This season's first cup game is already upon us but after another shaky league performance this past weekend, changes are even more likely than normal. With two-time European Cup winners Nottingham Forrest now of the Championship in town, the Gunners could have a considerably young XI on show.
Let's not kid ourselves, the Gunners got lucky on Sunday afternoon and somehow scraped past Aston Villa. Two days later its back to the action but in a completely different environment. This is likely to be about our young crop of professionals and a platform for them to showcase their talents. There will be some first team pedigree sprinkled in there too as will there also be one or two returning from long term injuries but the script is still the same...win and try to keep a clean sheet.
Having been 'rested' from the bench against Villa, Mesut Ozil is likely to lead the side in this one, and he'll be desperate for minutes ahead of next Monday's trip to Old Trafford. Rob Holding is now fit and fully available for first team selection so it's likely he'll start this one and could split the game with fellow recovering centre back Dinos Mavropanos. Full backs Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney could both make their long awaited season debuts but possibly not from the off. Both played a little over an hour on Friday night for the U23s and the next logical step is senior minutes, so what better opportunity to blood both in than a home game against lower league opposition? Dinos Mavropanos is also in the same boat so we could see him return tonight as well. After a very impressive run out in the Europa League last week, Emi Martinez will again come in for Bernd Leno in goal as the cup rotation continues.
The midfield and forward lines are likely to be blessed with a number of Hale End graduates and young professionals as the likes of Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock, Emile Smith-Rowe, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Tyreece John-Jules and Folarin Balogun will be keen to play their part. Much to many's angst, Lucas Torreira is likely to feature - and possibly start. Most fans want to see him starting in the Premier League not in the second string cup but Unai Emery seemingly sees it differently for now.
Forrest come to London in reasonably good form having taken seven points from their last three games, crucially beating high flyers Swansea one-nil away from home earlier this month. They're buoyed by the news that attacking midfielder and hot prospect Brennan Johnson has signed a new deal with the club, and even though he's only 18, big things are already expected. Our visitors have snapped up quite a large ticket allocated and maxed out at nearly 8,400 so the Young Guns should expect some noise from the away end. A fast start and putting the game to bed early should quieten things down and the likes of Saka and Nelson can really get going but fingers crossed Emery gets it right. There have been so many occasions now where its been wrong and a slow start has either threatened to cost us or it has cost us. An intriguing ninety minutes ahead.
Expected lineup:
GK: Emiliano Martinez
RB: Shkodran Mustafi
CB: Zech Medley
CB: Rob Holding
LB: Tolaji Bola
CM: Lucas Torreira
CM: Joe Willock
CAM: Mesut Ozil
RW: Reiss Nelson
ST: Gabriel Martinelli
LW: Bukayo Saka
Prediction: 2-0 to the Gunners.
@craigbennett10
Let's not kid ourselves, the Gunners got lucky on Sunday afternoon and somehow scraped past Aston Villa. Two days later its back to the action but in a completely different environment. This is likely to be about our young crop of professionals and a platform for them to showcase their talents. There will be some first team pedigree sprinkled in there too as will there also be one or two returning from long term injuries but the script is still the same...win and try to keep a clean sheet.
Having been 'rested' from the bench against Villa, Mesut Ozil is likely to lead the side in this one, and he'll be desperate for minutes ahead of next Monday's trip to Old Trafford. Rob Holding is now fit and fully available for first team selection so it's likely he'll start this one and could split the game with fellow recovering centre back Dinos Mavropanos. Full backs Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney could both make their long awaited season debuts but possibly not from the off. Both played a little over an hour on Friday night for the U23s and the next logical step is senior minutes, so what better opportunity to blood both in than a home game against lower league opposition? Dinos Mavropanos is also in the same boat so we could see him return tonight as well. After a very impressive run out in the Europa League last week, Emi Martinez will again come in for Bernd Leno in goal as the cup rotation continues.
The midfield and forward lines are likely to be blessed with a number of Hale End graduates and young professionals as the likes of Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock, Emile Smith-Rowe, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Tyreece John-Jules and Folarin Balogun will be keen to play their part. Much to many's angst, Lucas Torreira is likely to feature - and possibly start. Most fans want to see him starting in the Premier League not in the second string cup but Unai Emery seemingly sees it differently for now.
Forrest come to London in reasonably good form having taken seven points from their last three games, crucially beating high flyers Swansea one-nil away from home earlier this month. They're buoyed by the news that attacking midfielder and hot prospect Brennan Johnson has signed a new deal with the club, and even though he's only 18, big things are already expected. Our visitors have snapped up quite a large ticket allocated and maxed out at nearly 8,400 so the Young Guns should expect some noise from the away end. A fast start and putting the game to bed early should quieten things down and the likes of Saka and Nelson can really get going but fingers crossed Emery gets it right. There have been so many occasions now where its been wrong and a slow start has either threatened to cost us or it has cost us. An intriguing ninety minutes ahead.
Expected lineup:
GK: Emiliano Martinez
RB: Shkodran Mustafi
CB: Zech Medley
CB: Rob Holding
LB: Tolaji Bola
CM: Lucas Torreira
CM: Joe Willock
CAM: Mesut Ozil
RW: Reiss Nelson
ST: Gabriel Martinelli
LW: Bukayo Saka
Prediction: 2-0 to the Gunners.
@craigbennett10
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