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[Image] Arsenal’s best 4-2-3-1 line-up to face Southampton: Holding & Pepe start

By on November 22, 2019

Rob Holding arsenal 2019

Arsenal desperately need to get back to winning ways when we welcome Southampton to the Emirates on Saturday afternoon. This is the line-up I’d like Unai Emery to select…

The boss has deployed a back three in our last two matches against Vitoria and Leicester City but I hope we see the return of a back four as we shouldn’t need three centre-backs at home to Southampton this weekend.

I’d like to see Rob Holding starting if he’s able to shake off a minor knock and I’m intrigued to see if he could form a partnership alongside David Luiz. Calum Chambers has played well lately but he may have to settle for a place on the bench along with Sokratis.

It’s time we see Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney starting together in the league as Emery has no excuses left not to pick Arsenal’s best full-backs while Bernd Leno should obviously keep his place in goal.

The Arsenal boss hinted at his pre-conference on Thursday that Granit Xhaka could return to the squad this weekend but I hope he doesn’t start as I think he’s burn’t his bridges with the fans and a move this winter looks likely.

Lucas Torreira and his agent have been making noises during the international break about a possible transfer in January and I can’t blame him for being unsettled considering how badly Emery’s used him this season. However, the Xhaka situation should hopefully see Torreira given an extended run in the holding role.

nicolas pepe arsenal

Dani Ceballos has been ruled out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury but Matteo Guendouzi is fit to start alongside Torreira in midfield with Joe Willock an option from the subs bench.

Mesut Ozil is back in favour at Arsenal and I hope he’s now given an extended run in the team as we desperately need his creativity to bring the best out of our attackers – who’ve been starved of service at times this season.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should obviously start but he may play from the left side of the attack with Alexandre Lacazette leading the line up front and our strike duo should be confident of getting on the score-sheet this weekend.

Nicolas Pepe arrived back late from duty with the Ivory Coast but he’ll train today and will be available for selection so I hope we see him joining Ozil, Aubameyang and Lacazette in the Arsenal attack tomorrow.

Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Reiss Nelson will all be options from the bench so Arsenal have more than enough firepower to see off the Saints and get back to winning ways this weekend.

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

football formations