Arsenal predicted lineup vs Leeds: 4-3-3 with Martinelli?

The football comes thick and fast for Arsenal as they prepare for their third match in eight days with Leeds United heading to the Emirates for Tuesday’s EFL Cup round of 16 clash. Here is the predicted lineup.

How to describe the build up to this one? ‘Interesting’, seems fitting, as Mikel Arteta’s selections have to find a neat balance between competitiveness and rotation: some players might struggle to handle the quantity of games having barely played while others need the minutes they’ve been lacking, like Gabriel Martinelli.

After arguably putting in the best performance of the season at home to Aston Villa, the visit of Leeds will offer a new challenge against a side who’ll play different brand of football.

But what about continuity? There is a fine line to be drawn on wanting to maintain momentum and keep the bones of a winning team together, as well as handing out starts to those in the squad who of little use to Arteta if their legs aren’t kept fresh.

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Arsenal predicted lineup vs Leeds: Will Arteta go 4-3-3 to match Leeds’ shape and will Gabriel Martinelli play in this EFL Cup tie?

A lack of playing time can be just as damaging as too much playing time.

In terms of injuries it looks as though the only absentees for Tuesday will be the long-term injured Granit Xhaka, and Kieran Tierney, whose bruised ankle may keep him out until Leicester come next in the Premier League.

Names like Eddie Nketiah, Rob Holding and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are in line to feature, just as Pablo Mari and Mohamed Elneny are, although the latter two could be the victims of the manager trying to find the symmetry between competitiveness and rotation.

It’s set to be another all-action night under the floodlights with Marcelo Bielsa’s injury hit Leeds knowing one and only one way to play, therefore all signs point towards a good few goals that hopefully end up in the right net.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Bernd Leno (GK) – These are the matches Leno will have this season to convince clubs around Europe that he’s a keeper worth snapping up, even if there should always be a market for him. On Tuesday his kicking against a high pressing Leeds will be under the microscope.

Cedric Soares (RB) – Calum Chambers hasn’t made a matchday squad for the best part of a month now and given it was Cedric who started the previous EFL Cup outing, there is little reason to see that change here.

Rob Holding (CB) – The third choice centre-back will come in with Benjamin White set for the night off and fans may have to rein in their expectations of a box-to-box carry to split straight through the opposition. Will be odd seeing someone who isn’t White at right centre-half.

Gabriel (CB) – This is where the line between competitiveness and rotation might come into play. Arsenal will need a central defender cool under pressure who can feed the midfielders, and while Mari can do that, he has been unavoidably hopeless this season.

Nuno Tavares (LB) – There is scope for Maitland-Niles to come in here, but Tavares is young, athletic and raw. He is someone who will need the minutes and in a high intensity match it would be helpful to be able to call upon, y’know, high intensity players.

Continued…