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Arsenal predicted lineup vs Newcastle: Martinelli as striker?

By Ross Kennerley

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 26: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on December 26, 2020 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 26: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on December 26, 2020 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Granit Xhaka
CASTELLON, SPAIN – APRIL 29: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League match between Villarreal v Arsenal at the Estadio de la Ceramica on April 29, 2021 in Castellon Spain (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images) /

Midfielders

Thomas Partey (CM) – Is there scope to give him a rest and field Dani Ceballos in his stead? There certainly is (in Arteta’s mind, anyway) yet getting Partey and Xhaka together to reform their bond with an eye on fielding the same pairing on Thursday would make sense.

Partey is still way off where everyone expected him to be but his better performances this season have been in a double pivot with Xhaka to his side.

Granit Xhaka (CM) – Speaking of the devil.

Arsenal barely won a single duel on Thursday with the immobile and frail Ceballos in midfield, and it has to be time to return the Swiss to the engine room. Someone who is releasing the ball quicker in the second half of the season and brings brawn alongside Partey’s brain, it’s time to go back to normal, as it were.

Martin Odegaard (AM) – Some seriously undeserved criticism was directed the Norwegian’s way after his display in Spain, this being someone who’d barely featured since the Liverpool defeat and was way off in his fitness. Totally unjustified when the whole forward line looked lost without a recognised centre-forward on the pitch.

Odegaard will return given he was subbed off earlier in midweek.

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