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Confirmed line-ups: Arsenal vs Chelsea – Saka starts, Auba on bench, White ruled out

By on August 22, 2021

bukayo saka arsenal

Arsenal desperately need a morale boosting result when we welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium this afternoon.

Unfortunately, Ben White has been ruled out of the game after testing positive for Covid so with Gabriel still not match fit after a knee injury, Rob Holding starts alongside Pablo Mari in the middle of the Arsenal defence.

Cedric Soares starts at right-back ahead of Calum Chambers but there is no place for Hector Bellerin in the match-day squad. Bernd Leno keeps his place between the sticks so new signing Aaron Ramsdale is on the bench.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is only fit enough for a place among the Arsenal substitutes this afternoon after missing the defeat to Brentford due to covid. Gabriel Martinelli appears to be starting up front with Folarin Balogun dropping out.

Bukayo Saka is recalled to start in the Arsenal attack and he’ll support Emile Smith Rowe and Nicolas Pepe. Therefore, Reiss Nelson misses out on a place in the starting eleven this afternoon.

Albert Sambi Lokonga keeps his place in midfield alongside Granit Xhaka but Thomas Partey is still recovering from an ankle injury. Mo Elneny and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are among the Arsenal subs.

As for Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku starts up front with Kai Havertz and Mason Mount providing the support. N’Golo Kante is only on the bench so Mateo Kovacic starts alongside Jorginho.

These are the teams for the game:

Arsenal

Leno, Cedric, Holding, Mari, Tierney, Xhaka, Lokonga, Saka, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Pepe.

Subs: Aubameyang, Maitland-Niles, Tavares, Chambers, Nelson, Elneny, Balogun, Kolasinac, Ramsdale

Chelsea

Mendy, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Christensen, James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso, Mount, Havertz, Lukaku.

Subs: Kepa, Thiago Silva, Kante, Werner, Chalobah, Zouma, Hudson-Odoi, Chilwell, Ziyech