Should be a good game. Spurs have improved nicely and we're fielding another weakened young side.

van Persie returns to the squad from knee and muscle injuries. Wenger claims the usual team will start with Djourou coming in alongside Senderos and one or two more experienced players:



If I'd to predict the XI:

-------------Fabianski
Hoyte, Djourou, Senderos, Traoré
Eboué, Denílson, Diarra, Diaby
______Eduardo, Bendtner

another derby match again ~ feels like epl matches ~ lol
i see a draw result between these two teams ~ no og but pk yes ~ lol
i don't really support any teams ~ so good luck to both ~ lol

Looking forward to Andy Gray making out we are playing Arsenal U14's all game.

I hope for and predict a 1-1 draw in the first leg, just dont want more than a one goal loss to take back to WHL.

i would disagree about the above team being a weakened young side , that is a strong young side in my opinion , true that it is not our first team but there can be no excuses if we dont get a good result tonight at home .

I would hope we can get at least a 1 goal lead to take to White Hart Lane , Spurs will be after revenge after last year ...but thats nothing new ..they are always after revenge against us ..

With Spurs telling 8 players they can leave it will be interesting to see how the team reacts !.

It may be in a positive way .... but at the same time it may upset the squad ....

so we could either see Spurs come out and battle for a result or total surrender and Arsenal get a cricket score ...

Its quite daunting to see a teams "second XI" play as well as their first.

If, and I know it is a very big if, we were to get something out of this evening's match, it would be interesting to see how the youngsters react.
I'm not saying they would fold, but their temperament would be tested after continually tasting victory.

They didn't respond too well last season in the Final v Chelsea, we need to provoke such a reaction one step earlier in this year's semi.

we do tend to get frustrated if things are not going our way and start to commit fouls and get booked in the process , hopefully the experience our youngsters have gained over the last few years will enable them to cope better now .

All those players have League, Champions League, and Cup Experience, many internationals hardly a weak side. Will bo a good match, not sure ill be able to watch it tonight but ill try.

yeah true ...calling them a weakened side is probably an insult to the players actually ..

just read the carling cup 16 man squad at Arsenal.comand i reckon this should be the lineup


Fabianski
Sagna Senderos Djorou Traore

Walcott Denilson Gilberto Diaby

Eduardo Bendtner

Eboue is already gone. And good thing for us if you ask me.

This is the announced squad.
2 Abou DIABY
3 Bacary SAGNA
6 Philippe SENDEROS
9 EDUARDO
11 Robin VAN PERSIE
15 DENILSON
19 GILBERTO
20 Johan DJOUROU
21 Lukasz FABIANSKI (GK)
26 Nicklas BENDTNER
30 Armand TRAORE
31 Justin HOYTE
32 Theo WALCOTT
36 Mark RANDALL
40 Vito MANNONE (GK)
41 Gavin HOYTE

He's already stated that Van Persie will start on the bench, Djourou, Senderos, and Fabianski are in.

I feel he might play Sagna behind Walcott.

So my prediction:
Fabianski
Sagna, Djourou, Senderos, Hoyte
Walcott, Denilson, Gilberto, Diaby
Eduardo, Bendtner

And he'll bring on Van Persie for Eduardo after the 60 minute mark.

I deffinitelly agree that this version of Arsenal is far from weak. However it isn't A squad, this match isn't Premier league, so there could be little bit relaxed approach and when we look to offensive power of both these teams, traditional problems in Spurs defense, the best bet in this match is Over 2,5 IMO. There will be some revange facotr in heads of Spurs players and this duel is traditionally prestigious, so I expect fast tempo game, which is good for this bet too. Deffinitelly great match to watch and if there is somebody interesting in betting, personally I recommend [b]Over 2,5, @1,88, PinnacleSports[/b], good luck .

I predict the Spurs lineup will be:

___________________Robbo_______________________

Chimbonda______King_____Dawson__________Lee

Lennon________Jenas_______Ohara______Malbrnaque

_______________Keane_____Berbs_________________

I can see Spurs being in the same boat as us after tonight.

I have a sneaking suspicion Spurs may avoid defeat here.

It is a strong young side. But it is still weakened. I did not say they are weak in any shape or form, I said it is a weakened Arsenal XI. Which means it is weaker than the best Arsenal First XI. The change from the First XI to this Carling Cup XI is completely different - it's weaker, no doubt about it.

I feel Spurs will give another energetic and professional performance like they did last time at the Emirates against the stronger Arsenal First XI and I feel they'll give a good match tonight - a draw is on the cards and unless Wenger strengthens the team for the second leg I can see Spurs progressing.

I'll go for a win 2-0 for Arsenal.

I reckon a 2-1 Arsenal win, or 3-1 i reckon we will score though.

Tottenham

Radek Cerny
Pascal Chimbonda
Young-Pyo Lee
Michael Dawson
Ledley King
Steed Malbranque
Jamie O'Hara
Jermaine Jenas
Aaron Lennon
Dimitar Berbatov
Robbie Keane

Substitutes
Adel Taarabt, Jermain Defoe, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Paul Stalteri, Paul Robinson,

Arsenal

Fabianski
Diaby
Senderos
Denilson
Gilberto
Djourou
Traore
Hoyte
Walcott
Van Persie
Bendtner

Substitutes
Sagna, Eduardo, Randall, Mannone, Hoyte,

van Persie starting? That's strange and quite risky. Everytime he returns from injury Wenger sticks him quickly into tough games; like the Chelsea game and now this.

Eduardo has been sensational and deserves a start here for me. Robin coming on later against tired legs would have been better.

Guess he wants to give Eduardo a little rest. He has been playing a lot the last few weeks. And also trying to see how long Van Persie can last before getting tired. He has been in full practice since coming back, just has had that little muscle problem that has kept him out of games.

He returned too quickly in the Chelsea game and left the ground with another problem or two.

Players like this who are constantly crocked should not be rushed back into tough match-ups. I know he will perform as he's just a class act, injured or not. Just fear he'll not be physically 100% and pick up a recurring injury.

15 minute delay on the kickoff. Which is good for me. That means I can watch at least half of the second half.

Spurs lead 1-0

Offsides? The guys on the radio are saying there's been a good 3 offsides that haven't been called by the linesman. And the last one burned us for the goal.?.