The Arsenal players who would get into this Newcastle United team | OneFootball

Which Arsenal players would get into this Newcastle United team?

A great question to ponder ahead of tonight’s match.

The game at the Emirates, Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, two clubs hoping for a return to a Wembley cup final.

Arsenal last reaching a Wembley final almost five years ago, back in August 2020, the Covid delayed FA Cup final.

Newcastle United less than two years ago, February 2023 and the League Cup final.

So who will be best equipped tonight?

Which Arsenal players would get into the Newcastle United team?

As a starting point…

Newcastle United starting eleven in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Spurs:

Dubravka, Livramento, Botman, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Bruno, Joelinton, Murphy, Isak, Gordon

Arsenal starting eleven in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Brighton:

Raya, Partey, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Jorginho, Merino, Nwaneri, Jesus, Trossard

Of those who could/would have potentially started tonight, Newcastle United have Pope, Schar and Bruno (as well as Krafth, Lascelles and Wilson) unavailable. A late fitness check on Botman.

Whilst for Arsenal, they will have first teamers Saka and Price unavailable (as well as Nwaneri, Tomiyasu and Sterling). Late fitness check on Havertz, whilst Odegaard was a sub on Saturday after illness but is expected to be competing for a starting place tonight.

Not very long ago, if you asked any neutral which Arsenal players would get into the Newcastle United team, I think the vast majority would have instantly answered ‘all of them’!

However, things have changed.

Of the Arsenal players and Newcastle players seemingly set to be available tonight, this would be my best eleven from the two available squads combined:

Raya, Livramento, Saliba, Gabriel, Hall, Tonali, Rice, Joelinton, Gordon, Isak, Murphy

A quick count up finds seven Newcastle United players and only four Arsenal players.

I’m not sure what I would have done if the likes of Bruno and Pope had also been available…

Of those available tonight, I think Raya and the two Arsenal central defenders are the only easy decisions from their matchday squad.

Either Willock or Longstaff look set to replace Bruno, so Rice then I suppose has to also be an easyish pick as well.

After that though?

Price would probably be the right-back if fit, just edging out Livramento. However, Hall is a sure thing on the left, ahead of any Arsenal options, fit or not.

Isak v Jesus? No competition.

Gordon v Trossard or Martinelli? No competition.

As for Tonali and Joelinton? They are in great form and for sure I’d have them ahead of Merino and 33 year old Jorginho.

Odegaard was a Premier League goals and assists machine, 15 and 7 in 2022/23, 8 and 10 in 2023/24. However, injury, illness and form, have seen him only manage one goal and two assists in 12 Premier League starts and one PL sub appearance this season.

Clearly not the player he was, unless he has a serious bounce back.

No doubt plenty of neutrals will laugh at the Jacob Murphy selection.

However, there is no Saka and his likely replacements Sterling and Nwaneri are both injured as well. Plus, Murphy has been outstanding recently, turning himself into a goals and assists machine. Saka would have got ahead of him but the other two?

Obviously I am using recent form as a major factor towards this combined team, after all, why wouldn’t you?

Newcastle United in their last six competitive games have won all of them, scoring 18 goals and conceding only two, keeping four clean sheets.

For Arsenal in their last six Premier League matches, they beat local rivals Palace and Brentford, but in the four other recent PL games, they failed to beat Everton, Palace and Fulham, only scoring three goals in the four games – with the other one of the four games a struggle to win 1-0 at home to Ipswich.

Their last two home matches, 0-0 against Everton and the 1-0 v Ipswich.