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19-year-old & Welbeck to start: My Arsenal XI vs Sutton

By on February 17, 2017

mohamed elneny arsenal 2016

Arsenal will need to get over our humiliation at Bayern Munich quickly as we face the ultimate giant-killing clash against Sutton United on Monday night.

This is the team I’d like to see Arsene Wenger go with….

Goalkeeper: Ospina

Ospina had a mixed game at Bayern but he certainly wasn’t the reason we lost the game. He’s been our cup keeper this year and I expect to see him start on Monday.

Defence: Jenkinson, Gabriel, Holding, Monreal

The back four was horrendous on Wednesday night and I think we’ll see plenty of changes for this game. Koscielny is out after picking up a hamstring injury but he wouldn’t have been risked anyway.

His replacement on Wednesday was Gabriel and the Brazilian will be hoping to do a lot better against Sutton than he did during those horrific 45 minutes against Bayern.

Holding should get a run out while Monreal will come back in after not playing for the last two games. I’d also like to see Jenkinson given a chance as this is a great opportunity to rest Bellerin – who’s carrying a niggling ankle problem.

Midfield: Xhaka, Elneny

Coquelin stooped to new levels of uselessness against Bayern. He was truly shocking and if that performance doesn’t convince Wenger that he shouldn’t be anywhere near the first team, then I don’t know what will.

Sutton is probably Coquelin’s level but he deserves to be dropped for his display [like many others] on Wednesday so I’d start Elneny next to Xhaka – who’s not played a lot of football lately and will be fresh.

Ramsey and Cazorla are still injured so we could see Maitland-Niles among the subs.

Attack: Walcott, Reine-Adelaide, Welbeck, Giroud

Danny Welbeck

Part of me would like to see Wenger make the likes of Ozil and Sanchez have the indignity of playing away to Sutton just to bring them back down to earth a little. Make them sit in those tiny changing rooms and remind them what football should be about.

But realistically they should be nowhere near the team on Sunday and should be rested. They need to contemplate their futures but also to get their heads right ahead of the impending top four battle.

Walcott should come in to the side for Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right wing while I hope we see Welbeck finally given another start. Giroud needs to play some minutes so Danny may have to play from the left-wing.

Ideally Perez would also play but he remains a doubt with a hamstring injury so we’ll have to wait and see whether he’s passed fit. Youngster Jeff Reine-Adelaide should get another chance to impress after the 19-year-old did well against Southampton in the previous round.

This would be my line-up:

That side is more than capable of blowing Sutton away but make no mistake, if we aren’t focussed and defend like we did against Bayern in that second half, then they’ll cause us some serious problems. Don’t embarrass us again Arsenal!