So injuries permitting who would you start with. We have to bring back Gaston but for who? Who plays at the back if Clyne is fit?
Same team as today but Clyne in at right back and Yoshida LCB (Hoovield to the bench). Why do we have to bring back Gaston? If we bring back Gaston then we probably have to drop Rodriguez/Puncheon which is harsh. If we play Ramirez I'd put him on the right instead of Puncheon. Whatever we do we mustn't play him on the left!
Right, team for Arsenal: Boruc; Clyne/Richardson, Fonte, Yoshida, Shaw; Cork, Schneiderlin; Puncheon, Gaston, Rodriguez; Lambert. Would like to put Guly in there, but don't think Rodriguez or Puncheon deserve to be dropped based on the Stoke game.
Adkins just said Clyne hyper-extended his knee at Craven Cottage. Was touch and go for today, but had to sit out. Same again for Arsenal, touch and go.
I'd play a counter-attacking game, myself. Lambert just ahead of Gaston, Guly right and Rodriguez left. If Clyne isn't fit, play Richardson. Puncheon needs a rest I think, but he could make an impact off the bench if needed.
Richardson it is then! Don't want to see Hoovield playing against Arsenal again! Turning on a sixpence is certainly not his forte!
One of the most difficult line-ups to call in recent months as neither Rodriguez nor Guly deserve to be dropped to the bench but equally I think that Gastón will be absolutely raring against Arsenal. Personally I would drop Puncheon to the bench, he's been looking knackered in recent weeks and could provide a real threat coming on as a sub. I'd play Guly on the right and Gastón on the left (yes, I know that's not his best position) - keeping Sir Rickie and Jay Rod up front. Defensively I'd bring back Clyne if fit dropping Hooiveld back to the bench and moving Yoshida back to CB, if not Richardson at RB for me - his crosses from the right will give us a real chance against the Arsenal back four.
I'd start either Guly or Mayuka over Puncheon, as well. Partly to give him a rest, and partly because he hasn't been terribly impressive of late...Punch seems to be at his best when he has a chip on his shoulder, and leaving him out of the starting lineup might get the fire burning.
Puncheon unlucky but for me I'd ride the form horses and Gaston would come in for him and give him a welcome rest. I'd also bring Richardson and Clyne in and give Shaw a rest, with Maya obviously reverting to CB. I'd also say that one of our central midfield dynamos could do with a rest but they seem inhumanly fit so maybe not. I'd probably play the exact same formation but just slot Ramirez in on the right to start off with but obviously we'd have the flexibility for adjustments.
