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4-3-1-2: Welbeck starts, Sanchez out: My Arsenal XI vs Crystal Palace

By on December 26, 2017

sead-kolasinac-arsenal

Arsenal will look to keep in touch with the top four when we take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Thursday night. Here is the team I would like to see Arsene Wenger select….

Goalkeeper: Cech

Cech was at fault for the Liverpool equaliser last time out but he also made some important saves during that hectic game and he’s still the best keeper we currently have.

Defence: Bellerin, Koscielny, Mustafi, Kolasinac

Wenger has switched to a back four in recent games and I’d like to see us continue with that on Thursday night but I would make a couple of changes.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been deployed at left-back recently but it’s not his natural position and I’d prefer to see Sead Kolasinac starting at Selhurst Park.

Nacho Monreal is NOT a centre-back in a back four and anyway, he was supposedly subbed off against Liverpool at half-time with an ankle injury so hopefully we see Shkodran Mustafi come back in.

Laurent Koscielny’s form has been slowly declining and he’s certainly not the player he once was but he’s probably still our best centre-back so he should keep his place.

The same can be said of Hector Bellerin. He’s not been at his best this season but he’s still a better option than Mathieu Debuchy at right-back.

Midfield: Wilshere, Xhaka, Elneny

I’m not sure our midfield has been working at all recently so I’d love Wenger to switch things up and play a diamond in the middle with two up front.

Granit Xhaka isn’t a natural defensive midfielder and his lack of mobility is a real problem for us but I’d still rather he started than Francis Coquelin.

Long-term, I’d love to see Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey playing ahead of Xhaka but obviously Rambo is out with a hamstring injury so Mohamed Elneny could be an option on Thursday.

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Attack: Ozil, Welbeck, Lacazette

I’ve said for several weeks that Alexis Sanchez has checked out and is now just going through the motions so he doesn’t deserve to start as we can’t afford to carry him any longer.

I’d drop him and the change in formation would allow Mesut Ozil to play in the no.10 role behind a front two – which is his best position.

Olivier Giroud is out until the New Year with a hamstring injury so I’d love to see Danny Welbeck playing alongside Alexandre Lacazette in attack.

With Laca and Welbeck’s pace and movement combined with Ozil supplying the passes, I think we’d be a dangerous team going forward.

This is the team I hope we see:

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