FA Cup | Arsenal vs Manchester City| 23rd April at 15:00 (GMT)

[karl]

Čech

Bellerín - Holding - Koscielny - Monreal

Xhaka
Chamberlain - Ramsey

Özil - Walcott - Alexis​

Looks wide open to me with that midfield selection.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

Looks wide open to me with that midfield selection.

We look wide open with every midfielder duo/trio we put on the field.

At least with that line up we don't have to watch Coquelin chase shadows.

 

[mm76]

We look wide open with every midfielder duo/trio we put on the field.

At least with that line up we don't have to watch Coquelin chase shadows.

already said it but playing Bellerin in his current form is virtually **** against City, they'll really exploit us down their left

i don't think Ramsey offers much either would rather have El Neny to help us keep possession and, as @karl says, provide greater cover in midfield

also would you not prefer Alexis to be the out-and-out striker?

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

also would you not prefer Alexis to be the out-and-out striker?

Why are you asking me of this when I've already put Alexis as striker in my favorable starting line-up for this game.

 

[karl]

already said it but playing Bellerin in his current form is virtually **** against City, they'll really exploit us down their left

i don't think Ramsey offers much either would rather have El Neny to help us keep possession and, as @karl says, provide greater cover in midfield

also would you not prefer Alexis to be the out-and-out striker?

Too right. Bellerin needs a break to get his fitness right and recover some confidence.

 

[HERTSGOONER_11]

I'd actually put Bellerin in. He's not a kid anymore he's 22. If he's got anything about him after a bad spell and then being dropped/rested he's come into the team and put in a performance with something to prove, that's if he's fit, not carrying an injury.

I'd go 433-4231 (avoiding the 5 at the back, Conte worked on it all summer with Chelsea, you can't do it for a week and perfect it):

Cech

Bellerin Gabriel Kos Monreal

Xhaka
Ramsey Elneny

Ox Iwobi

Sanchez

(Ox/Iwobi on Wing)​

I'd go Gabriel because I feel like Holding still has the vulnerability to be bullied/edgy, and when Gabriel is steady he's better than we give him credit for.

Xhaka has the physical presence (at least by looking at him i.e size) and can get on the ball and play forward. Ramsey, if he's told he's a box to box midfielder who needs to work hard like he does for Wales has a great work-rate and ability to get around the pitch, whilst being able to create and offer something on the ball. And Elneny is your ball winner getting round the pitch, covering distance, matching their energy and recycling the ball.

I'd go Ox over Walcott based on recent form and Ox is more of a midfielder than Walcott and same with Iwobi. I'd throw him back in after his break as well.

Obviously Sanchez up front.

Pains me to leave out Özil, but can we have him in the middle in a midfield that can/may be overpowered? Would you chuck him on the wing knowing he won't be as effective and just doing a job.

The only way I'd put Özil in is below:

Cech
Bellerin Gabriel Kos Monreal

Elneny Xhaka

Ramsey Ox

Özil

Sanchez

(Ramsey/Ox on wing)



More than anything, the central midfield two/three concern me!​

 

[Impact]

already said it but playing Bellerin in his current form is virtually **** against City, they'll really exploit us down their left

i don't think Ramsey offers much either would rather have El Neny to help us keep possession and, as @karl says, provide greater cover in midfield

also would you not prefer Alexis to be the out-and-out striker?

Other than playing Chamberlain out of position, we don't have much of a choice on playing Bellerín.

Ramsey over El Neny every day for me. Our best bet is to concede possession to City, and to focus on exploiting them on the counter-attack. Ramsey is a better ball-winner, has a better final ball/bigger goal threat and flourishes when there is chaos.

Admittedly, I'd rather have Alexis as our CF but are options on the flanks are dire without him. And he lacks the discipline to stay in position when we go through large spells without the ball. We need a vocal point for counter-attacks and Walcott may be best we have at the moment.

 

[Linson]

Cech​

Bellerin---Mustafi---Koscielny---Gibbs
-------------Xhaka------------Coquelin----------
------Ox------------Ramsey-------------Sanchez
------------------------ Giroud------------------

People will murder me for putting this line up out there but I think Gibbs offers more mobility, Coquelin is purely defensive and Giroud deserves the chance. I'm tired of seeing Özil and Walcott at the moment.

I think this line up provides the most balance between aggressive, mobile, physical and creative.

 

[mm76]

Why are you asking me of this when I've already put Alexis as striker in my favorable starting line-up for this game.

Sorry got your lineup mixed up with Impact's ops:

 

[Makingtrax]

Missed the Spuds/Chelsea match but see that money wins again.

The next semi . . . . £533m City squad with Pep in charge v £332m Arsenal with clueless Wenger. Now who should win that . . . .?

 

[mm76]

Missed the Spuds/Chelsea match but see that money wins again.

The next semi . . . . £533m City squad with Pep in charge v £332m Arsenal with clueless Wenger. Now who should win that . . . .?

Lincoln and Sutton proved money isn't everything - can't argue with the 'clueless' point though...

 

[Sapient Hawk]

Lincoln and Sutton proved money isn't everything - can't argue with the 'clueless' point though...

I'd have used "decrepit" alongside clueless to offer a more faithful illustration of Arsène.

 

[Rocky]

I can't see either of these teams beating Chelsea in the final.

 

[Makingtrax]

Lincoln and Sutton proved money isn't everything - can't argue with the 'clueless' point though...

Never has been everything, Leicester proved that. But it weights probability highly in your favour as we all know.

 

[say yes]

Cech
Bellerin
Mustafi
Koscielny
Monreal
Xhaka
Elneny
Oxlade
Özil
Welbeck
Sanchez

 

[Gooner Zig]

We look wide open with every midfielder duo/trio we put on the field.

At least with that line up we don't have to watch Coquelin chase shadows.

I know right? Like we're hiding some ultimate midfield combo away in the U/23s or something.

 

[Gooner Zig]

Cech
Bellerin
Mustafi
Koscielny
Monreal
Xhaka
Elneny
Oxlade
Özil
Welbeck
Sanchez

Mustafi is ruled out for this one

 

[Gooner Zig]

I don't care how **** we've been I'm ****ing pumped for this game. Neutral stadium, underdogs, bring it ****ing on!

 

[Rimaal]

Can't bring myself to care. I just hope it's an entertaining footy match.

 

[Batman]

I'd actually put Bellerin in. He's not a kid anymore he's 22. If he's got anything about him after a bad spell and then being dropped/rested he's come into the team and put in a performance with something to prove, that's if he's fit, not carrying an injury.

I'd go 433-4231 (avoiding the 5 at the back, Conte worked on it all summer with Chelsea, you can't do it for a week and perfect it):

Cech

Bellerin Gabriel Kos Monreal

Xhaka
Ramsey Elneny

Ox Iwobi

Sanchez

(Ox/Iwobi on Wing)​

I'd go Gabriel because I feel like Holding still has the vulnerability to be bullied/edgy, and when Gabriel is steady he's better than we give him credit for.

Xhaka has the physical presence (at least by looking at him i.e size) and can get on the ball and play forward. Ramsey, if he's told he's a box to box midfielder who needs to work hard like he does for Wales has a great work-rate and ability to get around the pitch, whilst being able to create and offer something on the ball. And Elneny is your ball winner getting round the pitch, covering distance, matching their energy and recycling the ball.

I'd go Ox over Walcott based on recent form and Ox is more of a midfielder than Walcott and same with Iwobi. I'd throw him back in after his break as well.

Obviously Sanchez up front.

Pains me to leave out Özil, but can we have him in the middle in a midfield that can/may be overpowered? Would you chuck him on the wing knowing he won't be as effective and just doing a job.

The only way I'd put Özil in is below:

Cech
Bellerin Gabriel Kos Monreal

Elneny Xhaka

Ramsey Ox

Özil

Sanchez

(Ramsey/Ox on wing)



More than anything, the central midfield two/three concern me!​

You don't gamble on Bellerin proving something with a berth in the final on the line. Given where we are in the league you don't gamble on Bellerin if you can help it there either. We should play more or less the same setup we did last game with Ox playing RB. He put in a better shift on both ends of the pitch than Bellerin has done in months. This may be the only chance to salvage something from this pathetic season and we don't need to give a side of the pitch away to City by playing Bellerin.