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Gibbs & Elneny to start in 4-2-3-1: My Arsenal XI to face Man City

By on December 16, 2016

We will be looking to bounce back from the disappointing loss at Everton when Arsenal take on Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday. This is the team I’d like to see Arsene Wenger go with….

Goalkeeper: Cech

Cech will start in goal on Sunday unless he picks up a late injury. I actually don’t think he’s been at his best so far this season and he’s looked a little hesitant with crosses at times but he’s still our best GK.

Defence: Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Gibbs

Mustafi remains out with a hamstring injury while Mertesacker is still working his way back to full fitness following a serious knee problem so Gabriel will continue alongside Koscielny at the back. I thought the Brazilian did well enough against Everton so hopefully he can impress again on Sunday.

Bellerin is back from his injury so he’ll continue at right-back but the one change I would like to see is Gibbs coming in at left-back. I’ve said for weeks that Monreal hasn’t been playing as consistently as he was last season and he was partially at fault for the Everton equaliser. Gibbsy hasn’t really put a foot wrong when he’s been given the chance so I’d like to see him start this weekend.

Midfield: Elneny, Xhaka

Ramsey has once again been ruled out after failing to overcome a hamstring injury while Cazorla won’t be back until well in to the New Year after undergoing ankle surgery.

Xhaka looks to have finally convinced Wenger he’s the £35m player he thought he was and I think we can all agree he should keep his place against City. No doubt Wenger will stick with Coquelin but I’d like to see Elneny given a chance.

City will probably have the lions share of possession and while Coquelin likes to scurry around the pitch chasing the ball, his tendency to give away silly fouls and pick up cards worries me in big games like this. We need a cool head and someone who’ll use the ball well when we are in possession and Elneny can provide us with that alongside Xhaka.

mohamed elneny arsenal 2016

Attack: Walcott, Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez

I hope we see Wenger set-up as we did last season at the Etihad with the team playing on the counter attack as I think we’ve got the tools to really hurt Guardiola’s City side.

Let’s pray Wenger doesn’t stick Giroud up top as that will just invite City to play 10 yards higher up the pitch and allow them to dominate us even more. Let’s stick with the pace we’ve had in recent games with Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain supporting Sanchez.

With Ozil supplying the bullets in a counter-attacking side, we could get at that poor City defence if we get our tactics right.

Perez and Giroud will be great options from the bench but I hope we go with the same front four that faced Everton. I just think they’ll have a lot more luck against City than we did at Goodison Park.

This would be my line-up: