Arsenal takes on Norwich City in a Boxing Day fixture that must have fans of the North London club licking their lips. Arsenal has done a full 180 from their early season form, and they now finds themselves as one of the more in-form teams in the league heading into this clash. This is despite the controversy surrounding former captain and talisman Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.
As discussed in this week’s episode of ‘After Extra Time’, Mikel Arteta has amassed one of the most impressive batches of young players in all of world football. That youthful exuberance seems to have propelled the Gunners to the upper echelon of the Premier League table and now turned them into genuine contenders for the UEFA Champions League qualification places.
Norwich City vs Arsenal FC FYIs:
Kick-off time: 3 PM GMT, 26th December 2021
Arsenal Team News: go here
Premier League Preview Podcast: go here
Form Guide (All Competitions): Norwich City (DDLLL) Arsenal FC (LWWWW)
Let’s see how many young guns will line up for Arsenal, as they head to Norfolk to take on the Canaries this Boxing Day.
England’s number one-elect, Aaron Ramsdale, will start in goal. He got a rest in the League Cup, with German Bernd Leno getting the start instead, but expect Ramsdale to be straight back into the side for this league match.
Ben White and Gabriel will start as the center-back pairing. I’ve said this a lot in these articles, but watching these two develop into a formidable center-half pairing has been a joy this season.
Portuguese right-back Cedric Soares could get a rare Premier League start. Japanese international Takehiro Tomiyasu is considered a 50/50 chance to return to the starting lineup here.
Scottish left-back Kieran Tierney looks like the preferred option over Nuno Tavares at the moment, so I expect him to start as well. Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey will form the base in the center of the midfield. Norwegian Martin Odegaard will play a more central attacking role from midfield. He has definitely come into his own the past couple of months.
It seems Arteta has a world-class player on his hands.
Alexandre Lacazette will play in the traditional striker’s role, just ahead of Odegaard. Young English duo Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe will provide the attacking width.
That Gabriel Martinelli doesn’t make my starting eleven speak volumes. This is an incredibly talented squad.
Big win for the Gunners here, no doubt. If you’re of the inclination that ‘North London is Red,’ then I am predicting a very Merry Christmas for you.