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Arsenal v West Brom Preview: Squad News, My Team & Prediction

By on September 25, 2013

Arsenal take on West Brom at the Hawthorns in the third round of the Capital One Cup tonight.

We currently sit top of the Premier League table after five games so you’d be forgiven for thinking the League Cup should be well down our list of priorities this season.

While it’s easily the least important competition for us, a team that hasn’t won anything since 2005 is hardly in a position to be too selective so we should still be looking upon this Cup as an opportunity to end our much talked about trophy drought.

Last year we crashed out to Bradford City on penalties in the quarter finals so I’m sure the players will be keen to make up for that embarrassing defeat this season.

The problem Arsene Wenger is facing tonight is that our small squad has been decimated by injuries, forcing him to play a weaker front line than he would probably have hoped.

Squad News

Theo Walcott is the latest player to be ruled out and he joins Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lukas Podolski, Tomas Rosicky, Santi Cazorla, Yaya Sanogo and Abou Diaby on the sidelines.

That’s quite an injury list and with that sort of talent unavailable, and vital league and Champions League games on the horizon, Wenger had been left with no choice but to rest our key men tonight. You can see a full list of our 18-man squad here.

The squad still boasts some experienced heads with the like of Thomas Vermaelen, Nacho Monreal, Per Mertesacker, Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta all expected to start.

Nicklas Bendtner is in line to make his first start for the club in over two years but it’s the attacking midfield positions that will be filled with youth prospects. Serge Gnabry and Ryo Miyaichi are likely to start and while Ju-Young Park is in the traveling party, I’d like to see Thomas Eisfeld be given a chance to impress.

The likes of Chuba Akpom, Hector Bellerin, Isaac Hayden, Alex Iwobi and Kristoffer Olsson are also in the squad but they will most likely make up the bench tonight.

My Team

So here’s the team I’d like to see picked.

Prediction

The back seven are solid and if the front four click, we will cause them problems. Gnabry and Miyaichi have pace that can hurt West Brom and Bendtner has the ability to score goals. I’m backing the boys to come through this one, just. WBA 1-2 Arsenal.

What do you think of tonight’s game? Do you think the squad is strong enough to win?

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