Morning all.
It’s huge evening tonight, a Carabao Cup semi-final first leg towards Newcastle. I do know this can be a competitors that ranks lowest when it comes to priorities for most individuals, however when you get to this stage – with a ultimate simply over the horizon – you must take it critically. It’s why, health and availability allowing, I believe Mikel Arteta would possibly go a bit of stronger for this one than Sunday’s FA Cup tie towards Man Utd.
That stated, I don’t know that there’s an excessive amount of room for rotation anyway, given all of the health points we’ve. The supervisor confirmed that Ethan Nwaneri can be lacking for a ‘few weeks‘ after choosing up an muscular downside towards Brighton on Saturday, whereas the sickness within the camp that has affected gamers like Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli continues to be a difficulty.
Even when Havertz is properly sufficient to be within the squad, I don’t assume it’s sensible to assume he’ll be again to 100% and sprightly sufficient to start out. There’s most likely a query mark over Odegaard too who seemed like he ought to have been in mattress when he got here on towards Brighton, however hopefully he’s properly sufficient to steer the workforce out. Assuming there aren’t any different casualties, we may see a workforce like this: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, LB*, Partey*, Rice, Odegaard, Trossard, Jesus, Martinelli.
I’ve asterisked left-back as a result of after two video games in a row, I’m wondering if Arteta may be cautious with Riccardo Calafiori who will not be lengthy again from damage. He may begin Myles Lewis-Skelly or Oleksandr Zinchenko if he felt the necessity for change (I would like the previous to the latter). I additionally assume there’s a query about how a lot you may ask of Partey after quite a lot of minutes this season and 90 minutes at right-back on Saturday. There’s scope to provide him a relaxation if there’s a have to be cautious round his health.
Past that, there’s little or no to work with due to the damage disaster. Arteta stated that they had to herald a clutch of younger gamers to fill out the squad for coaching, and whereas privately he should really feel actual dismay on the absences, publicly he’s placing a courageous face on it. You possibly can’t sit there in a press convention forward of a giant sport and cry about accidents. He says:
It’s a great studying course of, not solely tactically but additionally preparation and coaching with only a few gamers. At this time we had seven or eight gamers with us simply to fill the squad which isn’t regular but it surely’s a bizarre solution to be taught, however I’ll take it. I can’t change it so let’s take the issues that we will get out of it to be higher.
As for tonight’s opposition, there’s some current historical past that would make this tasty. Arteta performed down the concept of a rivalry with Newcastle, however there’s usually an depth to those video games which may spark incidents. It’s extra usually the video games at St James’ Park which have extra of an edge, however after 70 years and not using a trophy, they are going to be completely fired up for this one, and hoping to reap the benefits of an Arsenal facet that’s presently pretty depleted and within the midst of a busy run of video games. We additionally know they’ve a really bodily model, and infrequently get away with challenges we actually wouldn’t, in order that’s one thing we’ve to be aware of.
Hopefully the gang can play a component tonight. Get behind the workforce, make it clear to the referee when Newcastle push these boundaries as they nearly actually will. Arteta says:
We’re very excited to play the sport in entrance of our crowd. A semi-final, a chance to earn the correct to be in a ultimate and that begins tomorrow with two legs. Clearly they’re going to be two lengthy video games towards a really aggressive workforce, we all know that, however very excited and we want a giant, huge ambiance in our stadium.
The actual fact the semi-final is over two legs is absurd at this level, it ought to be only one sport, however hopefully we will get a great outcome tonight forward of the sport at their place subsequent month. Even when it doesn’t go to plan, you might have a chance to place issues proper, however with two huge cup ties this week, it’d be nice to win this one properly earlier than we contemplate the FA Cup on Sunday. Fingers crossed.
Proper, I’m gonna depart it there for now. We now have a preview podcast accessible proper now on Patreon. Be part of us later for dwell weblog protection, plus you’ll get the match report, aim clips, response, participant scores and far more over on Arseblog Information.
Till then!
