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3-4-2-1: Sanchez & Maitland-Niles dropped: My Arsenal XI vs Liverpool

By mac14 on December 21, 2017

Arsenal can move in to the top four with a win when we take on Liverpool at the Emirates on Friday night. Here is the team I would like to see Arsene Wenger select….

Goalkeeper: Cech

Cech was rested for the Carabao Cup win over West Ham on Tuesday night so he will be recalled between the sticks tomorrow night.

Defence: Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal

Wenger has switched to a back four in recent games and while I’d like to see us stick with it for most matches, this is perhaps one fixture where it would be sensible to play with a back three and wing-backs.

Liverpool have one of the best attacks in the league so it would help to have an extra defender on the pitch, plus Shkodran Mustafi’s return to fitness means we have more options.

I really liked Mustafi in the middle of a back three and he was playing well until his mistake against Man Utd so I’d like to see the German back in there against Liverpool with Koscielny and Monreal either side.

Calum Chambers and Rob Holding were both solid in the League Cup but they’ll drop out with only one of them expected to be named on the bench.

Midfield: Bellerin, Wilshere, Xhaka, Kolasinac

Maitland-Niles has done extremely well at left-back in recent matches but it’s still not his natural position and I’d prefer to see Sead Kolasinac in the left wing-back role tomorrow night.

Mathieu Debuchy was solid on Tuesday night and he could be pushing Hector Bellerin for the right-back berth in a back four. However, the switch to wing-backs means Bellerin is a more suitable choice against Liverpool.

Aaron Ramsey is out with a hamstring injury so Jack Wilshere is going to be given another chance to impress in midfield while Granit Xhaka should get the nod over Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny.

Attack: Ozil, Welbeck, Lacazette

No doubt Wenger will stick with Alexis Sanchez in attack but I think he’s been a passenger for us this season and would leave him on the bench against the Merseysiders.

A hard-working Danny Welbeck would be a much better choice against a dangerous Liverpool side so I’d go with him along with Mesut Ozil in the two attacking midfield positions. Mesut has been in great form lately so hopefully that can continue tomorrow.

Olivier Giroud has been ruled out with a hamstring injury that he picked up against West Ham in midweek so Alexandre Lacazette is almost certain to start up front.

This is the team I hope we see: