Quantcast
Home   >   Opinions   >   Walcott & Welbeck start in 4-2-3-1: My Arsenal XI To Face Barcelona

Walcott & Welbeck start in 4-2-3-1: My Arsenal XI To Face Barcelona

By on February 22, 2016

theo walcott arsenal

Arsenal face the daunting prospect of taking on Barcelona in the Champions League when we welcome the Spanish giants to the Emirates on Tuesday night….this is the team I’d like to see Arsene Wenger go with.

Goalkeeper: Cech

Petr Cech was rested for the FA Cup draw at home to Hull City at the weekend and obviously he should come back in to the side tomorrow.

Defence: Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal

Gabriel has been ruled out with a hamstring injury so it looks like Per Mertesacker will partner Laurent Koscielny at the back. There is the obvious worry about Per’s pace up against the likes of Messi, Neymar and Suarez but hopefully his superb positional play will make up for that. Plus, we need to make sure we don’t leave him exposed.

Hector Bellerin will come back in for Calum Chambers at right-back while Nacho Monreal will also replace Kieran Gibbs on the left.

Midfield: Ramsey, Coquelin

Both Aaron Ramsey and Francis Coquelin were rested at the weekend and should resume their partnership in the middle of the park. There could be a temptation to play Mohamed Elneny as a second defensive midfielder but we’re at home and need to win this game if we’re to have any chance of progressing so I’d go with Rambo next to Coquelin.

Attack: Walcott, Ozil, Sanchez

The big debate is who should start on the right side of midfield and while The Ox, Campbell and Welbeck are all options, I’d go with Walcott. Theo has been inconsistent of late but Barca have always been scared of his pace and this will be the case again tomorrow.

Obviously Mesut Ozil will start in the hole while Alexis Sanchez will take on his former side for the first time since leaving the Catalans in 2014.

Striker: Welbeck

Now this may be a little controversial but I’d actually go with Danny Welbeck up top and use Olivier Giroud as an impact sub. We’re not going to see much of the ball tomorrow night and we’ll have to play on the counter attack so I’d go with Welbeck’s pace. Plus, he’ll press higher up the pitch more than Giroud would.

This would be my line-up:

What do you think? What team would you go with?

5 Comments