Maitland-Niles is an option at defensive midfield don’t forget. Zelalem should really be playing in this as well, unless we’ve lined him up another loan.
I can see Wenger paying lip service to the Fa Cup this season, perhaps due to the most serious threat he’s ever faced in losing his super duper top 4 consistency record.
A similar level team to Forest away in the League Cup, or possibly weaker with the injuries.
I’m expecting a win, but it wouldn’t shock me if we lost. It really wouldn’t. We need to take Preston serious.
I’d rest Alexis Cech Bellerin and Kos for this game. I’d play a strong enough 11 to do a job. I really think Wenger will need to take the FA Cup serious, if he has any plans of wanting to stay (even though winning the FA Cup might not be good enough anymore) I think this is his best chance of silverware, if we avoid any shocks and avoid the better teams until later rounds. The Cups don’t get exciting for me until the quarter finals. For me its our best chance of any success this season sadly.
It strikes me as outrageous that winning the FA cup might not be considered ‘good enough’ anymore. I don’t think that’s a sign of ‘ambition’ it is just disrespect to a wonderful competition. I agree that it is his best chance of silverware, but even if it is easier to win than the league, I wish fans would stop belittling it (not meaning you personally, but football fans in general).
The Fa Cup lost it’s value once the holder’s UTD and the FA themselves chose a shitty tournament in Brazil over defending it in 2000, it’s nice winning it and I’m sorry if you think I’m belittling it but we should be aiming for PL titles and CL’s titles. You think winning a FA Cup at Chelsea, City and UTD will help a manager keep his job if they bottled the league and CL, no chance but at Arsenal you know Wenger will be given a 5 year contract and half the fanbase will celebrate it like it’s the CL. That tells you how far we fallen. Maybe I’m greedy but shouldn’t we all want better. We just gave agree to disagree on this one.
Good - would have been ridiculous to risk Sanchez on Preston - need him fit for the rest of the season… curious what happens in midfield with all our injuries.
Wenger says he’s going strong for this, but it’s hard to see how really, given our injury situation (which all of a sudden seems to have ballooned), plus the ineligible ones and the rested players: Sanchez, Cech, Koscielny…Ozil? I will be surprised if Ozil makes an appearance tomorrow, the guy may have trained, but it’s a big decision for Wenger to make on him. I still think we’ll have enough with our available players to avoid the dreaded 3rd round Cupset, but we have so many players unavailable that Preston could take us if they’re on their game. Lack of bench options etc.
Ospina
Bellerin Gabriel Holding Monreal
Ramsey Xhaka
Chamberlain Iwobi Perez*
Giroud
*Reine-Adelaide if not
Bench will have da Silva, Willock and Maitland-Niles, Reine-Adelaide, surely Welbeck, maybe Walcott/Ozil
Just play Gabriel there really, I think Jenkinson’s fault is he’s a championship level player who’s manager isn’t ruthless enough to know it. Feel for the poor lad, but too many excuses are made for him cause he’s “Arsenal through and through”, couldn’t care less if he ain’t good enough then he ain’t good enough. I definitely think we won’t see him again in Arsenal shirt. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s let go this January.
