépé, Lacazette + 2 youth players.
Play with full focus, discipline and with a little bit of luck, we can win.
Thanks for the post Rocky!
Ramsdale – Tomy, Holding, Gabs, Cedric – El Neny, Xhaka – Saka, Odegaard, Gabi – Eddie
If White is fit, then he comes back in the starting line-up
This is a must-win or must not lose game…COYG! Please win for:
(i) get us in CL footie, (ii) win the derby, (iii) make the end of the season less stressful and give game time to some of the young guns like Patino
Saka might be a slice doubt hope he ok though
Think it a must win cause Newcastle and Everton games are going to be rough
I can see iwobi having the game of his life when we face them, pickford has been brilliant recently so I think it now or never
Indeed Fred…let us close the deal today…
Son and Kane are really annoyingly good and Kulusveki, Hojberg and Betancur can run hours and hours and hours…I think Odegaard is going to be key to our defensive shape…
I think we will lose 1-4….Son, Kane and then for us it will be Gabi…I hope to be wrong
What a cheerful prediction, RC.
3-1 to the good guys.
COYRRG
Guess we are just going to have to win on Monday then.
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