Getty Images.

Morning all.

Mikel Arteta didn’t really spring any surprises with his team selection last night.

  • Setford, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Merino, Nwaneri, Sterling, Martinelli, Jesus.
  • Subs: Raya, Nichols, Lewis-Skelly, Heaven, Partey, Rice, Trossard, Saka, Havertz.

I’m sure many of us would have liked to see Myles Lewis-Skelly start at left back but Oleksandr Zinchenko needed minutes. Timber had another run out which will have helped his fitness levels and in my opinion, it was the same for Bukayo Saka when he came on during the second half. I think the surprise for me was Thomas Partey coming off the bench when perhaps Josh Nichols could have, only because Partey’s body has been frail in recent years. Ayden Heaven was the last youngster to be given time on the pitch, other that Tommy Setford who made his Arsenal debut.

Mikel Arteta in his post match interview:

On the half-time subs of Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino…

That was planned. We have a lot of issues in the backline, we wanted to share the minutes because we lost Gabi, we lost Ben [White] as well on top of the other players so we have to make sure that we wanted to be competitive and we have to make sure as well that we protect players because we have a lot of games coming up now.

On Saka getting minutes…

Yes because one, he’s in the rhythm, he prefers to have that exposure, he travelled with us so he always says that once I’m here I prefer to play a few minutes as well to protect Gabi [Martinelli] as well because he had a very big impact in the first half so it worked out well.

Anyway, Arsenal made short work of Preston North End last night. 3-0 could so easily been 6-0 and Preston would have no justifiable reason to complain. I didn’t like the challenge on Gabriel Martinelli or Kai Havertz at all. Both were dangerous and on another day, either or both players could have been badly injured.

I read a line in one of the newspapers about Ethan Nwaneri and how football fans need to “remember the name” – well, if they’d have opened their eyes long ago, they’d have been writing such a thing a year or two ago at least. His goal was stunning, taken on his left foot in a similar fashion to the way Bukayo Saka does so often although the younger of the two fired his high and into the top corner. He nearly doubled his tally later in the game but whoever painted the woodwork put one too many layers of paint on the crossbar.

Our opening goal came from Gabriel Jesus and he deserved it. He needed it too. A free kick from the left, a knock down header from Jakub Kiwior and a nice volleyed finish from our number 9. Our final goal of the game came from Kai Havertz. The original cross had been delivered from Nwaneri but Jesus couldn’t get on the end of it, Kiwior then crossed again and this time Havertz got to the ball first and is head did the rest. The Preston keeper had no chance.

Other scoring opportunities came our way throughout the game but we had to settle for the 3. I think Sterling could have stayed out there until midnight and still wouldn’t have scored. That’s not a criticism of him but everything he hit was either blocked or saved.

What a special goal for them [the supporters] because we had 6,000 people here. It’s just incredible. Their commitment, their passion to come and support the team, it really made a difference so thank you so much to them. Mikel Arteta.

“Ethan Nwaneri, he’s one of our own” was all I could hear throughout the game. Brilliant! I don’t think it’ll be long before his name is one of the first on the team sheet.

The draw for the quarter-finals took place just after Man City had been knocked out by Totts.

Arsenal v Crystal Palace
Newcastle v Brentford
Southampton v Liverpool
Totts v Man Utd

Fixtures to be played week commencing December 16th.

Man City had a tough old night apparently as already without Kyle Walker, Rodri, Oscar Bobb, Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish in their match, Manuel Akanji was withdrawn ahead of kick-off after picking up an injury and in the second half, Savinho left the pitch on a stretcher. They go to Anfield on Sunday.

We however, face Newcastle Utd at St James Park on Saturday at 12.30 with William Saliba back after serving his one match suspension and both Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka fitter than they were last weekend and a number of other players having had a night off.

Catch up in the comments.

 

 

 

 

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