So Gordon is available for this ?
Watch them raise their game now for their cup Final of the season.
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I dont think it was an ultra defensive side, I think they just didnt play with the attacking mindset that was required. That will come.
Sort out the timezone in your post, match aint at 3.30 
I would much rather Nwaneri play over Merino
Drop rice put merino LCM and Eze in ode’s spot.
São Paulo’s finest out left.
Nahh, as far as I rembember we played really good. I mean we’ll always have some issues there, and we mostly had some on Zinchenko’s side but overall it was a deserved win and a good performance
2 and a half years ago 
If I recall correctly White had an equally tough day too that day.
At the end of the we converted our chances(one of them being an own goal) but that performance wasn’t much different(if not worse) from some of our recent performances folks have been complaining about.
Win helps a ton setting the narrative though.
Guarantee you if we somehow scored the winner at Anfield instead of the Scousers, the narrative of our performance would flip 180 too.
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That time of year again where the game raising flag waving cunts come out. Please just beat them.
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would like to see Eze given the nod in the Ode role. Play Rice and Zubi (Merino can come off the bench to firm up midfield or as striker later on in the match).
Trossard on the left (with Martinelli on later - he seems to thrive as a “finisher”).
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Looks like Øde will be in contention for this game and I imagine Mazza will be the one to make way for him, if fit to play.
I think Eze has made enough of a contribution to give Arteta something to think about though.
Rice/Zubimendi/Eze.
Not too bothered about who starts on the LW.
I don’t care how but we need to beat the and come out of this unscathed, with Bruno and Joelinton sent off.
Odegaard back would be huge. I think its Merino if not.
IMO, Eze isn’t going to be an option at the 10 alongside Gyokeres against a team like Newcastle away, at least for a while. Against a side that presses so heavily and really contests the midfield battle, Arteta is not going to play two guys in the middle who are weak off the ball and don’t help a lot with progressing the ball and controlling the match. If we had Havertz to play alongside Eze it might be a different story.
Then out Odegaard right back in because I can’t take that midfield any more.
Sociedad midfield it is.
You think?
I think that obviously Eze isn’t in the same mould as Merino as a CM but I think with his current form + playing in the PL for 4-5 seasons now, I think he has a serious chance of removing Merino out of the starting line up at least.
Arteta has been quite specific or pointed in his rebuttals to journos about the DZM midfield that it’s maybe highlighted this moreso than he thought it would.
I get the thinking behind such a selection of course. We have the tools to go a goal or two up, pack in, and bring on not the finishers, but the gatekeepers. That would be majestic.
We’re underrated by our own fans. Tough game but think we come away with the win 2-0
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I could be completely wrong of course.
But I think the combination of Eze and Gyokeres (or Nwaneri and Gyokeres) in the middle just doesn’t give Arteta a lot of what he wants in a big game. Gyok is such a non-factor in beating the press and building up. He doesn’t have the technical ability to drop deep to overload the midfield but he also doesn’t have the aerial ability to be a good target man for going over the press. And his own pressing is just not nearly as effective as players like Havertz or Jesus. So I think Arteta wants an Odegaard like midfielder with him, a guy who can lead the press and also contribute a lot to the build up and dropping deep to beat the press. I’m not sure Eze can really do that stuff, he doesn’t know our out of possession game as well, isn’t the same relentless runner, and he’s a little loose with the ball in terms of dropping deep to help us play through. Merino isn’t great helping us play through but he’s a huge target for playing over the press and Arteta probably trusts him more out of possession.
You can argue that we should still play Eze and Gyokeres under the logic that we might get dominated in midfield and not be able to control the match very well but we’d have more sauce in attack…but that’s not really the Arteta approach for better or for worse.
Rice - Zubimendi - Merino. The watching paint dry midfield. 0-0 at half-time…the second half is when the game truly begins.
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What Arteta should do is stuff the midfield full of tech. Merino/Rice/Eze - Zubimendi - Nwaneri. Copy exactly what Barcelona did and focus play centrally, positioning players in the pockets and ask them to run at Newcastle backline once the line is broken.
If Arsenal choose to play to the wingers outwide, Newcastle will find it EASY to double up on a Saka or a Trossard. Big mistake.
It’s justified this season to be fair. Spent loads on good players but somehow chance creation and goals are ridiculously low.
We’re second in the league in goals scored despite playing the most difficult schedule and largely without our three most important attacking players from the past couple years.
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Cos we dumped on Leeds shitty defence.
3 games been an utter slog attacking wise
Should be beating an Isak-less Newcastle. Will we? Not confident.