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4-2-3-1: Strongest Predicted Arsenal lineup to face Vorskla, Pleguezuelo and Nketiah start

By
Sri Aswin
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Julio Pleguezuelo

Arsenal make the long trip to Ukraine for Thursday night’s Europa League clash at Vorskla. The Gunners are already assured of their spot in the round of 32 of the Europa League but they require a win from the remaining two matches to guarantee the first position in the group.

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Unai Emery is expected to numerous changes to the starting lineup with the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur in mind. This may witness some of the reserve and fringe players getting a run in a game which won’t alter their position in the standings.

Predicted Lineup:

Petr Cech is widely expected to start between the sticks on Thursday night with Bernd Leno now being the first-choice for the Premier League duties.

In the defence, Stephan Lichtsteiner remains a doubt following a hamstring issue and this may witness a start for Carl Jenkinson on the right side of the defence.

Likewise, Nacho Monreal remains sidelined through a muscular problem for another week at the least and this may witness Ainsley Maitland-Niles featuring at left-back ahead of current regular Sead Kolasinac.

At the heart of the backline, we are anticipating at least one change from the Bournemouth game with Under 23 captain Julio Pleguezuelo likely to feature after missing the reserve team match on Monday.

Alongside him, Emery may want to go with at least one senior option and we are fancying Shkodran Mustafi to get the nod.

Onto the midfield, Mateo Guendouzi and Mohamed Elneny have generally been the preferred picks for the Europa League duties and they could part each other in the centre of the park, now that the latter has recovered from a thigh injury.

Further forward, Aaron Ramsey remains a strong contender to start in the number 10 role after only featuring from the bench last weekend. Elsewhere, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Emile Smith Rowe could feature on either side of him with the former in particular in need of gametime after suffering a massive dip in form this term.

Upfront, Eddie Nketiah should earn his first Gunners start of the season after coming off the bench in injury time at the Vitality Stadium. The striker likewise did not feature for the Under 23s on Monday and he should lead the line in the absence of Danny Welbeck after a long-term ankle injury.

Arsenal could snap up Brazilian playmaker in January for just £10m

By
Sri Aswin
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Arsenal are reportedly among the top sides who are assessing the situation of Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira ahead of the New Year.

The Brazil international has gone through a tough season with United where he has commanded just four league appearances and has not started a game in any competition since mid-August.

Owing to this, there has been regular speculation regarding his future and according to The Mirror, he could pursue a fresh challenge when the transfer window reopens.

It is added that the Gunners are among the sides considering a bargain deal of around £10m with the midfielder said to have a particular preference to remain in the Premier League.

Gunners boss Unai Emery is understood to be vying for another midfielder when the transfer window reopens with the future of Aaron Ramsey pretty much clear.

Based on this, Pereira could prove a cost-cut replacement with him capable of featuring in both the holding midfield and wider positions, though his lack of top-flight experience may prove a concern.

Nonetheless, Emery has already shown that he can groom talents in the form of Mateo Guendouzi and Alex Iwobi this campaign and Pereira could be worth the gamble, given he could be available for a relatively cheaper sum.

Despite this, it remains to be seen whether United are indeed interested in the mid-season sale of the midfielder, given they have the option of an extension clause to prolong his contract for another campaign, if required.

Arsenal returned to winning ways in the Premier League after a 2-1 triumph over Bournemouth on the road. The result sees them just one point behind fourth-placed Chelsea after 13 league games.

‘Frustrating, disaster class’, some Arsenal fans slam midfielder’s performance against B’mouth

By
Sri Aswin
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Mkhitaryan

A section of the Arsenal supporters were far from pleased after Henrikh Mkhitaryan delivered a relatively average performance in the 2-1 Premier League win at Bournemouth.

The Armenia international has struggled with his showing under Unai Emery this term and his start at the South Coast came rather as a surprise with both Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil left on the substitutes’ bench.

Amidst this, the attacker never looked comfortable with the possession of the ball and what was more frustrating was the inability to deliver any meaningful delivery into the box barring the one pass for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who should have found the scoresheet.

Following the close 2-1 win over the Cherries, a section of the supporters voiced their concern over the attacker’s selection ahead of Ramsey and Ozil – both of whom have had a much better impact on the club’s campaign.

Moreover, there were fans who questioned the attacker’s positional awareness while defending after he failed to track David Brooks’ movement prior to the Cherries goal right at the brink of the half-time whistle.

https://twitter.com/LeeGunner82/status/1066697099704700928

Mkhitaryan’s certainly got himself into a number of potential goalscoring positions but he was largely disappointing with his attempts and managed to have just one scuffed shot on target from seven, as per ESPN.

Arsenal are scheduled to face Ukrainian’s Vorskla on the road in the Europa League on Thursday night and it may not come as a surprise if Emery goes with the Armenian for the game with Ozil being potentially kept fresh for the north London league derby against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

Let’s hope Arsenal keep the run going!

Bournemouth v Arsenal: A must win match to get back on track

By
admin
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Arsenal Training

Sunday’s clash between Bournemouth and Arsenal is important to both premiership teams for entirely different reasons.  For Arsenal, it’s a chance to get back on track, grab three points and stay in contention during the notoriously difficult month of December.

Normally, opportunities pass the Gunners by and they find themselves watching everyone else compete for the big prizes, after being unceremoniously dumped out of all credible competitions.

In the back of Unai Emery’s mind, it’s important to close the gap and remain in striking distance of the top four. He is no doubt, also contemplating the upcoming games with arch-rivals Spurs at home and Manchester United away.

Two key games that will emphasize progress and development or indicate similar frailties during the tail end of the Wenger years.

Bournemouth’s December fixture list, reads like a horror novel, Manchester City, Liverpool, Wolves, Chelsea, Spurs and Manchester United. It’s clear that the Turkey may need to stay in the freezer a while longer and with the cava consigned to the fridge.

Even the most devoted Bournemouth fan must be nibbling their finger nails and resigning themselves to a hard month, that may see the cherries heading backwards down the table for January, unless they spring a few surprises.

They are extremely capable of doing that, just like a number of the smaller clubs, nothing can be taken for granted. Bournemouth should be worried, they are only 15 points off the bottom, so any points will do at present.

Arsenal, on the other hand, appear stuck in neutral, not loosing, not winning and clocking up draws that cost points. This has lead to some fans becoming slightly disillusioned after seeing fine expansive performances against Leicester and Fulham.

It appears that fans are responding to unrealistic expectations in Emery’s first season in charge and they need a hefty shot of perspective or risk undermining the campaign.

Bournemouth were desperately unlucky to lose to a misfiring Manchester United and that was followed by a surprising defeat to Newcastle but rest assured, Eddie Howes side will come out all guns blazing.

The Cherries will be without right-back Adam Smith for up to three months which is a significant loss. On a positive note, they have a genuine goal threat in Callum Wilson and they also have the industry and creativity of Jefferson Lerma, Ryan Fraser and David Brooks through the middle.

This will be a heavily contested game and the battle of the midfield may be the clincher. For that reason, I’d go for Mkhitaryan instead of Iwobi on the right, Aubameyang on the left, Ozil in the middle and Lacazette up front.

If I had to bet on a result, I’d go for 2-1, hopefully, Arsenal will find their mojo and if they do, then Bournemouth may be in trouble but expect a tight and feisty first 45 minutes, where the gunners need to be quick out of the blocks. In defence, Leno may be kept fairly busy and will need to repeat the heroics against Wolves.

Unai Emery provides key injury update on five players including Koscielny

By
Sri Aswin
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Arsenal manager Unai Emery has provided an injury update on the first-team squad ahead of the weekend Premier League clash against Bournemouth on the road.

In a report covered by Arsenal’s official website, Emery revealed that there may be no potential returns for the South Coast trip barring Stephan Lichtsteiner, who is expected to undergo a late fitness test to assess his recent hamstring injury.

Despite this, there was some positive news on the fitness front with club-captain Laurent Koscielny returning to full training during the international break.

Emery has revealed that the Frenchman could potentially feature for the Under 23s against Derby County on Monday night before making small strides towards the senior squad.

Meanwhile, Nacho Monreal and Konstantinos Mavropanos remain on the sidelines with hamstring and groin injuries respectively and they may not return to training until the festive schedule in mid-December.

Aside from the quartet, Danny Welbeck remains the long-term absentee after having undergone a double operation on a serious ankle injury picked up during the goalless Europa League draw against Sporting Lisbon earlier in the month.

Arsenal are currently just outside the Champions League positions with a three-point gap to fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur but they have the opportunity to close the gap with Spurs and Chelsea scheduled to clash over the weekend.

Unai Emery’s side are unbeaten since the second gameweek of the Premier League but of late, they have played out three successive top-flight draws which have dropped them from the top four in the standings.

4-2-3-1: Strongest Predicted Arsenal lineup to face Bournemouth, Lacazette and Ozil start

By
Sri Aswin
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Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal will seek to return to winning ways in the Premier League when they face Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth on the road this weekend.

The Gunners are currently unbeaten since the second matchday of the Premier League but they have recently gone through a lean run of form with three successive draws.

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Predicted Lineup:

Bernd Leno has been the go-to man for the Premier League duties in goal since Petr Cech’s hamstring injury in September. He should retain his position between the sticks after standing out with a number of key saves during the hard-fought 1-1 draw versus Wolverhampton Wanderers last time around.

In the defence, Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac are likely to maintain their positions on the right and left side of the backline and the same could be the case in the central defensive department with Unai Emery prolonging with Shkodran Mustafi and Rob Holding for the seventh league game on the bounce.

Onto the midfield, Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira have remained constants for the Gunners over the past couple of months and the pairing should remain unchanged for the weekend with the latter only making a short trip across Europe with Uruguay during the recent international break.

In the attack, Mesut Ozil will most certainly occupy the number 10 position behind the main striker and he could be accompanied either side by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alex Iwobi. The former of the two had been struggling with a back problem but he was present in the full training session on Wednesday.

Upfront, there are no doubts regarding the inclusion of Alexandre Lacazette despite him having an off game versus the Wolves. The Frenchman and Aubameyang have scored 15 goals between them out of which 12 have come in the English top-flight.

Photo: Arsenal receive triple injury boost ahead of Bournemouth clash

By
Sri Aswin
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Aubameyang

Arsenal have received a timely boost ahead of the Bournemouth clash with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Laurent Koscielny showing their presence in a training session on Wednesday.

Both Aubameyang and Lacazette bowed out of international duty with Gabon and France due to a back and groin problem respectively during the international break and this presented concerns over their potential inclusion for the forthcoming set of club fixtures.

However, to the supporters’ contentment, the pair were visible taking part in the full training session on Wednesday and they should be fit and kicking when the Premier League restarts over the weekend.

Embed from Getty Images

Alongside the duo, club-captain Laurent Koscielny was seen joining in the training session after an extended period on the sidelines after his Achilles injury at the backend of the previous campaign.

Koscielny was largely restricted to one-on-one sessions before the recent international break but his timely return alongside his teammates suggests he could feature for the Gunners during the festive schedule ahead.

Meanwhile, Nacho Monreal and Stephan Lichsteiner were nowhere to be seen in training and the duo could potentially miss the trip to the south Coast to face Eddie Howe’s men.

Both Monreal and Lichsteiner have been sidelined with hamstring injuries but the former appears the most likelier to return to the first-team mix with manager Unai Emery previously confirming that the injury is only a minor one.

Arsenal go into this weekend’s league game with a 10-match unbeaten run in the top-flight but they are currently in a desperate need of a win to keep up in the top-four race.

The Gunners have played out three successive draws in the Premier League and the outcome sees them three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur after 12 games played.

 

Arsenal to use ‘secret weapon’ to sign Barcelona attacker in January

By
Sri Aswin
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Arsenal are reportedly said to be using the influence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in order to lure former teammate Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona this winter.

The France international has endured a mixed run during his 18-month spell with the Blaugrana and of late, he has dropped down the pecking order amid his shrewd relationship with the Spanish club’s hierarchy.

Amidst this, he has already been linked with a potential winter move from the Emirates Stadium and according to The Mirror, the Gunners could use their ‘secret weapon’ in Aubameyang to tempt Dembele to join the club in January.

The Catalan giants had recruited Dembele from Borussia Dortmund last year for a fee potentially rising to £135m but the club are understood to have accepted to the fact that they cannot garner a similar sum from a future sale.

Nonetheless, the Gunners may have to cough up a club-record fee for the former Rennes graduate and this is surely expected to prove a stumbling block for Emery’s men when the transfer window reopens.

Gunners head of football Raul Sanllehi has recently admitted that the club may re-enter the transfer market after the long-term ankle injury for Danny Welbeck but any replacement may not necessarily jump straight into the starting XI.

Moreover, the form of both Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe has been an encouragement out wide this term and the latter could his chance to succeed in the top-flight during the hectic festive schedule ahead.

Gunners boss Unai Emery has also mentioned the name of Under-23 striker Eddie Nketiah, who has gone off the radar since his League Cup heroics against Norwich City last year and he is another who could come into the fray to fill the Welbeck void.

Arsenal legend reveals why it is perfect time for Aaron Ramsey to leave the Gunners

By
Nithyanand
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Aaron Ramsey

It is one of the question marks that still hang around the Arsenal board this season. We are referring to Aaron Ramsey and his contract situation.

The appointment of Unai Emery is turning out pretty well but the club’s handling of contracts has been found wanting to say the least.

There are many opinions flying around on this subject and Ian Wright has added his take as well. The Gunners striker spoke on his YouTube channel regarding the rumors about Ramsey and this is what the Arsenal legend had to say on the matter:

“He is a top player when you get a top player like that who is going for free, you are going to have teams of that calibre (Bayern) coming for them. I think it might be the perfect time for us (Arsenal) and for him to move on.”

“I think the boss should be given now the time, especially the money, to try and find maybe one or two replacements for someone like Aaron Ramsey, rather than giving Aaron Ramsey the kind of money he was asking for.”

“I think it might be time for Aaron to move on and I think it is a really good move for him, so hopefully we can, whether it is this window or the summer, we can get a few players in that fill that gap.”

Wright is right in the fact that there are big teams interested in signing Ramsey and the fact that he could potentially be bought for free, makes it an even more enticing prospect.

It does not seem like the club is going to go back to the player with another contract offer and as a result, it can be said that Ramsey will be looking elsewhere to continue his football career.

There are strong suggestions that some of the biggest clubs in Europe in the form of both Bayern Munich and Juventus making serious strides in the bid to sign Ramsey.

The opportunity to play for such prestigious clubs is surely a factor that will appeal to the Welshman and that will play a part in any decision that he makes.

Ramsey has made it clear that he was willing to sign a new deal but it was the club that pulled the contract offer. Therefore as a result of this, it seems like this is the right time for the player to make a move from the Emirates. We still have a long way to go till the end of the season so we just have to wait and see what happens.

Arsenal ready to pay £17.8m release clause for Aaron Ramsey replacement

By
Sri Aswin
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Arsenal have reportedly set their sights on pursuing the signature of Pablo Fornals from Villareal when the transfer window reopens at the turn of the year.

The Gunners boss Unai Emery witnessed the arrivals of Lucas Torreira and Mateo Guendouzi in the club’s midfield during the summer and the duo have since settled in quickly to become key figures in the centre of the park.

Despite this, the north London giants seem keen on pursuing another central midfielder in the New Year but this time around an attack-minded one in the form of Fornals.

According to The Sun, Emery’s team are keeping close tabs on the player’s developments and they could make an approach at the turn of the year.

It is added that the player could be available for a relatively cheaper sum with him possessing a release clause of around £17.8m written into his existing deal with the Yellow Submarines.

Fornals is generally a central midfielder by trade but there have been several occasions this season where he has featured higher up the field in an attacking midfield role.

Nonetheless, this has not reduced his impact on the opposite end of the field and he has shown the urge to track back and make key tackles in defensive minded situations.

Considering this, he appears an all-round player who would perfectly fit the scheme of things under Unai Emery and reports indicate that he could emerge as a potential replacement for Aaron Ramsey.

Ramsey has already had a contract offer rescinded by the Gunners earlier this season and as things stand, he appears likely to part ways with the club when his existing deal expires at the end of the season.

Aside from Ramsey, there have been question marks laid on the future of Mohamed Elneny of late and they are suggestions that he could be offloaded at the turn of the year in order to finance the move for Fornals.

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