It may still be a longshot, but Arsenal’s title credentials continue to strengthen week in, week out. The last outing saw Mikel Arteta’s men overcome London rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Next up is an EFL Cup match-up with fellow Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion. Here’s how Last Word on Football thinks the Gunners could lineup for their clash at the Emirates.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup for EFL Cup Clash Against Brighton & Hove Albion
How Arsenal Have Lined-up Recently
It has been regularly mentioned that Arsenal aren’t one for wholesale changes under the stewardship of Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard has a set 12 or 13 players who are going to be in the hunt for a starting spot, plus a few others who are almost guaranteed to enter the game off of the bench.
In the aforementioned win over Chelsea, this trend continued. Bukayo Saka hobbled off injured in the emphatic 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest, which allowed the sporadic Reiss Nelson to make the headlines and score a brace. Saka was fit and firing in time for the battle at Stamford Bridge and he turned in an impressive performance in the 1 – 0 victory. The only other thing of note is that Ukrainian international Oleksandr Zinchenko returned in the left-back spot in the place of Takehiro Tomiyasu.
🤩 Derby day scenes
🔊 That noise from the crowd
❤️ Pure passion from the bossRelive Sunday’s win over Chelsea with @m8arteta on the touchline ✊
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 8, 2022
Arsenal’s Recent Form and Tactics
Sitting in 1st place in the Premier League, Arsenal have been in fine form since they kicked off their season with a win against Crystal Palace. Arteta has maintained a consistent starting squad where possible, with some slight changes brought in to counter specific threats from the opposition.
Three substitutions were made by Arteta on the weekend, with all being tactical decisions. Kieran Tierney entered the fray in the place of Zinchenko, whilst Mohamed Elneny replaced Martin Odegaard late in the second half. Rob Holding was the final of the three substitutes and was brought on in the dying embers in palce of Gabriel Martinelli to help secure the victory. The centre-half has been struggling for minutes following the emergence of William Saliba, however the cup clash with the Seagulls could be the ideal opportunity to get him some time on the pitch.
Arsenal Injuries to Consider
Injury concerns seem to be the only thing capable of halting the Gunner’s progress. Tomiyasu is the most notable absence at the moment, as the Japan international sustained an injury in the Europa League clash against FC Zurich and didn’t feature at all at Stamford Bride. It’s unlikely that the 24-year-old will be risked against Brighton.
Two other names that have been on the injury reports in recent times have been Oleksandr Zinchenko and Mohamed Elneny, however as both featured against Chelsea the pair will likely be back in contention for the clash against the Seagulls. However, with the opportunity of entering the World Cup break still at the top of the Premier League with a win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend, Arteta may choose to rotate some key players with that clash in mind.
Tierney is one who could well get a chance from the start and the same goes for Holding. Beyond them, Eddie Nketiah played the full 90 minutes in the clash against Zurich and the Englishman could be set for another feature against Brighton as Gabriel Jesus is rested for the upcoming Premier League clash. Finally, USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner had performed well on the continent but missed out on the Zurich fixture. His return to the matchday squad against Chelsea could well mean he is in the running to start between the sticks at the Emirates Stadium.
Read More: Fabrizio Romano Gives Arsenal Transfer Update: ‘They Are Not Finished’
The Arsenal Predicted Lineup
Arsenal will likely lineup in Arteta’s favoured 4-3-3 formation with two wide forwards flanking a central striker. With some squad rotation on the cards, there will likely be some opportunities granted to some les familiar faces when the Gunners take on Brighton at the Emirates.
GK- Matt Turner
RB- Benjamin White
CB- Rob Holding
CB- Gabriel
LB- Kieran Tierney
CM- Mohamed Elneny
CM- Granit Xhaka
RM- Reiss Nelson
CAM- Fabio Vieira
LM- Gabriel Martinelli
ST- Eddie Nketiah
Eddie Nketiah hoping to fulfil ‘dream’ of playing in Champions League next year https://t.co/vASrflZeFg pic.twitter.com/OLvH6eEtWz
— Indy Sport (@IndySport) November 5, 2022
