Those available edited to remove Krul: GK: Gunn, McGovern RB: Aarons, Byram, Mumba, LB: Giannoulis, Williams CB: Gibson, Kabak DM Sørensen, (Byram), (Gilmour) CM: Rupp? Gilmour, Lees-Melou, McLean WR: Cantwell, Dowell, (Sargent) WL: Tzolis, Placheta S: Pukki, Idah, Sargent Who's next?
He has been a doubt along with PLM and Sargent but all are now available I believe but I've added a question mark for him just in case. There's always a chance of a positive covid test intervening though. This was DS quoted from yesterday: “We have to have a PCR test within 48 hours of a game and that’s our last point to find out who is going to be missing and who’s going to be available. So we’ll train today and tomorrow morning and see what we’ve got.”
MATCH FACTS Head-to-head Norwich City have won only one of the past 21 meetings in all competitions. Arsenal could do the Premier League double over the Canaries for only the third time. Norwich City Norwich were unbeaten in all four Premier League games in November but have lost their three fixtures in December without scoring. They have the worst Boxing Day record of any side in the Premier League, drawing one, losing six and scoring just once in those seven matches. The Canaries have failed to score in a Premier League-high 11 games this season. Only three teams bottom of the Premier League table on Christmas Day have avoided relegation. Dean Smith has won his Boxing Day league match in the past four consecutive seasons. Arsenal Arsenal are in the Premier League top four on Christmas Day for the first time since 2016. They were 15th this time last season. The Gunners have lost just two of their 23 Premier League games on Boxing Day (W14, D7). Fifty-two percent of their Premier League goals this season have been scored by players aged 21 or under. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored in both of his Boxing Day Premier League appearances. Aubameyang has never failed to score against Norwich in the Premier League, totalling five goals in three meetings. This game is two years to the day since Mikel Arteta's first match in charge at Arsenal - a 1-1 Premier League draw at Bournemouth.
The Archant crew's predicted lineup is better than expected: I tend to agree, except that Gibson will be on the left side. Subs: McGovern, Byram, Giannoulis, Tomkinson, Rupp, Lees-Melou, Tzolis, Cantwell, Idah https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/canaries-ncfc-predicted-xi-arsenal-premier-league-8586932
https://mygoaltv.xyz/live/8810189939412 Usually a good stream available http://www.hesgoal.com/leagues/11/Football_News
I like to see players getting their opportunity if Gunn & Sorensen start I'm sure they'll do themselves proud
Seasonal good wishes to you all. If Rupp is fit, I'd rather he started than McLean. Arsenal aren't a particularly physical side; you need nous when playing them and Rupp has it.
So Sargent gets yet another start ahead of Tzolis. How many times has Sargent started now this season? 12? 'He needs more time' - how much time do we give him while ignoring a player who has a lot more skill (although that is hardly a high bar, is it?) I can only assume Tzolis and Sorensen are utterly crap in training because they get zero time in games, despite Sargent's never-ending list of Buster Keaton bloops and McLean's total mediocrity. If Sargent and McLean are the best we have, we may as well just give up now.
The graphic that I had seen, didn’t list Sorensen amongst the subs so I assumed he had covid, strange that he has dropped out. Perhaps there is an element of saving him for the Palace game?
Or maybe we're saving him for the 2027-28 season, by which time Sargent will have played 487 games but still needs more time.
The lineup makes more sense with Dowell playing behind Pukki to provide more attacking threat. Placheta has improved under Smith and he and Sargent have shown good tracking back ability but it seems a bit thin in midfield, though Dowell may be able to drop back to help when they have the ball. Our best chance of point(s) lies in us scoring and this is a more attacking lineup. Also, Tzolis is lacking match fitness after his time out with covid quarantine but he could come on as an impact sub, as could Cantwell.
