Arsenal predicted lineup vs Newcastle: Odegaard in 4-2-3-1?

Arsenal host Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday in what is the beginning of a period where the Gunners will play ten matches in 35 days. Here is the predicted lineup.

There is nothing quite like the Premier League’s winter schedule. It’s unrivalled. Games come thick and fast, there is heavy rotation and without any shadow of the doubt are there unwanted injuries to key players and surprise results.

Newcastle leaving north London with points would constitute the latter. Still without a win in their 12 league outings, Mikel Arteta will know he has a real chance of banishing some Anfield demons with a comfortable victory.

Who he feels are the right 11 players to do so is what is interesting. Without any fresh injuries from the 4-0 drubbing against Liverpool, the decisions he makes will come down to what he believes is the solution to his side being more threatening in front of goal.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Newcastle: Martin Odegaard to return to the team in a 4-2-3-1 system with Nuno Tavares keeping his place?

After all, the winless Magpies at the bottom of the table have scored more goals than fifth place Arsenal this season. That is not right.

Hoping to start setting that right, there are three areas of his team that could be in for some shuffling: the Lacazette experiment may be shelved for a day, Nuno Tavares might come out of the team and midfield might see a change around to compensate for the volume of matches to come.

Manchester United at Old Trafford five days later won’t mean there needs to be players rested after a week without playing, but Arteta may see this is an opportunity to play some other members of his squad before the games come every three or so days.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Martin Odegaard are two vying for minutes, while Thomas Partey was clearly not up to full fitness in the Merseyside humbling. Then again, there is no European football for Arsenal.

It’s full steam ahead in the Premier League, right?

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Aaron Ramsdale (GK) – The only player who could really leave Anfield feeling as if he did his job was the guy who conceded four goals. Even so, he’s the first to admit he wasn’t at his best.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (RB) – One of many players who had contrasting halves against Liverpool, there is no way on planet earth one of the other right-backs takes over this place. Might see Cedric against Everton, though.

Benjamin White (CB) – Defended stoutly for 45 minutes in Liverpool then fell apart like the rest. Has one Allan Saint-Maximin to deal with on Saturday.

Gabriel (CB) – Pretty much exactly the same as his centre-back partner, Gabriel has a very different task ahead of him with Callum Wilson who offers a physical threat.

Nuno Tavares (LB) – What will the manager do? Given the tough away fixtures coming up, he might just hand Nuno a chance to respond to his second half last week and then hand he reins back over to Tierney after that.

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