Strange one…

Two sides who are, in their own ways, ‘off colour’ find themselves head-to-head in the quarter final of the League Cup.

Sounds like another recipe for uncertainty with regards to how it’ll ‘play out’…

Quick word on last Saturday’s game

Much better, in general, especially in the second half; where I thought we looked much more assured.

Still some sloppy passing AND still hesitating / faltering in front of goal – I thought our hosts could / should have had a couple but I thought we should have had another 3. A 1-4 or 2-4 result wouldn’t have been a scoreline to-have misrepresented the game.

I think special mention has to go to the whole back-4 and, further up the pitch, Bernardo Silva.

I think, though, there was room for at least a cameo from Phil Foden towards the end without upsetting the balance of the side, which might have given us that extra goal cushion. He must be one frustrated, young-England footballer at the moment…

v Arsenal

Emirates Stadium

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game: 7/11).

Fluid 4-1-4-1 / 4-5-1 / 4-6-0 / 4-3-3:

______________________________________________

____________________Sterling____________________

Torres___________________________________Mahrez

 

____________Foden___________De Bruyne_________

 

__________________Fernandinho__________________

Mendy__________________________________Cancelo

 

_____________Stones__________Dias______________

 

 

_____________________Steffen____________________

Subs: Ederson, Walker, Ake, Laporte, Gundogan, Silva, Aguero.

Zack likely to ‘step in’ for this competition ‘between the sticks’.

Benjamin to come in at left-wing back; John & Ruben to continue their partnership in the middle of the defence, I would guess, and Joao to ‘go again’ also; this time in the right-wing back role.

Fernandinho to be our one & only defensive midfielder? That’s what I’m going for.

An attacking 4, then, of Ferran on the left; Phil SURELY to ‘get at go’ in the middle alongside Kevin with Riyad on the right.

Raheem, I think, might get a more-central / roaming job tomorrow night.

Ederson takes a step back as reserve keeper; Kyle, Nathan & Aymeric are the defensive replacement choices from the side. Ilkay, Bernardo & Sergio are the midfield / attacking options in ‘the 7’.

Notable absences:

-       Eric Garcia – Injured for another week to 10 days.

-       Oleksandr Zinchenko – Not selected.

-       Rodri – Not selected / rested.

-       Gabriel Jesus – Injured? Being assessed, apparently, on a jaw / tooth issue. Might make the match-day squad…dunno.

Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?

Yeah, looks alright to me. I'd choose Silva over Mahrez on the right but, then again, I'd prefer to see Bernardo used in the league for the moment at least.

Result? A side struggling to score but also struggling to win verses a side struggling to score but finding more-positive results and something more like their ‘true selves’. Going off that premise it’ll be close, I’m quite sure of it, but I think it’ll be us who’ll progress into the semi-finals.

Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result…

Prediction: N/A

Result: N/A

Expected weather conditions during the game: Very mild for a night-time KO at the back-end of December at 11C…but that’s where the good news ends for the players and key-stadium workers. On an already damp pitch following a fairly dull ‘n’ wet Tuesday; wet stuff falls throughout the match, albeit not heavy. Just a light, southerly breeze, which shouldn’t be felt in the high-sided, enclosed stadium.