Arsenal vs. Newcastle United: Tactical Preview and Predicted Lineups

Pod Starts hello and welcome to the Arsenal bsize podcast I'm your host Clayton at clay AFC on Twitter and I'm joined by my co-host FPL Neema how are you doing have you recovered from the disappointment of Wednesday away at Porto yeah it's quite sad wasn't it um yeah returned to the Knockouts after so long seven years I think and um wasn't what I was expecting it was a bit of a gut gut real gut wrenching one like right at the last second like last the way it happened I just I'd say I'm recovered now I'm ready for Newcastle my nerves have moved on to this so it's a good time to be seeing you hopefully you can reassure me I shouldn't be nervous for tomorrow but well yeah we'll get into it obviously I am I did a episode covering the Porto game in a bit more depth and uh we short on time today so we won't talk too much about Porto but for anyone that wants that kind of therapy Vibe like that cathartic feeling when you feel like you're Rel relate to what someone's talking about potentially yeah go back and have a listen to that one if you want to get your PTO fixed but for the sake of this episode we'll crack on and do the New Castle preview because we're going to be there together uh first first game this season I other than the lens one obviously but first think 800 PM Saturday kickoff try get up there quite early in the afternoon if I I am going to be absolutely [ __ ] Spangled because uh on the same day so yeah like you said 800 p.m. kickoff in the UK and I'm doing a pub crawl with my mates in the day so uh I don't know what state you'll be seeing me in when I turn up at the game but yeah you're right in terms of like well you didn't really say a statement but you kind of hinted at like I'm hoping you can cheer me up and I think it yeah because I'm quite nervous yeah I'm quite nervous about just just because I feel like the one thing that stood out to me right was that the last time I remember us like just not getting a sniff going forwards was at home to Line-up vs Porto Newcastle yeah at the start of last year like I just remember that and I remember there was something like the minutes the ball was in play and it was very similar to the Porto game so I'm like oh [ __ ] is this just like the UK version of Porto like [ __ ] yeah and it'll be interesting to see what team he picks because we've played the same lineup now West Ham away Burnley away and then a few days after Burnley we saw the same team on Wednesday away at Porto which I was surprised by where's your head at in terms of not what lineup you would go with but what you think he'll do on Saturday against Newcastle so I feel like something will change it has to it has to I think as well it has to I just like I love playing the same team for like consistency and like Rhythm but I think he said it himself that there's like five or six players who've not really contributed yet and like he's expecting a lot more to come from them this season I assume that's a lot of the injured players but still get I don't know if you've seen but he's done his press already and he said Tommy ASU still needs a little bit more time but on um party let me just read word for word what he actually said um we have another session today and obviously he's been out for many many months now and we would need to really nail the timing and when he has enough in the tank to compete but I think he's very close and he went on to say it's the same with Gabby jayus as well he's done a few things and he also reported that zenchenko is not far at all so I don't know if that means these guys will be on the bench perhaps but also said that about Wednesday yeah I've been waiting for them to Part of Me actually wonders you know and I don't know if it's right in me to think this but that he needs to wrap Jesus zenko and party and cotum mo for three weeks and bring them out against Porter I honestly feel like it's just not worth risking them at this stage because I just don't think they're robust like I honestly feel that if they play in three weeks time they will not be fit to play again like it just scares me I almost feel like has it been that Line-up Predictions vs Newcastle maybe they've all been ready for a lot longer than he's letting on and he's just using this as a guys because he knows he's going to need them and that we keep you know disrupting our Seasons to last years where these same kind of injury prone players just disappear for the March April May period part to hold them back like right yeah I do see the logic but then in defense I'm like I feel like we could really do with being able to like freshen it up a little bit and like give ke your a rest so zenchenko tomasu if they were fit and available that would be helpful um because I'm with you I think there'll be changes but for the life of me I can't figure out what and when I think in terms of how the game will pan out I think like you said Newcastle kind of set that template on how to play Arsenal last year right park the bus pack out the middle force us wide two three uh V ones in terms of a Defender to attacker ratio and um we struggled and this is what I really the more I think about it in the context of the whole week the more I think artetta got the lineup wrong on Wednesday because I think that was a georgino Midfield havs up top game and do you remember I actually said that in the preview so it's not even yeah that was what you were expecting right that was what you thought we would do try to be a bit press resistant like yeah and as a result I think you then have trossard a little bit more fresh for this game um where I think we're going to need a profile like him uh in an Ideal World I'd love jayus to be available for this game but I don't think he'll go straight into the 11 and similar reasons to what you said so yeah I think I'd like to see the georginia in the Middle with Habs up top um for this game then leaves yeah for this game and I think it leaves the question of then does that mean Martinelli or [ __ ] start on the left Trump out that that's why I say I think he got it wrong because I think that was more of a selection that would have worked Porto away more than Newcastle at home like I don't think we need a Havoc up top profile in this game I think it will work but even georgino Midfield I in an Ideal World I'd roll out the same team on Saturday even like just prove that like it was like a blip a one off videos in my head as simple as I think this team suits what we need against Newcastle and it didn't suit what we needed at Porter away so do you know what [ __ ] I'm going with my gut I think he's gonna go for the same 11 fourth game in the row know that there's a n nine day rest to Sheffield United go with it and rely on substitutes if we're flagging what about you yeah I think I I just I just find it hard to believe something won't change I feel like but knowing the players are not quite back yet as well like who would even come in right um maybe maybe the only change he makes to the 11 is if zenchenko is ready he comes in for K and he leaves the rest as it is I do wonder about that for what it's wor what you said I I can see him doing the georgino and then havit up top thing I think it's just more it's just a frustration I think like he just if he does that he's picked it for the wrong game it's said why not have done that away up for yeah think so you obviously touched on it is it something you see him doing I just I just feel like I didn't really see much from Trad so for me it's more about like I feel like Trad didn't do enough against Porto up top to have confidence in him doing it against Newcastle even if at home so part of me is then like well therefore that then naturally feels like well htz up there would maybe offer more than Trad did in this specific game for me and then that then leaves a space in Midfield open right hence georgino but it's as simple as that so for me it's actually because of trussart I just cely feel that he could do better off the bench or something I don't know what game was it where it kind of threw us when Smith row was included in the starting 11 could you see something like that that was lovely to see him just r appearing in the what game was that I wonder was that like Palace at home or something I think yeah it was a Premier League game it was like his first Premier League start in a few years um but what happened to him as well Jesus where is he is I'm sure he was was he not on the bench on Wednesday was he I'm sure he was these guys like I honestly like he wasn't in one of the he that's what I'm saying bro like for [ __ ] sake man what is it with players he was I swear he was on the bench the bench like was he even on the bench against Burnley let alone yeah he was he came on he so what happened like what what happened in the [ __ ] where is it called This is what scares me do you see what I mean like him party tomasu Jesus and chenko these are the five to six players that he's talking about when is like yeah there's five or six that I expect to see a lot more from still this season because he basically just not [ __ ] seeing them yeah you think Vieira was obviously back in the squad could you see him I would love to see him play I feel like we've not seen much of him at all this season like if you actually look at his Prem minutes this season is less than 90 minutes I think so even though we thought he had a better season this season than last he just looked good in those very few moments we saw him then he's been out for like most of the season so I really do hope um I want him back because I feel like we need as much um just diversity in player profiles available to us so that we can try different um tactics against different opponents we can you know like be more unpredictable right that's the thing we've been missing all year and I think we brought some unpredictability back when we went into this new team which we've rolled out for the last three games but now it's almost like after Newcastle watch the tapes and what Porto did I just feel if we do the exact same thing again it's like it's just like where is the unpredictability and that so I feel like something has to be tweaked I just feel I feel like hit that predictability right again after three four games where we hadn't and we looked incredible and blew off to a start in 2024 and then bang now we've hit the the predictability section again that's where I disagree to be fair I think Porto had a specific game plan that in their home environment they were able to execute I think Newcastle will try to replicate it but won't be able to to the same extent and I still think the positional rotation of odard or white dropping in next to Rice I think that will work and conf use them and drag them out of position in certain zones so for what it's worth if we World out the same team same system I think it works but again that's what I'm saying I think it's a system that suits what I think we'll be up against against Newcastle not pter away sort of thing but yeah we'll uh what was your final prediction then before we move on so my final prediction would be um I'm just looking at what pontis said in the chat I'm going to read it out the shout out you the guys so good afternoon Uncle Mike good to see you buddy afternoon LZ we got pontis Johanson hello lad good to see so pontis was saying on Geno he is suffering from that foot issue still I think so it's probably isn't ready to start games and would explain Wednesday so yeah so if he's in that situation still then that kind of froze my idea of georgino with hav up top and Trad benched yeah that's good to know Smith went to Sweet Heaven I want revenge on I've never heard of I've never heard of um either of them sweet or Heaven from the Academy I know like um our bench was looking pretty funny it just were really running thin like when people when I said I have a thin Squad everyone questioned him hey can I just get something off my chest like everyone's [ __ ] lubing up for new uh Liverpool's injuries right and I get it like but we've been without so many First Choice people like Timber All Season party all season two of them are first teamers we had no jayus our number n for how long zenchenko in periods has been out at the same period Timber zenchenko and Tommy ASU have been unavailable that's your first three choice left Kio is the fourth choice left back uh Smith row has been unavailable vieira's been unavailable I know they're not first teamers but they have a knock on impact on the load that odard has to take on hav like it in the defensive area no Tommy assum me a knock on impact on Cela why it's huge right why do we not get the I don't understand like when we had injuries last year we bottled the league when everyone else has injuries this year they have injuries Liverpool whether it's United Liverpool Tottenham like if Liverpool don't win the League this year it would be because of injuries not because they bottled it and I'm like what ah it just [ __ ] by the way just on this note so he's come out as he's such a liar as well but um he's been like that since his Bournemouth days with injury news he's such a liar but but um he said this yeah so he said with our experience of the Champions League we found that it wasn't a problem playing midweek as long as we had a squad available to rotate to keep players fresh Arsenal have players to do that so no doubt it won't affect their performance he's such a [ __ ] I just add that after you just said [ __ ] get knocked out sweet he they came forth in their [ __ ] group yeah oh yeah it had no impact to them that's why they came forth yeah and that's why they're like bottom like midt almost in the league okay I think he's such a I need to get revenge on them man like Mike is right in the chat like did how is he coming out and saying that about we have the squad when we got sweet Heaven on the [ __ ] bench like it'll be interesting to see what they do lineup wise though because their lineup in the two two draw against Bournemouth was de Brava in goal back four of trippier share botman and Newcastle vs Bournemouth burn back uh back fre sorry Midfield fre of Bruno gares long staff Miley who's been impressive and then front free was Barnes Gordon and almeron and I've seen um ISAC supposedly back in training uh sha obviously had a knock and went off injured but apparently he might be back um so it' be interesting to see what they do but do you know what there is a world in which I would not be surprised if they came to us and played a back five um and just really tried to sorry I made a mistake I sh sh didn't go off I just completely made that up um but he but he is injured right I think he has some kind of doubts yeah um but yeah supposedly he should be fine but yeah I wouldn't be surprised if they came with a back five you know and really Tred to kind of block out those half spaces and that's why systematically I think having that white odard rotation and who goes into the double pivot who then holds the whip it allows either sacka odard to operate in the half space either sacka or white to be wide depending on where OD God is I think that positional rotation could still confuse Newcastle I don't think they'll be able to execute exactly the same way that Porto did and also the fluidity right like Champions League games are referee differently compared to the Prem so yeah I think that was my obviously I don't want to talk about the PTO game but like the one thing that I felt disappointed in is that we didn't adapt to what was considered a foul early enough like it was very clear early on that like we were going to be getting called fouls for people like falling over when the [ __ ] Wind Blows so at that stage we should have maybe tried to change something like I don't know how we thought it would be any different but when the referee obliges the players continue and you're right though they didn't adapt they didn't we didn't that and you know what this takes me back to last time do you remember there was like the penalty we didn't get against Newcastle when they dashed Jesus down and like there was a few incidents in that game there was the red card that they didn't get against us as well in that nil nil so I just have scars of that game with Newcastle because I feel like they were as you say the original team they came after this new look Arsenal and just completely shut down anything they show a blueprint of how to frustrate us yeah and it's more they were the first team to come and like just not even try to play football like this [ __ ] football team Newcastle does not attempt to play football when they come to the Emirates and I think that's the thing like I can say that on this channel I've had to go on planet FPL and obviously have to be [ __ ] neutral and you got to be like yeah you got to make sure you give every team credit yeah of course these Pricks will not attempt to play football they're going to try and [ __ ] come and play rugby and interrupt the flow and stuff and I just don't think they'll get away with it and you asked me earlier like can I give you a reason to feel confident yeah I do I think I think we'll bounce back I really believe we'll Score Predictions bounce back I don't think it'll be a four five 6 nil but I think we will slap our dick on these pricks I think we will humble them like hopefully that Chelsea game where we didn't win by a mad margin but they got absolutely played out the part like every metric was just like Chelsea died that day I think it was at the two-nil maybe against them one nil I think it was just one nil against Chelsea last season but like we absolutely Dom it was domination yeah we from corner but yeah yeah but like overall even though it was just one n like that game it looked like they died so that's what I want like I don't mind if it's just we manag to beat Newcastle go back to winning ways with a goal but I just want to embarrass them like I want to make them look like they're just not hungry yeah and that's what even tactically and like the emotion of the game I think I said I'm doing a pub craw all day right I'm going to be looped up with alcohol and stuff a lot of Arsenal fans well I think the atmosphere will be hot I think the atmosphere is going to be full of Arsenal fans trying to get behind blood lights on a Saturday night pick up this team like they're going to need us and I think even footballing wise I just think it will be a case where we're in our home again and it'll be a bit of a confidence thing for the team like play the football they've been playing for the last few weeks and I think with that in mind I think there'll be overloads Galore in this game where Newcastle won't be able to keep up I don't think we'll give them many chances uh if they do get one I think it'll be like the odd [ __ ] house game uh goal or something and that's been the pattern this season we don't give up many chance high quality chances in the league and I think it will be the same again I'm going two-nil home win and I I really think it'll be like bounce back I think it'll be a first nervy like 15 20 minutes but then once we get in our flow I think we'll get a goal and win it comfortably two-nil for me what about you I think that out of every game this weekend in the Premier League this is the game that's most likely to have three goals in it I think it's the most one-sided tie in the league even like Wolves at home to Sheffield United man united f with no yeah yeah man united H's now injured as well for yeah yeah so I I think that Anthony gets back in but for us to be fair yeah I'm gonna go I just feel like everything in the underlying metrics beside that Porto game if you just look at the league games in 2024 I just feel like I know that they're an annoying team for us and they disrupt us style but we're going to want like revenge like for last year for the year before when we missed out top four and their fans are so [ __ ] gobby as well yeah so I think like it's just like years worth of Revenge that these players need to give back and I'm hoping that the humbling in the midweek is further fuel for fire to go and take the British version of Porto out nice one all right well fingers crossed to your right and uh yeah thanks guys for tuning in uh obviously if you're watching this live please drop the stream a like and hit the Subscribe button so you catch more of our content uh and if you're listening on podcast please give us a review because the algorithms changed and that helps us a lot but we'll be back together uh next week to do the review of this game at some point we'll obviously be sat together on Saturday so um yeah we'll try to get some photos and stuff but yeah yeah let's get some tweets up for everyone um yeah Saturday is just about just bounce back and I know we're talking about how we want to see the performance but I think it's just get the result on Saturday put Wednesday stay behind us and we go again thanks everyone up the Arsenal come on you [Music] gunners