It's the start of a crunch week in Arsenal's season (if it wasn't crunch time already), as the Gunners face Napoli twice and FA Cup finalists Watford away all inside seven days. A potential season defining week as, three losses and its all but over whilst three wins breeds confidence and a final charge to the top four so it's game on for Unai Emery's Red Army.
Doubts still remain over the fitness of Laurent Koscielny and Granit Xhaka but with both having returned to full training today, they are likely to be involved in Emery's matchday squad tomorrow. There's no doubting it, Arsenal have missed Xhaka massively. He's one of those players that when he's there you generally say he doesn't do much but when he's not there, he really is missed. In the pivotal role he can dictate the pace of a game and is more often than not the starting point of every move. Koscielny hasn't been missed as much but he does add an experienced edge and a calm in defence that Mustafi and Sokratis just don't have. Emery will be keen to include his captain from the off, fitness permitting. Lucas Torreira on the other hand is definitely available. Having sat out the last three Premier League games due to a suspension, the little Uruguayan is back and raring to go. Guendouzi and Elneny proved on Monday night that they aren't good enough to be Arsenal's midfield so Torreira's return will surely be a welcome sight.
In goal, Petr Cech will come in to replace Bernd Leno, as he has done for all of this season's Europa League games. In defence, we could see a back three again, as Emery looks to rediscover winning ways but having watched Kolasinac (on Monday) at potentially the worst we've seen him for a long time, the Head Coach could be tempted by a flat back four - a shape that seemed to get a little more joy in the second half against Everton. In midfield, Aaron Ramsey seems to have now fully shaken off a knock that saw him start Monday's game on the bench so he could partner Lucas Torreira in the centre of midfield for this one. Matteo Guendouzi is in with a shout for sure but he just doesn't bring the same 'make it happen' qualities that Xhaka and Ramsey do. Upfront, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang surely has to start - this was said last time out and it didn't happen - Emery should have learned his lesson now. Lacazette and Aubameyang starting together is the only way we can really take it to an opposition, and at home in a two-legged tie, this is paramount. In attacking midfield, Ozil, Iwobi and Mkhitaryan are likely to be fighting it out for one or two starting spots.
The visitors seem in as average form as Arsenal of late, having only picked up one point from Empoli and Genoa but beat fellow big guns Roma 4-1 just ten days ago. So with form as patchy as Arsenal's, right now this tie could go either way. The makeup of the two sides isn't too dissimilar either, with both being heavily loaded going forward scoring plenty of goals whilst keeping them out at the other end is the main problem. Sitting second in the league, the visitors are blessed with some real attacking talent but having seen their talisman and long term skipper Marek Hamsik leave for China earlier this season, they just haven't been the same well-oiled machine without him. Creativity from midfield now falls to the dynamic Brazilian Allan, whilst wide play and goal scoring comes from an exciting trio of Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon. Polish forward Arkadiusz Milik is their main striker who's often deployed in the centre, flanked by two of Mertens, Insigne or Callejon. Whatever way they line up, going forward they'll be dangerous. Back the other way though, the only real quality defender they have is the widely coveted Kalidou Koulibaly, who's athletic, quick, strong and can read the game well. Around him though is often the club's downfall, where experienced players like Raul Albiol, former Spudsman Vlad Chiriches and Arsenal loanee David Ospina just can't get the job done. Similar to Arsenal in some ways; however the defence lines up, it's there to be got at. However, with Napoli's home leg to come next week, we could see a more conservative approach from Ancelotti's men in London as they know Arsenal need to come out and score.
Expected lineup:
GK: Petr Cech
CB: Shkodran Mustafi
Doubts still remain over the fitness of Laurent Koscielny and Granit Xhaka but with both having returned to full training today, they are likely to be involved in Emery's matchday squad tomorrow. There's no doubting it, Arsenal have missed Xhaka massively. He's one of those players that when he's there you generally say he doesn't do much but when he's not there, he really is missed. In the pivotal role he can dictate the pace of a game and is more often than not the starting point of every move. Koscielny hasn't been missed as much but he does add an experienced edge and a calm in defence that Mustafi and Sokratis just don't have. Emery will be keen to include his captain from the off, fitness permitting. Lucas Torreira on the other hand is definitely available. Having sat out the last three Premier League games due to a suspension, the little Uruguayan is back and raring to go. Guendouzi and Elneny proved on Monday night that they aren't good enough to be Arsenal's midfield so Torreira's return will surely be a welcome sight.
In goal, Petr Cech will come in to replace Bernd Leno, as he has done for all of this season's Europa League games. In defence, we could see a back three again, as Emery looks to rediscover winning ways but having watched Kolasinac (on Monday) at potentially the worst we've seen him for a long time, the Head Coach could be tempted by a flat back four - a shape that seemed to get a little more joy in the second half against Everton. In midfield, Aaron Ramsey seems to have now fully shaken off a knock that saw him start Monday's game on the bench so he could partner Lucas Torreira in the centre of midfield for this one. Matteo Guendouzi is in with a shout for sure but he just doesn't bring the same 'make it happen' qualities that Xhaka and Ramsey do. Upfront, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang surely has to start - this was said last time out and it didn't happen - Emery should have learned his lesson now. Lacazette and Aubameyang starting together is the only way we can really take it to an opposition, and at home in a two-legged tie, this is paramount. In attacking midfield, Ozil, Iwobi and Mkhitaryan are likely to be fighting it out for one or two starting spots.
The visitors seem in as average form as Arsenal of late, having only picked up one point from Empoli and Genoa but beat fellow big guns Roma 4-1 just ten days ago. So with form as patchy as Arsenal's, right now this tie could go either way. The makeup of the two sides isn't too dissimilar either, with both being heavily loaded going forward scoring plenty of goals whilst keeping them out at the other end is the main problem. Sitting second in the league, the visitors are blessed with some real attacking talent but having seen their talisman and long term skipper Marek Hamsik leave for China earlier this season, they just haven't been the same well-oiled machine without him. Creativity from midfield now falls to the dynamic Brazilian Allan, whilst wide play and goal scoring comes from an exciting trio of Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon. Polish forward Arkadiusz Milik is their main striker who's often deployed in the centre, flanked by two of Mertens, Insigne or Callejon. Whatever way they line up, going forward they'll be dangerous. Back the other way though, the only real quality defender they have is the widely coveted Kalidou Koulibaly, who's athletic, quick, strong and can read the game well. Around him though is often the club's downfall, where experienced players like Raul Albiol, former Spudsman Vlad Chiriches and Arsenal loanee David Ospina just can't get the job done. Similar to Arsenal in some ways; however the defence lines up, it's there to be got at. However, with Napoli's home leg to come next week, we could see a more conservative approach from Ancelotti's men in London as they know Arsenal need to come out and score.
Expected lineup:
GK: Petr Cech
CB: Sokratis
CB: Nacho Monreal
RWB: Ainsley Maitland-Niles
CM: Lucas Torreira
CM: Aaron Ramsey
LWB: Sead Kolasinac
CAM: Mesut Ozil
ST: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
ST: Alex Lacazette
Prediction: 2-1 win for the Gunners.
@craigbennett10
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