Arsenal take on fellow premier league outfit Leeds United in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup at the Emirates on Tuesday night. While the Gunners are fresh from an excellent 3-1 victory over Aston Villa, the Yorkshire side had to contend with a 1-1 draw at home to Wolves thanks to an injury-time equaliser from the spot from Rodrigo.
Arsenal come into this cup fixture unbeaten in all competitions since the end of August, a run of eight games, six of those in the league. Leeds now has just one league win in nine games leaving them floundering in 17th place, hovering precariously above the relegation zone. Second season syndrome perhaps? The Leeds faithful will hope not, although they only have to look at their Yorkshire rivals, Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United, both of whom stayed up in their first season in the top flight before finishing rock bottom in the second. However, Leeds is always a dangerous side as we saw last season. Last season the Gunners were lucky to come away from Elland Road with a point after the home side hit the woodwork three times and carved out plenty of opportunities. You might remember we also finished that game with ten men after Pepe was sent off following an altercation with Egan Allioski. The return fixture was a much happier affair for Mikel Arteta’s side as a Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang hat trick helped us to a 4-2 victory on Valentines Day.
We have endured many fierce and not so fierce encounters with Leeds over the years. In 2002 we made history fielding nine black players for a league encounter at Elland Road (Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell, Lauren, Kolo Toure, Vieira, Gilberto, Wiltord, Henry and Kanu) as we ran out 4-1 winners. This game also saw us break Nottingham Forest’s then record of 22 away games without defeat and Chesterfield’s record, held since 1929/30 season, of scoring in 47 consecutive league games. A prefiguring of the extraordinary feats achieved in the following season, if only we had known it. And in the Invincible season there was another memorable encounter, this time at Highbury, with Thierry Henry at his electrifying best scoring four goals to help us to a 5-0 win as we cantered our way to the title and the only golden Premier League trophy ever awarded. While we were celebrating making history, Leeds fans were grieving relegation from the top flight despite being Champions League semi-finalists only four years previously. Little did they know it would be sixteen years before their return. Despite their exile from the Premier League, we still seemed to draw them regularly in cup competitions. In 2011 they gave us a scare in the third round of the FA Cup where a last gasp Fabregas penalty forced a replay as we avoided an embarrassing early exit. We ran out comfortable 3-1 winners in the replay in Yorkshire. Coincidently we faced them at the same stage the following season in 2012. An otherwise forgettable encounter was then launched into the archives when Thierry Henry, returning for a loan spell from New York Red Bulls, came on as a substitute and it was only a few minutes before he rolled back the years as he collected a Bergkampesque through ball from Alex Song, opened his body and curled the ball into the far corner.
As far as the team selection goes we can expect a mostly changed side from the eleven that eased pass Aston Villa so impressively. You would expect to see Bernd Leno in goal, having lost his place as first choice ‘keeper to Aaron Ramsdale. Then it will probably be Cedric at right back, a centre back pairing of Rob Holding and Mari. At left back it gets interesting as it could feasibly be any one of Nuno Tavares, Tierney or even Kolasinac. Given that Tierney may still be shaking off his supposedly bruised ankle and it is Premier League opposition we’re up against, I would expect to see Nuno at left back following his very impressive performance on Friday. In midfield we will probably see a pivot of Elneny and Maitland-Niles, with Odegaard in the number ten role. On the left you would hope to see Gabriel Martinelli get a run out after being restricted to substitute appearances since the Chelsea game. On the right flank Pepe should start with Eddie Nketiah up front, the Englishman having spent six months on loan at Leeds at the start of the 2019/20 season.
So that would rack up ten changes from the side that beat Villa so convincingly, while still being a very strong second-string side capable of beating another premier league side comfortably. Gone are the days where Wenger would use the league cup as a chance to field a starting eleven that looked like a GCSE English class. But now that European qualification is no longer a given, we have no choice but to take it seriously.
COYG!
That’s a first class preview 21C Gooner .
I think we might go with slightly less changes but we will certainly rotate heavily.
It won’t be easy they’ve got a decent squad but I hope for a 2-1 win
Thanks vm, 21CG. A well researched preview which took me back to those heady days of the great Wenger years. Like the look of your team, hopefully with room on the bench for Balogun and maybe one or 2 others from the u-23s, if only for the experience.
What TTG said @1, save for the starting line-up which will be pretty much as 21CG sets it out. I would bet on the bench being loaded with heavyweights, though.
Incidentally, the substitution rules in the league cup for the rest of the competition were changed 10 days ago, effective today (Monday).
1. Clubs will be able to make five substitutes from nine nominated.
2. Clubs will have three opportunities during open play to make substitutions (not including half-time).
3. Multiple substitutions can be made during one opportunity.
4. For the Semi-Final second leg and the Final, an additional opportunity will be afforded during open play in extra time (not including 90 mins and half time in extra time).
5. Unspent substitutions can be carried over in extra time.
6. Provision of concussion substitutes sits outside this process and can be made at any time.
The changes were requested by 14 of the clubs in the last 16, 12 of which are Premiership teams, citing the potential playing load ahead. That suggests it won’t be only us leaving our GCSE candidates at home as the competition progresses.
For the record, police have said no further action will be taken against the Palace fans who protested against Newcastle’s Saudi owners at the weekend, as no offence had been committed. Good.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/59042671
Also, there will be no extra time (and no VAR) on Tuesday evening. Straight to penalties if the scores are level after 90 mins.
No VAR? That’s a farce considering this is being played at a premier league ground between two premier league sides
Thanks 21CG, a good preview and I think you’re about right on the team.
2-0 to The Arsenal.
A very nice preview 21CG. I like your team but expect experienced reinforcements on the bench for emergency requirements, plus I hope, Balogun.
I suspect Leeds will also ring the changes in personnel as PL survival must be far more important to them than the League Cup and they have a striker crisis.
I also enjoyed your trip down memory lane – good stuff!
If Calum can’t make the back-up XI then maybe time to move on in January. We seem to have plenty of full backs and not enough CMs so it seems a natural balancing as well as giving Calum a chance to get on with his career.
Excellent read 21cg. Nketiah’s opportunity to shine. Hoping he takes it.
@8
« Leeds will also ring the changes »
Leeds made the usual 8 or 9 changes in previous rounds so I’d guess so too Bath.
Thanks 21 CG,
Lots of good memories in your history of games between the two teams.
Those of us who are definitely 20th Century Gooners will have a lot more unpleasant recollections spanning the Revie years and some horrible losses at the old Wembley Stadium in the early seventies. I was, however, in the crowd at Highbury on 4th September 1979, when we beat them 7-0 in the League Cup 2nd Round, 2nd Leg – yes, the competition was played over two legs each round in those days.
Most seem to disagree with me but I hope we don’t see as many changes to the team as you are suggesting. We have a lot of free midweeks this season, and these games are a good opportunity for the team to continue to gel and partnerships to develop. I would like to see Martinelli get a chance and Tavares again, if Tierney is still struggling with an injury.
At the end of the day though, this competition represents a chance to get back into Europe, if not yet the Champions League, and I would hope that we take it very seriously. No problem for me with Pepe, Odegaard and Holding, but I can see no sense in playing Kolasinac, Elneny or Nketiah, who sadly has not stepped up, unless we really have to.
Excellent preview!
I do miss the days of watching many of the academy kids play in the league cup. Let’s hope a swift return back to champions league to bring back those days again.
I like your team. If KT is expected to be sidelined against Leicester as well would Mikel give Nuno rest and play Cedric or Kola on the left and Chambers on the right? Or may play a 3-4-3 with Mari, Holding and Chambers as the back three, Cedric as right wing back, Ainsley as left wing back, Mo and Ødegaard in the middle, and Martinelli-Eddie-Pépé in front… that way Martin can play essentially as a #10 with AMN drifting inside to provide more bodies in the middle and allowing Gabi to roam the left flank …
But probably TTG is right that we won’t see that many changes. Keeping the winning streak going would be important. I think we will get some good performances from the likes of Ødegaard, Gabi and Pépé …
I meant “probably TTG and Trev are right…”
Like Trev, I have memories of some brutal games against Revie’s Leeds. They had more than enough talent to have needed to be so dirty. Exhibit A: Bremner and Giles.
As for Tuesday’s game, Leeds seem to have plenty of injuries that will enforce changes.
https://www.leedsunited.com/news/team-news/28957/preview-arsenal-vs-leeds-united
21CG@6:VAR is likely from the semi-finals onwards, which is what happened last season. Football League clubs don’t have the technology installed, so VAR is not used in the rounds that are assumed to have EFL clubs still playing. Should a non-Premiership team make the semis, which unlike the other rounds are played over two legs, the EFL can mandate VAR and would pick up the tab for temporary installation of the technology at a non-Premiership club.
@15
Thanks for the link Ned. I noticed
they mentioned winning the final
in 68, but forgot to mention the
score in the last League Cup meeting
in 1979. They should’ve asked Trev 😀
Excellent preview 21CG, thanks. Bringing back the best of memories. 🙂
I would love to see some changes in the team especially trying the front three from Dr F list Martinelli-Eddi-Pepe and also Odegaard and AMN for a starting.
But I am not fancy for Kola or Chambers. I don’t think they are good enough. OM @9 is right it’s high time to move on for both.
But my question is, what would be our tactic against Leeds with this (proposed) whole changed outfit?
OM@17: 🙂
Ned@16,
Thanks for that clarification. I still can’t understand, though, why a game between 2 sides with the technology installed can’t make the use of it. Are the FA saying that it is an unfair advantage to have VAR?
Perhaps I am making the schoolboy error of looking for internal consistency among footballs governing bodies.
CER@20: It is the EFL, not the FA, that sets the competition rules for the League Cup. I guess its logic is that in any round, all teams play by the same set of rules.
I take your final point with all the deadpanence (is that the right noun?) with which it was delivered.
Trev’s reference to that 7-0 game reminded me that I attended it with our actuary who was a keen Leeds fan. He was very confident despite us getting a 1-1draw up there . I think we scored in the first minute and at 6-0 with a couple of minutes left he suggested we withdraw to spare him further punishment. I agreed ( we were in the North Bank ). As we reached the gates there was a huge roar . ‘ Oh Shit ‘ 7-0 he said , ‘ Can we run? ‘ . As we got across to Arsenal Tube another huge roar . ‘ You’re going to be insufferable for weeks , he said , 8 bloody nil . ‘ ( I like to think I was permanently insufferable )
In reality the first roar was for a penalty being awarded and the second for Brady’s conversion . I recall Sunderland got a hat-trick and Sammy Nelson scored ( but did not bare his bum ) . Good memories . Certainly better than the Final in 1968 which was the first time I ever saw Arsenal at Wembley
Leno, Cedric, Holding, White, Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Pepe, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Nketiah
Subs: Ramsdale, Tavares, Chambers, Lokonga, Partey, Saka, Salah-Eddine, Lacazette, Balogun
Good call on the team, 21 CG – only White and ESR to remain from Fridays fun night out. Can only assume Tavares is being saved for Saturday and KT is being rested for longer. A strong bench too along with Salh-Eddine and Balogun. Looking forward to it.
Mari injured?
I hope we get a big enough lead that ESR can get an early shower and rest up for the Leicester game.
Oddly, the club site lists Oulad-M’hand on the bench, not Salah-Eddine, but Jorge Bird says it is the latter who has got the call-up, and he is probably the more reliable.
My bad Salah-Eddine and Oulad-M’hand are one in the same.
NBN@26: Check out his goal for the U-23 against Everton … the highlights are on Arsenal site. Since returning from injury he has been really good in all the highlights I saw. Ideal combination of physical tenacity and skills.
Ned,
The dual named Salah Eddine caught me out too last season . I wonder what his full name is? You won’t get a chant at the Grove ‘ Give us an S etc’ !
Don’t see what Arteta is aiming at with that team. ESR is very precious and I’d have not started him . Leeds’ XI is much closer to their full team. Phillips and Harrison in midfield will be a real test for Elneny and AMN . Kolasinac and Cedric are close to the worst pair of full-backs we have fielded for a long time . This is very hard to call . We may well have even more time to kill this season after tonight unless someone like Eddie or Pepe step up
I think he’s clearly prioritising the League campaign, TTG. Were we to win tonight, it’s likely that in order to win the tournament we would have to beat at least 1 of Spartak Chelski, The Middleeastlanders and Liverpool. Personally I can’t see that this season.
crap team
but…
Mari – sick, not covid related.
A good start for the firs5 11 mins. Some very nice football. We have a frightening amount of pace up front.
ESR is very precious and I’d have not started him
This. In spades.
I must say after 45 mins I think Arteta has set his team up very well. 2 Centre halves comfortable with bringing the ball out from the back and beat the one on one press, despite he obvious fouling tactics from dirty, dirty Leeds when they do; good pace in midfield and attack to be able to spring forward and fall back. Especially when you bear in mind that the Leeds side is very close to a first team. With the judicious use if the bench – where we have rather better options than them – I think we can win this.
Not quite the way I had envisaged the second half subs working out for us, but I’ll take it!
Only just seen the second goal as I’d paused it to make a cuppa. Christ he did his best to miss that one!
In fairness he made his luck though
2 nil up is 2 nil up 🙂
Somewhat lucky but definitely earned and hard-fought
Cynic@36: Did you see the shot of Arteta when Nketiah shanked the tap-in then the 180-degree turn in emotion when the ball spun slowly inside the far post?
To be fair to the team, this evening, no one played badly or failed to put in a shift. Leno made a couple of important early saves. Soares and Kola were both OK. Rob looks so much less Sendoros-like now he is growing his hair back. White increasingly looks a good addition (will be interesting to see what happens at right CB if Saliba returns). AMN and Elneny did not get outfought or outclassed by Phillips and Harrison. ESR played more minutes than I would have liked. Martinelli was always a threat and has that Laca-like energy to him; faded in the second half, however. Pepe was having one of his Pepe days when his touch let him down too often, which was a shame as he was only getting double, not triple marked. Nketiah worked hard and deserved his luck for his goal, but looks like a striker who is not playing enough to play himself into form.
Haven’t seen Eddie’s goal but from your descriptions I have reached the conclusion that he did exactly what he intended to do. 😱
…
🤣🤣
Well 21CG you certainly beat me on the team selection.
Nine changes and a resulting disjointed performance in the first half, but our subs came good and got us safely through in a generally much more energetic second half. Well done to Eddie Nketiah on a great take and tricky finish to score our second – his reward for persevering after a pretty ineffective first half.
Good result for a mostly rusty XI, on we go.
I didn’t see the Arteta reaction.
As for the performance I was pretty bored yet again. I think I’m too hard to please, although I did like Holding and White driving forward out of defence with the ball. That I liked.
Think I’m just bored with football generally though, my sports package is there mainly for cricket, motorbike racing, snooker and NFL now. I can’t recall the last time I watched a full 90 minutes of any game without flicking away to something else but it was probably one of those weeks where Sky has a full slate of EFL games opposite the UCL on BT. Obviously it was an EFL game I watched.
Dunno if it’s THE Micah Richards but someone of that name wrote the following in the comments on our BBC match report: “Not an Arsenal fan but I reckon long term Arteta could be something special and fancy you for top 4 this season.”
Reckon his prediction could come good with enough application.
Spot the circus seal.
http://arsenalist.com/f/2018-19/goal-esr-3-0-2021-09-18.html
Not to be outdone, Eddie did a circus seal act of his own against Leeds. Worth a second and a third watch.
It looks like the League Cup quarter-final fixtures are due to take place December 21 or 22 so that would mean we only have three fixtures in the month of November, a bit of a pity since we have seven league fixtures in December with another one on New Year’s Day.
>>>>>>>