[baggiejohn]

Still not good, tried to buy a friends & family ticket & it froze during payment process. I'll try again later.

[beechyboy90]

What is everybodys team for this? I hate surrendering the cup and having seen how bad arsenal have been think we could beat them. Furlong throws could bring back all their stoke nightmares...

However i think certain players might get minutes;

                        Gk
              Kipre Ajayi oshea
Phillips/Furlong snodgrass mowatt Reach/Townsend
      Robinson grant Diangana

Want to see snodgrass get minutes. Clarke will be out. Townsend got bang on head as is maybe he will be rested. Maybe phillips should play and we can protect furlong? Should castro get minutes?

[TheJacko2000]

I'd like us to go strong with the international break coming up in a couple of weeks.

Snodgrass into the front 3, Castro for Livermore, reshuffle the centre backs. No more than that.

I think we may change 8 or 9 though with game time for the 2 youth wingbacks, Reach, Tulloch, Kipre and Ajayi as well as the aforementioned Snodgrass and Castro.

[chipperclark]

  This team should be good enough to beat the Arsenal.

                                      PALMER
                        INGRAM   O'SHEA.     AJAYI  REACH
                    SNODGRASS CASTRO PHILLIPS GRANT
                               ROBINSON TULLOCH

 Subs BARTLEY,BUTTON,DIANGANA,ZOHORE,KIPRE.

[Hull Baggie]

Arsenal look really poor and, from comments made after the loss to Brentford, they look susceptible from corners and long throws.
I'd be tempted to go with a strong side, and make maybe only 3 or 4 changes, although I suspect Ismael will make more than that.

                                                           Button

                               Ajayi                          Bartley                 O'Shea

                    Furlong                    Castro                   Snodgrass                      Reach

                                     Diangana              Robinson                 Grant

   Subs: Palmer, Kipre, Ingram, Livermore, Mowatt, Zohore, Tulloch.         

[Blowee]

It will be interesting to see the Arsenal line up too. They have a number of big players who haven’t yet featured through illness/injury who may get their first run out. I think they may take it more seriously having lost their first two league matches. It’s a good chance for them to get their season up and running. Would ideally like to see if our squad players are up to the task.

[wodenson46]

SJ

AJAYI  KIPRE  O'SHEA

INGRAM  SNODGRASS  CASTRO  REACH

DIANGANA  TULLOCH  GRANT

Subs Button, Bartley, Furlong, Mowatt, Phillips, Livermore, Robinson, Townsend.

Game time for SJ, getting used to new responsibilities, and Snodgrass recovery regime. Have a look at Castro, Ingram, Kipre and Tulloch, with enough on the bench to cover.

Rest and protect Mowatt and Furlong and Bartley. (Maybe include Furlong on bench just to come on late and take some long throw ins unless any of the others can do it?

Beat the Arsendanal.

Simples.

[gazberg]

I'd go with Wodenson said but change Ingram out for Gardner-Hickman. He seems a bit further along to me.

[Albionic]

This is the ideal opportunity for the last throw of the Zohore dice IMO.

[Hull Baggie]

It will be interesting to see the Arsenal line up too. They have a number of big players who haven’t yet featured through illness/injury who may get their first run out. I think they may take it more seriously having lost their first two league matches. It’s a good chance for them to get their season up and running. Would ideally like to see if our squad players are up to the task.

They do have Man City up next in the league, so may not want to risk any injuries to their big players that have yet to feature.

It's a difficult decision for Arteta, play a weakened side and risk going out and the fans meltdown that will entail or play a strong side and risk injuries to big players that could leave them out for important PL games.
 The PL is the most important thing to Arsenal and their fans and Arteta needs them to finish in the European places to keep his job (IMO).

[Hull Baggie]

Referee: David Webb
Assistant Referee: Andrew Fox
Assistant Referee: Mark Pottage
Fourth Official: Sam Allison

[TheJacko2000]

This is the ideal opportunity for the last throw of the Zohore dice IMO.

I can think of more entertaining ways to throw the game mate. 

[baggiejohn]

There's still loads of gaps in East Stand & Brummie, can't see more than 15,000 as things stand.

[wodenson46]

This is the ideal opportunity for the last throw of the Zohore dice IMO.

Think that's a bit optimistic mate. KZ is nothing but a complete last resort, only after you or I are forced to withdraw from consideration.

[wodenson46]

I'd go with Wodenson said but change Ingram out for Gardner-Hickman. He seems a bit further along to me.

I certainly wouldn't argue on that point. I opted for Ingram because it was shorter to write than Gardner-Hickman.   Agree that G-H is probably the more advanced of the two, though not a lot in it I think, Happy enough to see either given a go in this one.

[wodenson46]

Has he got any history with us? Something drifting around at the edge of my memories- May well be somebody else though. Expect the usual 'big club' bias to rear its ugly head and us to have to score five to win 2-1.

[mulliganstired]

Can't see either of Livermore or Mowatt playing, they need a week off and no more yellows!

[gazberg]

Can't see either of Livermore or Mowatt playing, they need a week off and no more yellows!

Yep rest as many of the first team as we can and give the younger lads a good run out

[johnny Cash]

Think we will make changes and think we could get battered. Hope I’m wrong but I think Arteta will go strong, he can’t afford an upset. We’ve got more important things to concentrate on so I think it’s a bad combination.

[wbarenno]

Johnstone

Ajayi
Kipre
Oshea

Castro
Snodgrass
Furlong
Reach

Diangana
Robinson
Grant

[mikehy]

We do not need a cup run
Palmer
Kippre
Taylor
Shotton
Gardner Hickman
Castro
Snodgrass
Reach
Diangana
Zohore
Tulloch

[Hull Baggie]

Think we will make changes and think we could get battered. Hope I’m wrong but I think Arteta will go strong, he can’t afford an upset. We’ve got more important things to concentrate on so I think it’s a bad combination.

He also can't afford injuries to important players, as I inferred in my earlier post he's caught between a rock and a hard place. If he plays a strong team he risks injuries to those big players that he needs for the PL, if he plays a weakened side he risks going out and a bit of a fan meltdown (although I suspect that Arsenal fans don't think of the league cup as important as it only means a place in the Europa Conference league for the winners, although the silverware might be welcomed by some).

He needs his best players fit for the Premier league, especially as they have Man City up next. What would be more important to an Arsenal fan; beating West Brom in a potentially meaningless Cup or beating Man City in the PL?

I think he'll play a weakened side with some names on the bench and maybe one or two in the starting line up.

I'd like us to play a strong side and get through to the next round.

[Hull Baggie]

Has he got any history with us? Something drifting around at the edge of my memories- May well be somebody else though. Expect the usual 'big club' bias to rear its ugly head and us to have to score five to win 2-1.

he's not a Select group 1 ref so never refs in the PL (doesn't mean he won't have bias though).

He's reffed us a few times in Championship, and we've never lost! we beat Bolton and Blues in 2018/19. In 2019/20 we drew with Millwall and fulham, beat Sheff Wed and also beat Charlton in the Cup.

[SmethDan]

....What would be more important to an Arsenal fan; beating West Brom in a potentially meaningless Cup or beating Man City in the PL?........

From an Arsenal supporter's perspective I imagine any win in any competition would be welcomed with open arms right now. From my perspective it would be hilarious were they to lose against both of us though, the vein popping venting of spleens on Arsenal TV and Twitter would be epic  .

[Norfolk Baggie]

This is the ideal opportunity for the last throw of the Zohore dice IMO.

Nope that dice has been rolled against Luton for me.  I have more patience than most.  Time to write him off and cut our losses.