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[Image] No Partey but Laca & Maitland-Niles start: My 4-2-3-1 Arsenal line-up vs Spurs

By on December 5, 2020

alexandre lacazette

Arsenal take on Tottenham in a huge North London Derby on Sunday afternoon. This is the team I’d like to see Mikel Arteta select for the game…

Obviously Bernd Leno will return in goal and I hope we see Arsenal stick with a back four. Gabriel will be recalled after being rested for the Europa League win over Rapid Vienna while Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin will also come back into the side.

Sead Kolasinac, Cedric Soares and Shkodran Mustafi will all make way while Pablo Mari should also drop out despite a solid goal-scoring return to action on Thursday night. David Luiz will have his head wound assessed today but hopefully he’s fit to start alongside Gabriel. If not, Rob Holding could start.

The big question is whether Thomas Partey is involved. The Ghanaian international has an outside chance of being passed fit after returning to training following a thigh injury. The player is desperate to start but I wouldn’t take any risks with him. There is no point rushing Partey back only to aggravate the injury so maybe a place on the bench is best if he does make the squad.

Granit Xhaka should come back into the Arsenal side but it will be interesting to see who partners him. Dani Ceballos will probably get the nod but I hope Arteta gives Ainsley Maitland-Niles another chance. He was excellent in midfield against Vienna and his mobility is something we’ve lacked in the middle of the park. AMN never stops working, is defensively astute but also gets himself forward when needed so I think he’d be a great addition to the team against Tottenham.

Having Maitland-Niles alongside Xhaka would also help justify selecting Alexandre Lacazette in the No.10 role. I though he was excellent in that position against Vienna and he could help solve Arsenal’s creative problems if he can rediscover his relationship with Perrie-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabon hitman is going through a tough time right now and his old mate Laca might be the man to get him back to his best.

I hope we see Bukayo Saka starting on the left flank against Tottenham while my pick would be Willian on the right side of the Arsenal attack. The Brazilian has been poor lately but I’d still opt for him over Reiss Nelson with Nicolas Pepe suspended.

This would be my line-up:

football formations