By kentucky 
Alright folks, grabbed my morning coffee and sat down thinking ’bout that upcoming friendly, Arsenal vs Monaco. Figured it’d be fun to try and predict the lineups, you know, see how it might play out tactically. Just my own scribbles and thoughts really.
Getting Started with the Grind
First thing, dumped my cold coffee because that’s just nasty. Made a fresh cup – essential fuel. Fired up the laptop and opened a blank doc. My brain was buzzing, but where to even start? Decided to head straight to the sources I usually trust for team news. Jumped onto Arsenal’s official site news section first. Scrolled through the latest updates, hoping for some clues on injuries or players Arteta might be giving minutes.
Monaco was trickier. Their official site is decent, but my French… well, Google Translate became my best friend real quick. Managed to get the gist of their latest press stuff. Knew they had a couple of key players away on international duty after the season ended, but who was actually back training? Took some digging through French football Twitter rumour accounts too – messy but sometimes useful.
The Player Puzzle
Okay, time to actually try writing names down. Flipped back to my doc. For Arsenal, the keeper spot felt kinda obvious – Ramsdale starting to keep him sharp. Defence got complicated real quick. New signing? Timber, right, he’s back from injury. Threw him in at right-back, thinking Arteta might wanna test him. White maybe shifting to CB? Saliba partnered him. Then the left-back slot… Tierney? Zinchenko? Went with Zinny cause it’s the system Arteta loves. Midfield: Partey was a big question mark – injured? Unavailable? Couldn’t find a clear answer, so went safe with Jorginho anchoring. Odegaard ahead of him, naturally. Then the wings and striker: Saka on the right, Martinelli buzzing on the left? Up front, Jesus leading the line.
- Arsenal Possibles: Ramsdale; Timber, White, Saliba, Zinchenko; Jorginho, Odegaard; Saka, Trossard (maybe?), Martinelli; Jesus.
Monaco time. Their keeper… Nübel? Yeah, probably. Defence felt like guesswork. Singo at right-back maybe? Sarr partnering Maripan centrally seemed solid? Caio Henrique flying down the left. Midfield: Got stuck immediately. Is Fofana even available? Saw some rumours he might not be, so scribbled in Camara instead. Then Golovin pushing forward. Wings: Minamino was definite on one side, Ben Yedder likely up top. That other winger… Diatta? Slim chance?
- Monaco Possibles: Nübel; Singo, Sarr, Maripan, Henrique; Camara, Zakaria? Golovin; Minamino, Ben Yedder, Diatta?
Yeah, the Monaco midfield felt shaky – like building on sand. Too many question marks.
Scribbling Tactics Like a Madman
Now for the fun bit: how they might actually play. Arsenal’s setup under Arteta is familiar – that 4-3-3 shape pressing high when they can, Zinchenko drifting inside to make that 3-man midfield. Monaco? Historically more of a 4-2-3-1 under Hutter, I think? Tried to picture Golovin buzzing behind Ben Yedder, Henrique overlapping like mad.
Thought about key battles: Saka vs Henrique – that’s fireworks! Odegaard trying to find space behind Monaco’s double pivot. Could Arsenal press Monaco’s centre-backs effectively? Maybe force mistakes? Then again, Monaco can be lethal on the break, especially through Minamino or Ben Yedder’s quick feet.
The Big Reality Check
Stared at my screen. Felt kinda proud for a minute. Then the doubts flooded in. Friendlies, man! Who knows who’s actually fit? Who needs a rest? Who Arteta or Hutter really wants to look at? This whole thing might be garbage come kick-off. Half the players I listed might get zero minutes! Friendlies are chaos wrapped in unpredictability.
The biggest headache? Missing info. Injuries are always fuzzy pre-game, especially friendlies. Red cards messing with previous suspensions? Forget about it. Getting concrete news outta Monaco was like pulling teeth. Ended up relying on scraps and guesswork.
Throwing My Hands Up (Sort Of)
After all that clicking, translating, scribbling, and second-guessing, the conclusion kinda hit me. Maybe trying to nail this down so early is pointless? You never truly know until the team sheets drop right before the whistle. It’s all educated guesswork, really. Fun to think about, sure, keeps the brain ticking during the offseason. But expecting accuracy? Nah. The teams will run out, the whistle will blow, and everyone who thought they knew will probably be scratching their heads just like me.
Just my messy two cents on how I spent my morning trying to crack this friendly puzzle. Feels good to get it all out there!
David 
arlington