Arsenal news roundup 04/03/15 : Lineup prediction vs QPR, Boss claims Arsenal to finish second.

In today’s news roundup, we’ll provide you with a lineup prediction that Arsene Wenger may field against London rivals QPR. Quite a few players will be retaining their spot in the starting XI after impressing against Everton this past weekend while others may either face the axe or earn a rest. More on that later…

Elsewhere the gaffer has admitted that Arsenal have what it takes to finish ahead of Manchester City in the League. This is after his side enjoyed a decent run that has seen them climb up to third, only four points adrift of second place.

Lineup prediction vs QPR.

With the upcoming fixtures crammed as it can get, Arsene Wenger will be looking to alternate the squad that beat Everton on Sunday so as to keep the team fresh. A win at Loftus Road tonight will see the Gunners cement third place in the League standings, piling pressure on second placed Manchester City. Here is a full lineup prediction for the match against QPR.

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David Ospina has earned his place in the starting XI and as such should start between the sticks against the London rivals. Hector Bellerin will certainly start at right back while Gabriel should pair up with Laurent Koscielny in central defense after the duo kept a clean sheet during the 2-0 win this past weekend.

Nacho Monreal should be selected ahead of Kieran Gibbs who has clearly lost his position in the first team despite Wenger’s insistence in playing him. Francis Coquelin sustained a broken nose against the Toffees but a report by the Daily Mail suggests that the 23-year old is fit to play with the use of a protective mask. Aaron Ramsey should be available for selection after recuperating from a hamstring injury which comes as a huge boost to the team.

Santi Cazorla should start the game behind the striker with Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott attacking from the flanks. Summer signing Danny Welbeck should deputize for Olivier Giroud who truly deserves a rest after having a good run of form, bar the Monaco performance.

A great chance to mount pressure on the reigning Premier League Champions, COYG!

Wenger: Ramsey’s injury issues are over.

According to the Mirror, Arsene Wenger has come out to reveal that Aaron Ramsey has put all his injury issues behind him, despite sustaining his third hamstring injury of the season. The injuries have hampered the Welshman’s progress this season as he has struggled to put a decent run of form.

When Ramsey suffered the latest setback during our 2-1 win over Leicester City last month, it was unclear how long the 24-year old would be out of action. The boss has however revealed that Ramsey is fully fit – with his injury behind him – and will be available for selection against for the London derby against QPR.

“When you have a repetition of muscular injuries, it can put the handbrake on your body a little bit. To get rid of that is a psychological problem,” he continued.
“I don’t think he suffers from that looking at him in training. Certainly, you lose a bit of confidence in your body.”

Hopefully that’s the last we’ve seen of Ramsey’s hamstring injuries this season.

Boss claims Arsenal can finish second in the Premier League.

Arsenal cemented their third place position in the League standing after an emphatic 2-0 win over Everton on Sunday. According to Goal, Arsene Wenger claims that his side has showed enough grit and firepower to compete and finish ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League standings. The Gunners are currently third with 51 points, only four points behind the current Premier League Champions.

When asked whether it was possible for the Gunners to finish ahead of City, Wenger said:

“Of course it is possible,” he replied.
“If you ask a team four points behind us if they could catch us and they would say certainly, yes.”
“It’s very tight. Man City are four points ahead and there are plenty of people chasing us in the top four. It’s down to consistency.”
“We have seen things change quickly in the last two or three months of the season. We have to focus on finishing as well as we can.”

With City having an unconvincing run since the start of 2015, a win against Chris Ramsey’s side will suffice and put the pressure on the Manchester outfit.

Arsenal target £13M Everton star.

Arsenal are allegedly after Everton midfielder James McCarthy according to a report featured on the Daily Mail. The Gunners are said to be looking at the prospect of signing the Irish international with the promise of Champions League football given Everton’s dreadful season.

The Gunners will certainly face stiff competition from big spending Manchester United and North London rivals Tottenham, although Arsenal’s surety of securing Champions League football may put them ahead in signing the 24-year old.

Whether the Gunners will sign McCarthy or settle for a better option remains to be seen.