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4-3-2-1: Elneny & Holding start: My Arsenal XI vs Chelsea

By mac14 on January 9, 2018

Arsenal desperately need to come away with a positive result when we take on Chelsea in the first leg of our Carabao Cup semi final at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night. Here is the team I would like to see Arsene Wenger select….

Goalkeeper: Cech

There are suggestions that Wenger could stick with Ospina in goal but after our FA Cup defeat on Sunday I don’t think there is any justification for not selecting our best team. Therefore, Cech should start in goal.

Defence: Bellerin, Holding, Mustafi, Maitland-Niles

We have severe problems at the back as Koscielny remains out with an Achilles injury while Monreal is also still nursing an ankle problem so we’re without two of our first choice defenders.

Mustafi was also named as a doubt at Wenger’s press conference this morning but thankfully it looks like he’s passed a late fitness test as he took part in training this afternoon.

I personally think the back three has been a disaster in recent games and with Kos and Monreal out, I’d revert to a back four. The alternative? We’d have to play two of Holding, Chambers and Mertesacker, so it’s a no-brainer for me.

Kolasinac is also still unavailable so Maitland-Niles will start on the left while Bellerin should start on the right and I’d give Holding the edge over Chambers alongside Mustafi. Mertesacker should be nowhere near our starting eleven.

Midfield: Wilshere, Elneny, Xhaka

Sadly Ramsey has failed to recover in time to make the trip to Stamford Bridge but Xhaka should be available as he was able to train today after having a late test on a groin injury.

Wilshere will also be recalled after being rested on Sunday but I’d like to see us play with three in midfield as we were over-run in the middle of the park against Chelsea last week.

Unfortunately we don’t have too many top class options in midfield these days and with Iwobi being reprimanded for his late-night partying on the eve of the Forest game and Coquelin set to leave the club, the only viable choice is Elneny.

Attack: Ozil, Sanchez, Lacazette

We have plenty of problems in defence and midfield but fortunately we should be able to field our first choice attack with all our big-guns available for selection.

Welbeck and Walcott did little to enhance their first team chances at the weekend while Giroud is still injured so I don’t think there can be any question over Wenger picking Ozil, Sanchez and Lacazette tomorrow night.

This is the team I hope we see: