A League Cup clash vs Bolton Wanderers is the perfect time for Leandro Trossard to serve a suspension. He might not have even featured anyway! Trossard was sent off, just before halftime, of Arsenal’s exciting 2-2 draw at Manchester City on Sunday. After Trossard received his marching orders, the Gunners were down to just 10 men, and yet they still salvaged a point from the trip to Etihad.
They came dangerously close to getting their first win at City, during the Guardiola era.
Arsenal vs Bolton Wanderers FC FYIs
Kickoff: Wed. Sept. 25, Emirates Stadium, London, UK, 7:45pm
Competition: EFL Cup 3rd Round
Arsenal Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Now Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta can do some squad rotation here against Bolton. A first start in a Gunners shirt for Raheem Sterling? Hey, why not! First team assignments for Myles Lews-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri and Salah Ouland M’Hand? Sure! To paraphrase Oprah, “you get a starting gig! You get a starting job! You get a first team selection!”
Do we throw Ayden Heaven in there too? Maybe!
Or maybe not because you need some veteran first choice defensive presence in front of goal for this one.
Why? As we covered in the last post, a crisis situation has forced Arteta to give his fourth string goalie, a 16-year-old kid, his debut for this one.
So he could use some extra support.
Arsenal FC Starting XI Prediction vs Bolton Wanderers (Carabao Cup)
Jack Porter; Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes Jakub Kiwior, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Jorginho, Ethan Nwaneri, Salah Oulad M’Hand; Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.