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[Image] My 4-3-3 Arsenal line-up to face Frankfurt: Willock starts, no Xhaka

By on November 27, 2019

joe willock arsenal

Unai Emery is under huge pressure to get Arsenal back to winning ways when we welcome Eintracht Frankfurt to the Emirates on Thursday night. This is the line-up I’d like Emery to select…

Defence

The boss has deployed a back three in our last three matches but it’s clearly not working so I hope we see the return of a back four tomorrow evening as we don’t need three central defenders at home to Frankfurt.

Emery will hopefully rest the majority of our first team players so we should see Emi Martinez replacing Bernd Leno in goal while Sokratis, David Luiz and Kieran Tierney are all expected to be rested. Hector Bellerin is struggling with a minor hamstring issue so he shouldn’t be risked ahead of Sunday’s league trip to Norwich City.

Calum Chambers could start at right-back where he impressed a few weeks ago while Shkodran Mustafi is also set for a recall. Rob Holding is fit to return after missing the Southampton game at the weekend with a minor knock. Sead Kolasinac also sat out the 2-2 draw on Saturday with a hamstring injury but he trained today so he can return at left-back.

Midfield

The Arsenal boss hinted at his pre-conference this afternoon that Granit Xhaka could return to the squad tomorrow night. Emery will probably see this game as a good opportunity to bring him back into the starting eleven but I hope he’s left on the bench.

nicolas pepe arsenal

Lucas Torreira needs a run of games to get back to his best so I’d keep him in the holding role but Matteo Guendouzi should be rested along with Mesut Ozil. Dani Ceballos is still out injured and Emile Smith Rowe won’t be involved after featuring for the U23s tonight so we don’t really have too many options for the No.10 role.

Therefore, I’d go with a three-man midfield with Joe Willock getting a recall and Ainsley Maitland-Niles given a chance to impress in his more natural position of central midfield.

Attack

Obviously Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette should be rested ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Carrow Road on Sunday so Gabriel Martinelli will come in to lead the line up front and I’m excited to see him in action again.

Nicolas Pepe was left out by Emery at the weekend so he should get a start against Frankfurt tomorrow while Bukayo Saka is also fit for a recall after recovering from a minor knock which kept him out of the Southampton game.

Reiss Nelson is also available but I’d go with Pepe and Saka ahead of him so the England U21 international will have to settle for a place on the bench.

This is the starting eleven I hope we’ll see from Arsenal:

football formations