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My Preferred Arsenal Line-Up To Face Marseille

By on September 17, 2013

It’s Champions League time! This is what we battled so hard for last season. This is why we widely celebrated Koscielny’s goal away at Newcastle on the final day (that, and we’d finished above Spurs for the 1000th season in a row).

We kick off away at Marseille on Wednesday and we had some good injury news ahead of the game with Olivier Giroud, Per Mertesacker and Mesut Ozil all being passed fit to play.

Giroud was a huge worry after he was forced off on Saturday with a knee injury but he took part in training on Tuesday morning and has made the trip to France.  He was joined by Ozil who shook off some tight muscles sustained after his superb performance against the Black Cats and Mertesacker is also back in contention after recovering from illness.

So here is my preferred starting line-up for the game:

There are two changes from the side that beat Sunderland. In comes Mertesacker at the back in place of Jenkinson, who drops to the bench. The other change is more controversial as I’d like to see Nacho Monreal come in for Mathieu Flamini.

Flamini did very well at the weekend but with Jack Wilshere playing on the left we looked a little unbalanced at times as he kept drifting inside to link up with Ozil, and I think we could be exploited down that flank if Jack starts out wide again.

For this reason I’d play Monreal, a naturally left-footed player, in front of Gibbs to solidify the left hand side of the pitch. He would offer great cover for when Gibbs bombs forward and I think it would make us a far more solid outfit away from home in a tough European game.

Plus, I don’t think we’ll get the best out of Wilshere playing him out wide, so let’s see how a midfield trio of him, Ramsey and Ozil does.

What do you think? What would be your line-up?

28 Comments

  1. Keanu

    September 17, 2013 at 9:59 pm

    Decent line up, but I would rather have Flamini playing for the defensive stability and overall team balance he brings us. I would swap him with Monreal then move Wilshere to the LW position as him and OZil were linking well against Sunderland. Wilshere and Ozil cutting into the box will rip apart any defence. So my line up would be:

    Sczcesny
    Sagna Per Kos Gibbs
    Ramsey Flamini
    Walcott Ozil Wilshere
    Giroud

  2. Evan

    September 17, 2013 at 10:07 pm

    Agreed with Keanu.

    If you insist on using Monreal over Flamini [which won’t happen], you’d put him behind Gibbs. I know, in the past game Monreal came on and played in front, but it has been the other way, too.

  3. joseph

    September 17, 2013 at 10:13 pm

    We can’t take any chances so we need a strong attacking team to get the goals then go defensive.

    Giroud
    Wilshere. Ozil. Walcott
    Ramsey Flamini
    Gibbs Koscielny Mertesacker Sagna
    Szczersny

    Sub-when we get 2:0 lea :Monreal-Wilshere,Akpom-Giroud,Vermaelen.

    • afc dawg

      September 17, 2013 at 10:28 pm

      you did giroud on the bench

  4. SayWhaaaa

    September 17, 2013 at 10:20 pm

    Monreal ahead of Flamini is about as dumb as playing Akpom ahead of Giroud

  5. Gabriel

    September 17, 2013 at 10:20 pm

    I would prefer that Monreal actually sit on the bench and see Flam starts as a natural DM while Wilshire run ahead of him.

  6. Previgo

    September 17, 2013 at 10:30 pm

    Would love something like this even if it might look a risk.

    …………………….shezney………………………….
    Sag………..per………………kos………..gibbs
    ……………flam…………………ramz……………..
    Theo………………ozil………………….gnabry
    ……………………..giroud…………………………..
    I have watched gnabry for a while now and i think he is ready to step up to the challenge. He is a natural left winger he is pacy, physical, technicaly sound maybe a little bit inexperienced but if he dosn’t play much i don’t see how he would gain that experience. And in pre season we saw how a real left winger brought out the best in giroud, gnabry always attacks the lines which we are normaly poor at because of our lack of pure left winger. I’m just convinced this should be our prefered lineup vs marseil. Bring jack later in the game to freshen up the mf and give us a new drive. One more thing.. If we play all 4 of ramsey,jack,ozil and flamini then we would be light on the bench because then there will be no quality mf to bring on from the bench when someone looks tired so i reckon we give jack a rest and bring him on later for either gnabry or ozil.

    • mog

      September 18, 2013 at 5:55 pm

      I agree with you on gnarby but he’s been left at home. But I would still keep jack on the bench for later. We don’t want him getting injured again. As every team seems to target him. It seems really strange that we have a good squad even though we have many injuries. I can’t wait to see ozil and carzorla play together and when we have a full squad (speak quietly as we could well be challenging for the prem title this season) no one has given us a chance lol

  7. atid

    September 17, 2013 at 10:41 pm

    I would go 4132
    Flamini sitting in front of the back 4 ramsey and wilshire either side of ozil with walcott and giroud up front.
    However I have a feeling that monreal and vermaelen might get the nod over koscielny and gibbs for this one.

  8. chedy

    September 17, 2013 at 10:52 pm

    Playing all our good midfielders are †he moment is quiet risky. Whilshere is injury prone, using him as a substitute won’t be bad. And †hen playing Monreal on †he left back and Gibbs in front of him is no† a bad idea. Let us no† forget vermalean is back, so our LB is covered. Wondering where Arteta would fit in when he returns

  9. dekow

    September 17, 2013 at 11:00 pm

    i hve another lineup my friends in dis particular away champs league game ..
    Szczersny
    sagna. mertisacker. koscielny. vermalin
    wallcot. filamini. ramsey. gibss
    ………………..ozil
    ………………….giroud

    • Omaricha Fide

      September 18, 2013 at 3:07 pm

      I agree wit u we need goal at first min of d game.

      Szcy

  10. nkusuny

    September 17, 2013 at 11:15 pm

    Sczczesny

    Sagna mertasacker koscielny Gibbs

    Flamini Ramsey

    Walcott ozil wilshere

    Giroud

    A strong X1 will give us goals in 1st, then we can now experiment.

  11. Previgo

    September 17, 2013 at 11:17 pm

    I just don’t like the idea of using all four of our best mf’s… Its a big risk rayo or gnabry should start on the left side of the mf. I don’t see why we should play left backs as left wingers when we have other options albeit inexperience ones. For God’s sake monreal and gibbs are no wingers we should only use both when we are trying to see out a game not as a usual 1st team set up.. I still don’t get why we keep gnabry,rayo,and akpom on the bench if we are not going to use them. *confused here*

  12. Olawuni olaniyi emmanuel

    September 17, 2013 at 11:37 pm

    I think we play secny,sagna,mat, kocs, gibs, flamini,ramsy. Teo, ozil. Wilshere, giroud

  13. mr arsenal

    September 18, 2013 at 12:20 am

    if it’s me … I have to change the information looking what we have and where we are short
    1-3-5-2
    ………………………sczny………………………

    ……………kos……….per………ver…………….

    sagna…………………………………………..gibs
    ……………………ramsey………………………….

    ……………………….wilshere…………………….

    …………………ozil………………………………

    …………..theo……………………………………

    …………………………giroud…………………….

    this information is the information Italy play and also juventus
    so we are short on the wings but we are good in the midfield and the difence, so our captain was poor but he needs confidence and playing time, so play this and build a Giant defence and good midfield
    so when we are defending we have 5 defenders + ramsey
    wen we are attacking we have , giroud and theo up front, sagna and gibs on wings, ozil, wilshere and ramsey in the midfield and also we have three defenders in back…so there is no goals from counter attack,
    why don’t we try this information guys ?

  14. Dog breath

    September 18, 2013 at 3:02 am

    Wow! How exciting. Life will be great when our injured players are back. I really think – with just two more winter window signings (a top striker & and a back up cb) our squad will be complete and we’ll really have a great chance of winning something this year. I think the midfield in all aspects is well and truly sorted for now. Summer should be about replacing sagna and improving what we have as there wouldnt be anymore gaps to plug. Obvious area of improvement is the gk and maybe DMF if filamina doesn’t work out! Maybe khadiara or bender (love that name!). I don’t expect us to win the epl this year but definitely top four) but if we can do all this, 2014/15 – epl becomes a realistic target. COYG

  15. jjkmiles

    September 18, 2013 at 5:57 am

    I think resting Wilshire will be d best bet so dat we have freshness and quality frm bench, play vermelen and Gibbs at left wing which is what wenger did wen he took out ozil over d weekend, then bring in Wilshire for ozil @ 65minutes, and monreal for giroud if we are winning, then akpom for walcot 85mins for anoda game time.
    scz
    sagna merte boscieny vermelen
    flamini Rambo
    . ozil
    walcot. Gibbs
    . giroud
    subs, Wilshire, monreal akpom, and we will be good, bc Wilshire Need to be fresh for stoke, bc deep inside Ramsey’s head little memories of stoke will be there and may not play too well so Wilshire should be on fire wc will be down to his freshness today,

  16. paul

    September 18, 2013 at 7:28 am

    i dont no y u guys pick sagna b4 jekinson. Sagna is weak and old, jekinson is better goin forward, jekinson cant be pushed off the ball

  17. mwangi

    September 18, 2013 at 8:48 am

    gnabry did nt travel stop includn him issac H travld instead i thnk vam,cosy,gibs as awinger n monr shuld start cz of th pace of their right winger

  18. mwangi

    September 18, 2013 at 8:53 am

    i also dnt undstand y we play wilshr as awinger wn we av anatural winger miyiach wilshr shuld b benchd

  19. maxson

    September 18, 2013 at 9:59 am

    i do agree wilshere coming in the second half,play gnabry on the left,boy aint he good than januzaj

  20. Hallemichael

    September 18, 2013 at 10:44 am

    Be aware that Gnabry is not eligible to play champions league. So that he didn’t travel with the team.

  21. mwangi

    September 18, 2013 at 12:25 pm

    halle y do u say gnabry is nt eligibl whil he was in ucl list i thnk only dt issack H n akpom n miyaich got anod whc md hm nt travel

  22. mwangi

    September 18, 2013 at 12:36 pm

    i thk ds de best lineup 2 stop VALBUENA sczny sagna monreal cosy varmaln flamini ramcy walcot gibs ozl giroud alternatvly gibs in leftbak n miyiachi natural left wingr

  23. tex

    September 18, 2013 at 3:02 pm

    i agree with keanu,decent line-up esp with monreal having a good technical skill and crossing ablity. but i prefer vermalen over mertseker coz he is only back from illness and we better reserve him for the more phyisical game awaiting us at the wkng with the ‘rugby team’, i expect a high tempo game wz OM tonight. they have pessy wings like Thunvien.

    • tex

      September 18, 2013 at 3:03 pm

      ohh! Valbuena i mean.

  24. Gaz

    September 18, 2013 at 6:22 pm

    What’s the debate?
    Wenger doesn’t change his formation. EVER!
    Same team as saturday.
    Get used to it

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