Arsenal line ups vs Liverpool Smith Rowe starts, Zinchenko makes it and Ramsdale decision made
Mikel Arteta faces a tricky balancing act in Arsenal's FA Cup third round clash with Liverpool. The Gunners have looked like a team who could do with a rest in defeats to West Ham and Fulham over the festive period. A cup competition should, in theory, provide the chance for that.
At the same time though, Arteta won't want to lose three matches in a row. For Arsenal, such a run is undoubtedly a crisis. Playing a heavily rotated team against a side as good as Liverpool runs that risk. The confidence implications beyond that could be severe as well.
There is probably a happy medium between the two schools of though, but finding that will be tough. Luckily for Arteta, football.london 's Arsenal writers Kaya Kaynak and Tom Canton are on hand to help out with their team selections.
Arsenal need to change things up for this game against Liverpool and with it being an escape from the pressures of the Premier League I am making some risky but exciting calls. The likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus are not cutting it with their form.
With that in mind, I’ve wanted to bring some more control to the side in the midfield but not lose the variation that the likes of Kai Havertz brings to the team. The German therefore, like he did in the Community Shield leads the line.
Alongside him with Bukayo Saka is Emile Smith Rowe on the left hand side, returning to the role which elevated him to the level where he earned the No.10 shirt. Martinelli needs some time to impact games from the bench and I would like to put the minutes into a player with a big incentive to perform like the England international does.
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