Gooner Talk

Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger named his youngest ever team for Tuesday evening’s third round Carling Cup clash with Championship side Sheffield United.

Wales Under-21 midfielder Aaron Ramsey, 16-year-old Jack Wilshere, reserve team captain Gavin Hoyte, Kieran Gibbs and Mark Randall all started, while first-year scholar Emmanuel Frimpong, also 16, and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, 17, were on the bench at Emirates Stadium.
 

Arsenal Starting XI

Fabianski
G.Hoyte – Djourou – Song – Gibbs
Wilshere – Ramsey – Randall – Merida
Bendtner – Vela
 
Sheff Utd:

Kenny
Halford – Morgan – Kilgallon – Naysmith
Cotterill – Speed – Quinn – Montgomery
Beattie – Webber

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As if the first team wasn’t youthful enough, Gunners manager Arsène Wenger has consistently used the Carling Cup to blood promising youngsters. Expect, then, to get a first home glimpse of Welsh wonderkid Aaron Ramsey and maybe even teenage English winger Jack Wilshere who impressed in pre-season. The thinness of the squad, however, may also mean a start for surprise centre-back signing Mikael Silvestre.

Sheffield United will be a stern test and boast plenty of Premier League experience with one-time England defender Ugo Ehiogu, former England striker James Beattie, as well as midfielder Gary Speed who seems to have been around since decimalisation. Kevin Blackwell’s side will fancy their chances against a club with one eye on forthcoming Champions League encounters.

Arsenal met Sheffield United in last year’s Carling Cup fourth round. Croatian striker Eduardo da Silva scored a brace and Denilson added a third as a young Arsenal side strolled into the last eight. The Gunners were eventually eliminated by Tottenham Hotspur in the last four.

Fabianski
G.Hoyte – Djourou – Song – Gibbs
Wilshere – Ramsey – Randall – Merida
Bendtner – Vela

Match Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Sheffield United

Arsenal v Sheffield United is unfortunately not being broadcast on live TV but it should be avaliable online with p2p streams likely to be posted.

Catch all the post-match reaction and player ratings here on Gooner Talk seconds after the final whistle.

Leave your views and predictions of tomorrows game in the comments section below.

Arsene Wenger’s Young guns face Sheffield United in the Carling Cup this Tuesday, with the youngsters and squad players expected to get a full 90 minutes. That means Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela will most likely partner each other on the night. We saw their frightening partnership in pre-season against Burgenland, Stuttgart and Ajax and they will look to continue that form Tuesday night.

Who ever saw pre-season will know that Bendtner and Vela have a great vision of each others game, with Bendtner dropping off to win headers and playing the ball in behind for the runs that the Mexican makes.

Personally, I think Bendtner can play alongside any striker at Arsenal like he proved he can play with Adebayor on Saturday at Bolton. But I think Bendtner combines the most with Carlos Vela, I feel the two can terrorise defences in the Carling Cup with the ” Big man, Little man ” combination and this partnership could end up winning us the trophy.

Predicted Line-Up:

Fabianski

G.Hoyte – Djourou – Silvestre – Gibbs

Wilshere – Ramsey – Randall – Merida

Bendtner – Vela

So what do you think people, are you looking forward to seeing the two in competitive action for the first time since that pre-season form, or would you prefer a different strikeforce?  Give your views over at Nicklas Bendtner News – the number one blog for all things Bendtner!

Middlesbrough have completed the £3million signing of full-back Justin Hoyte from Arsenal on a four-year contract.

The 23-year-old, a former England Under-21 international, has agreed a deal to stay with the Teessiders until the summer of 2012.

On his move, Hoyte seemed surprised at how quick everything had been sorted.

“It was very strange travelling to a Champions League qualifier and being on the bench for that game and the next day coming to training and finding out I was coming to Middlesbrough, but it’s something I’m looking forward to.

“It happened so fast, I found out Boro were interested, then they’d had a bid accepted and the next day I was up here having a medical.” Hoyte told Boro’s official site.

The full-back had struggled to gain regular first-team football and had a previous loan spell in the North-East with Sunderland.

He was presented to the Boro crowd ahead of Saturday afternoon’s Premier League opener against Tottenham, but the deal wasn’t completed in time to allow him to play.

Middlesborough boss Gareth Southgate is hoping Jeremie Aliadiere will convince ex-Arsenal team-mate Justin Hoyte to join the Teesside club.

The 23-year-old is wanted as a replacement for already-departed Luke Young and Arsenal accepted a reported £3.5million bid from Southgate’s side yesterday afternoon.

Southgate said: “I will try and sell my vision for the club. Justin’s got fantastic potential and I will be making sure Jeremie [Aliadiere] speaks with him.”

Hoyte joined Arsenal as an 11-year-old and made his first-team debut as a substitute against Southampton in 2003.

However, he failed to establish himself as a first-choice pick for Arsene Wenger and joined Sunderland on loan for the 2005-06 season.

Hoyte then returned to the Gunners and provided injury cover the next season, becoming the first Englishman to score for Arsenal at the new Emirates Stadium against Charlton in January 2007.

Arsenal have accepted Middlesbrough’s reported £3.5million offer for full-back Justin Hoyte after both clubs agreed that the fullback can talk to the north East side.

Boro are keen to get a right-back in place before the start of the season, having sold Luke Young to Aston Villa. However, with the opener against Tottenham set for this weekend, it will be race against time for the Englishman’s transfer to go through for him to be eligible to play.

Chief executive Keith Lamb said on Boro’s official website: “We have agreed a fee with Arsenal and we have now been given permission to speak to Justin, which we will be doing in the next 24 to 48 hours.”

Hoyte joined Arsenal as an 11-year-old and made his first-team debut as a substitute against Southampton in 2003.

However, he failed to establish himself as a first-choice pick for Arsene Wenger and joined Sunderland on loan for the 2005-06 season.

Hoyte then returned to the Gunners and provided injury cover the next season, becoming the first Englishman to score for Arsenal at the new Emirates Stadium against Charlton in January 2007.

Last summer Hoyte was linked with Villa, but Wenger announced he would not be sold and would compete with Bacary Sagna for the right-back spot.

Reports earlier this week suggested Middlesborough were lining up a bid for Hoyte, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted after the FC Twente game in his post-match interview that Boro were interested in the fullback.

Good luck to Hoytey and lets hope he can have a successful career at his new club!