Arsenal vs Cologne preview with starting line-up and predicted score!
Today we’ve finally got an Arsenal game on our hands. What makes this more special than a usual preseason game are:
- We will finally have the opportunity to see our 3 new signings (Giroud, Podolski and Cazorla) in an Arsenal shirt and that can only bring excitement.
- It will also show RVP’s stance on the club depending on how he approaches the game today. If he starts will the captain’s armband, it’s almost a forgone conclusion that he will stay with Arsenal. If he is substituted on, it’s a clever ploy by Wenger to make sure that the captaincy isn’t talked about too much by the fans. I personally feel that Van Persie shouldn’t wear the armband again. However, I completely understand why the club remain adamant on that stance. He’s a great leader, he’s passionate and he’s our best player. It also strengthens our position on keeping him. Generally, you’d never give the captain’s armband to a player likely to leave the club unless you’re confident that he’ll stay.
This will obviously be a great chance to build up the match fitness of players like Mertesacker and Koscielny who’ve been away for the Euros. It will also give future stars like Serge Gnarby the chance to experience what being a star footballer feels like. It would also be great for him to get a run around and hopefully exhibits why he’s considered the biggest star from our academy since Cesc.
Here is the starting line-up I’d like to see:
Szczesny
Coquelin Koscielny Vermaelan Gibbs
Song Arteta
Walcott Cazorla Gervinho
Van Persie
Coquelin Koscielny Vermaelan Gibbs
Song Arteta
Walcott Cazorla Gervinho
Van Persie
This isn’t the first team line-up that I expect to see at the start of the season but it’s pretty close. It will be important to reinstate that Koscielny – Vermaelan partnership which seem favoured by Wenger during last season.
The Song and Arteta partnership was vital in my opinion last season. It will be important for them to familiarise themselves with each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
The front 4 is where the fun begins. I want Cazorla to start as we don’t really have any other attacking midfielders. Hopefully, RVP and Cazorla will get a partnership together and start playing on the same wavelength. That could be vital when RVP finally makes his decision on what to do.
Finally, the key substitutions should be: Mertesacker on for Koscielny, Podolski on for Gervinho, Chamberlain on for Cazorla, Diaby on for Song, Giroud on for Van Persie.
Finally, the key substitutions should be: Mertesacker on for Koscielny, Podolski on for Gervinho, Chamberlain on for Cazorla, Diaby on for Song, Giroud on for Van Persie.
Prediction: 3-0
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