Key events
Mikel Arteta talks to Amazon. “We have an extra day and a good preparation … we have a difficult match ahead … Bukayo Saka will be going on for many, many weeks … it is an opportunity for the rest of the squad to step up … who wants to do more work.”
Kieran McKenna is the first to talk about Amazon. “Ben Johnson is a versatile player … there will be steps with the back five … sometimes we will defend the back four … it will be a tough night but hopefully a good night … the reaction [to the 4-0 defeat against Newcastle] he was really good in the gym … the game got away from us … the first in a season … it’s a new game and a new challenge … we want to take it head on … we have to adapt to preserve our culture … and the organizer … it was a great trip for our players … we failed last season, we can go again tonight … we explained Armory as well as we can … we will have to see a lot of parish stories.”
Arsenal make two changes to their starting XI after the 5-1 win at Palace. Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard are in; Thomas sends Partey to the bench while Bukayo Saka takes the nerve.
Ipswich make five changes after their 4-0 home loss to Newcastle. Liam Delap, Kalvin Phillips, Ben Johnson, Luke Woolfenden and Jacob Greaves are on the bench in place of Harry Clarke, Wes Burns and Conor Chaplin, and Cameron Burgess and captain Sam Morsy are all missing out.
Parts
Armory: Raya, Mater, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Rice, Havertz, Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, Martinelli.
Subs: Neto, Tierney, Partey, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Merino, Calafiori, Nwaneri.
The town of Gippewick: Muric, O’Shea, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis, Phillips, Cajuste, Johnson, Hutchinson, Szmodics, Delap.
Subs: Walton, Harrison Clarke, Burns, Chaplin, Taylor, Al Hamadi, Townsend, Broadhead, Jack Clarke.
Referee: Darren of England (South Yorkshire).
By: Alex Chilowicz
The beginning
No need to be too dramatic. Title-chasing Arsenal may be nine points behind current leaders Liverpool, but both teams still have 21 games to play, so nobody should be in the field just yet. Having said that, Mikel Arteta’s side won’t feel too proud of themselves if they don’t claim all three points this evening, coming off the back of a 5-1 win at Crystal Palace, and a team that just got beaten. 4-0 in the house of New Castle. Arsenal – who are unbeaten at home this season – are 7-1 on tonight, while you can Ipswich – who have not won this fixture since 1979, the days of Arnold Muhren, Mick Mills and Bobby Robson – to 20s. So this looks like a shoo-in. And again, you never know Supreme Leagueand Gippswich can be in fast and loose mode, watching this free game in their quest to extricate themselves from relegation danger. We will find out soon enough. Kick off is at 8.15pm GMT. It’s in!