After a positive start to the campaign, Arsenal will return home and host Burnley at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. The Gunners secured a narrow 1-0 win over Newcastle United in their opening fixture and will be keen to continue that momentum. Here is how we can expect Unai Emery’s side to line up in this crucial home encounter this weekend.
Formation: Emery will likely stick to a 4-2-3-1 formation that was pretty much a success against the Magpies on Sunday.
Defence
Choosing Bernd Leno in goal is a no-brainer. The German international had a quiet game against Newcastle but needs to remain sharp against an unpredictable Burnley attack.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles starred in the win over Newcastle on the weekend. And we can expect the youngster to play a pivotal role in this fixture as well. Hector Bellerin remains on the sidelines with a knee injury. Monreal is also tipped to retain his place on the opposite flank, with new signing Kieran Tierney suffering from a groin problem.
In central defence, Calum Chambers did rather well against Newcastle and could be rewarded with yet another start. Sokratis Papastathopoulos will partner him at the heart of the four-man backline. That means the Arsenal fans may still have to wait to see David Luiz making his first start for the club.
Midfield
The midfield combination of Matteo Guendouzi and Granit Xhaka were flawless on the weekend. And Emery is unlikely to change anything, although we may see Dani Ceballos brought in much earlier compared to the last game.
Joe Willock, meanwhile, is set to continue starting as the number ten after a promising display in the last game. This could be a perfect opportunity for the 19-year-old to make an impact as he looks to get the nod ahead of Mesut Ozil.
Attack
We could expect one change in attack with Nicolas Pepe replacing Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the right-wing slot. This could be the Ivorian’s first Premier League start since joining from LOSC Lille earlier this summer. He will be keen on making a good first impression in front of the Arsenal crowd.
Elsewhere, Reiss Nelson is set to retain his role on the opposite flank, with Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang spearheading the attack. However, Nelson will need to provide an improved display if he is to become a regular starter for the Gunners. Alexandre Lacazette, meanwhile, could appear in this season’s first Premier League game later on.
