Gunnerblog

Team to face Sevilla announced…

1 comment November 27th, 2007

I got one wrong – Tomas Rosicky is on the bench, and Cesc Fabregas starts.  So it’s:

Almunia

Hoyte
Toure
Senderos
Traore

Eboue
Fabregas
Gilberto
Denilson
Eduardo

Bendtner

—-

The inclusion of Cesc makes it a strong enough line-up to give Sevilla a good game.  It looks like a 4-5-1, but Eduardo could also push upfront with Denilson playing from the left as he did in the 6-3 win at Anfield last year.

Come on you Reds.

Possible team to face Sevilla

2 comments November 27th, 2007

Manuel Almunia
The only other goalkeeper in the squad is Jens Lehmann, and considering the politics surrounding his Arsenal future, it’d be a huge surprise if Almunia was left out in his native country.

Justin Hoyte (pictured right)
Although Bacary Sagna is in the squad, he could do with a rest as much as Hoyte could benefit from another opportunity at right-back. The young Englishman needs to start performing in these top level fixtures if he’s serious about being a long-term Arsenal player.

Kolo Toure
The Ivorian has travelled and is likely to captain the side in the absence of William Gallas.

Philippe Senderos
Back from injury, the Swiss defender will stake his claim to replace Toure when the African joins up with Ivory Coast squad in mid-January.

Armand Traore
It’s quite amazing to consider that despite being held in such high regard at the club, Traore has made only one first team appearance this season. That’s partially due to the remarkably consistency of Gael Clichy, who misses out with a thigh strain. Traore will relish the chance to impress at Champions League level, and his thrusting runs down the left could make him one to watch tonight.

Emmanuel Eboue
I was tempted to suggest that we’d field Theo Walcott, but the injury he picked up against Wigan makes him unlikely to start the game. In his absence, Eboue will add some experience if not maturity to the right-hand side.

Gilberto
The big Brazilian would have played on Saturday had it not been for a spot of untimely jet-lag. As it is, he’ll get a chance to either force his way back into the first team or impress any prospective buyers, depending on your degree of cynicism. Me? I think he’s off.

Denilson
Whilst a partnership of Gilberto and Diarra might be deemed too defensive, the inclusion of Denilson will add a creative edge to the midfield.

Tomas Rosicky
The Czech maestro seems likely to start largely because there is no other obvious alternative to fill the left-sided berth.

Eduardo
Assuming he’s not deployed on the wing, Eduardo will get the chance to play upfront against a side who tried to sign him around twelve months ago. The Crozilian scored in the first game between the sides, and another goal tonight would certainly hurry along his settling process.

Nicklas Bendtner (pictured right)
After making a critical impact as a substitute on Saturday, Arsene has already confirmed that Bendtner will be given another chance from the start in Spain. With Robin van Persie unlikely to start on Saturday, a good performance from the Dane could see him in the starting eleven at Villa Park.

—-

Despite Sevilla’s poor form, this will be a real test for some of these youngsters. It’s possible Arsene could pick a more experienced line-up, with the likes of Diarra, Sagna, Fabregas, Flamini and Lehmann all in the squad. But I think he’ll go with youth in attempt to further educate some of his teenage tyros. Considering the expansive football both sides love to play, it could be very exciting indeed.