Gabriel Magalhaes and Dani Ceballos are among eight players who return to the starting lineup as Arsenal prepare to take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
Mikel Arteta has made wholesale changes to the side that started in the 3-1 Premier League defeat to Liverpool earlier this week as Arsenal get set to lock horns with the Reds once again, this time in the Carabao Cup. Interestingly, there is no shuffle in goal, with Bernd Leno starting ahead of Runar Alex Runarsson.
Arteta, though, seems to have altered his formation, shifting to what looks like a 4-3-3, with Gabriel Magalhaes and Rob Holding forming the central defensive partnership. Out wide, Cedric Soares and Sead Kolasinac return and will be Arsenal’s full-back pairing.
? The team news is in…
?? @biel_m04 is handed a start
?? @OficialCedric comes into the side
?? @DaniCeballos46 also in starting XI— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 1, 2020
Up ahead in midfield, Granit Xhaka is the only player who keeps hold of his place from Monday’s game. The Swiss midfielder will don the captain’s armband for Arsenal against Liverpool, with Dani Ceballos and Joe Willock for company in the middle of the park.
Finally, in attack, Arteta has named an entirely new trio, with Nicolas Pepe, Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka returning. Pepe and Saka are the two wide men for Arsenal, while Nketiah leads the line against Liverpool, with Reiss Nelson and Alexandre Lacazette the backup options.
Arsenal Starting Lineup: Leno, Cedric, Holding, Gabriel, Kolasinac, Ceballos, Willock, Xhaka, Pepe, Nketiah, Saka