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Football London
Football London
Sport
Kwame Boakye

Three ways Arsenal can line-up vs Liverpool as Mikel Arteta faces major Martin Odegaard decision

Arsenal will be hopeful of beating Liverpool and reaching the final of the Carabao Cup on Thursday evening.

Last week’s first leg at Anfield ended in a goalless draw, a great result for the away side considering they played with 10 men for the majority of the game after Granit Xhaka was sent off in the first half.

The Gunners will fancy their chances of beating Liverpool on home turf and sealing a meeting with Chelsea at Wembley next month.

However, Mikel Arteta has a potential selection headache going into the game with the news that Martin Odegaard could be available after missing the first leg.

Here, football.london brings you three potential ways the Gunners could line-up against Liverpool as Arteta aims to guide his side to the Carabao Cup final.

Just the one change

Arsenal performed exceptionally at Anfield to secure the goalless draw and Arteta may opt to reward the XI that put in the battling display by only replacing the suspended Xhaka.

Alexandre Lacazette would provide support for Eddie Nketiah up front, and the width would be provided by Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Youngster Charlie Patino would partner Albert Sambi Lokonga in central midfield, and the back five would consist of Aaron Ramsdale, Cedric Soares, Benjamin White, Gabriel Magalhaes and Kieran Tierney.

Team: (4-4-1-1) Ramsdale; Cedric, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Saka, Sambi Lokonga, Patino, Martinelli; Lacazette; Nketiah.

Odegaard replaces Nketiah

The biggest decision for Arteta is likely to be whether to bring Odegaard back into the starting line-up after he missed last week’s clash at Anfield due to injury.

The Norway midfielder has four goals and as many assists this season, and could add another dimension to the Gunners' attack by replacing Nketiah, allowing Lacazette to play further forward.

Whilst Nketiah has scored four goals to his name this season, three of them were against League One Sunderland in the last round.

Playing Odegaard just behind Lacazette may allow the Gunners to really test Liverpool's defence, something which they were unable to do on a consistent basis in the first leg with their one-man disadvantage.

Team: (4-2-3-1) Ramsdale; Cedric, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Sambi Lokonga, Patino; Saka, Martinelli, Odegaard; Lacazette.

Attacking set-up

With the score locked at 0-0 and a capacity crowd at the Emirates Stadium to roar them on, Arteta may opt to start Lacazette, Odegaard and Nketiah.

The system would require Sambi Lokonga to sit in central midfield and allow Odegaard to get forward and link up with the front two, leaving Saka and Martinelli to provide the service from the flanks.

Team: (4-4-2) Ramsdale; Cedric, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Saka, Sambi Lokonga, Odegaard, Martinelli; Nketiah, Lacazette.

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