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[Image] 25y/o makes debut, Partey & Gabriel out – How Arsenal should line-up vs Dundalk

By on October 28, 2020

Runar-Alex-Runarsson

Arsenal take on Dundalk at the Emirates tomorrow in our second Europa League group stage game. This is the team I’d like to see Mikel Arteta select for the game…

Bernd Leno started against Rapid Vienna last week but I’d give him a rest tomorrow. We shouldn’t be playing our No.1 in the group stages and while I have reservations about whether Alex Runarsson is ready [clearly Arteta does too], I’d hand the 25-year-old his debut for this one.

I was pleased to see Arsenal go with a more traditional back four shape against Leicester City and we looked very solid at the back for most of the game. Let’s hope this is how Arteta lines-up from now on.

That said, I’d make plenty of changes tomorrow night with Gabriel left out to protect him for the United trip. The Brazilian has already become a key player for Arsenal so we shouldn’t risk him in the Europa League, despite our injury problems at the back.

David Luiz is set to miss the visit of Dundalk with a muscle injury that forced him off against Leicester so Shkodran Mustafi will come in. This game is expected to come too soon for Calum Chambers and Pablo Mari remains out along with Rob Holding.

Sokratis isn’t eligible so Arteta has very few centre-back options. He’ll probably risk Gabriel but I’d rather just play Sead Kolasinac alongside Mustafi. Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney should also be rested with Cedric Soares and Ainsley Maitland-Niles recalled.

In midfield, I hope Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka are given a breather ahead of Sunday’s trip to Manchester United with Dani Ceballos lining-up alongside Mohamed Elneny in the middle of the park.

I’d like to see Arsenal play more of a 4-2-3-1 formation to try and get more creativity in the final third. With Mesut Ozil obviously unavailable we don’t have too many natural No.10’s but Joe Willock could be given a chance to impress.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette should all drop out while Willian isn’t expected to be available due to a calf issue. Therefore, I would go with Eddie Nketiah leading the line up front for Arsenal flanked by Reiss Nelson and Nicolas Pepe.

This would be my Arsenal XI:

football formations

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