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4-2-3-1: Welbeck starts, Koscielny out: My Arsenal XI vs West Brom

By on December 29, 2017

Laurent-Koscielny arsenal

Arsenal desperately need a win to keep the pressure on the top four when we take on West Brom at the Hawthorns on Sunday afternoon. Here is the team I would like to see Arsene Wenger select….

Goalkeeper: Cech

Cech isn’t the goalkeeper he once was but he’s still a lot better than David Ospina.

Defence: Bellerin, Chambers, Mustafi, Kolasinac

Can Koscielny play 3 intense games in 7 days with a dodgy Achilles? It seems like it’s a risk not worth taking ahead of the crucial Chelsea game on Wednesday night. Therefore, I’d give Koscielny a breather and play a back four with Chambers alongside Mustafi in the middle of defence.

Wenger has suggested he’s not a fan of Kolasinac in a back four and prefers Maitland-Niles at left-back but I’d still go with the Bosnian international on Sunday with Monreal out injured.

Bellerin has come under some harsh criticism in recent weeks. Sure, he’s not in the best form of his career and his final ball needs some serious work but he’s still our best outlet on the right so people need to give him a break.

Midfield: Wilshere, Coquelin

Xhaka limped off during the closing stages of the Crystal Palace game with an apparent muscle injury so I wouldn’t risk him against West Brom as the last thing we need is aggravating the issue and losing another midfielder with Ramsey currently on the sidelines.

It could also be a big ask for Wilshere to play three league games in 7 days but we don’t have much choice than to start him again, especially if Xhaka’s injury is serious. There is no way we can go with Elneny and Coquelin in midfield so we’ll have to see just how fit Jack really is.

Attack: Ozil, Welbeck, Sanchez, Lacazette

Sanchez finally stepped-up and produced the type of performance we know he’s capable of with a superb display at Palace. The skeptic in me says he’s putting himself in the shop window but as long as he keeps putting in the sort of effort we saw last night while in an Arsenal shirt, I couldn’t care less.

I’d like to see us go with three attackers behind the striker with Ozil deployed in the No.10 role while I’d bring Welbeck in on the right to offer us another outlet.

This is the type of game Giroud would have been very useful for but he’s out with a hamstring injury so Lacazette should once again start through the middle.

This is the team I hope we see:

Wenger will probably stick with the same formation that played at Palace but it will be interesting to see how much he rotates ahead of the Chelsea game. Either way, let’s hope for another 3 points!

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