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[Image] Xhaka out, Ozil & Ramsey start | Arsenal’s best line-up to face Rennes

By on March 14, 2019

mesut ozil arsenal 2018

Arsenal will be looking to recover from our 3-1 first leg defeat when we take on Rennes in the Europa League last-16 this evening. This is the line-up I’d like Unai Emery to select…

Goalkeeper: Cech

Bernd Leno was excellent once again during the win over Man Utd last weekend but Petr Cech is our Europa League keeper this season so he should start in goal tonight.

Defence: Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal

As much as I enjoyed not having Shkodran Mustafi in the line-up against United, we probably need to recall him as Sokratis is suspended after being sent off in the first leg in France last week.

Of course we could move to a back four but I think we should stick with a back three with wing-backs as it worked well last weekend and gets the best out of the players we have available. Therefore, Mustafi should come-in alongside Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal in the back three.

Midfield: Maitland-Niles, Torreira, Ramsey, Kolasinac

Sead Kolasinac should once again start in the left wing-back role as he’s become a focal point in the Arsenal attack down the left so let’s hope he continues his fine form this evening.

Obviously Hector Bellerin remains out and Emery has the option of Stephan Lichtsteiner or Cal Jenkinson in the right wing-back position but I’d stick with Ainsley Maitland-Niles. He was a little nervy during the first half against United but improved after the break and didn’t let us down.

pierre-emerick aubameyang arsenal

Lucas Torreira was suspended at the weekend so he’ll be fresh and I’d love to see him line-up alongside Aaron Ramsey. Granit Xhaka is a firm favourite under Emery and he’ll probably keep his place but a Torreira/Ramsey partnership has huge potential.

Rambo was excellent against United in a deeper role and we should use him while he’s still at the club as he always gives 100% for Arsenal. So I’d go with him alongside Torreira and leave Matteo Guendouzi and Granit Xhaka on the bench.

Attack: Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette

Arsenal need to score at least two goals and Emery showed at the weekend that in a must-win game, he’s willing to play all our big-guns together in the same team and I hope he does it again tonight.

It was a bold move having Ramsey deep with Mesut Ozil playing off Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette against United but it worked well and we could blow Rennes away if they all start again this evening.

Lacazette is available again after UEFA reduced his suspension to two games and he was outstanding against Man Utd at the weekend so he should keep his place up front along with Aubameyang.

Ozil is a must for me as we need his creativity tonight so Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alex Iwobi and Denis Suarez will be options from the bench.

This is the starting eleven I hope we’ll see:

football formations

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