Arsenal will be desperate to get back to winning ways following a disappointing run of form that has seen them fail to win any of their last three league matches. But, they will be dealt with a tricky test as they lock horns with high flying Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
Here is how Unai Emery’s team may lineup against the Foxes this weekend.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Defence
Emery is destined to shuffle his pack after a strenuous midweek fixture against Vitoria Guimaraes. He is also expected to revert to a four-man backline to mirror Leicester’s setup under Brendan Rodgers.
Sokratis is likely to retain his place in central defence, despite a mediocre display in midweek. New signing David Luiz will partner him at the heart of Arsenal’s four-man backline. These two will be expecting a busy afternoon against an attacking Leicester side.
Calum Chambers will replace Ainsley Maitland-Niles at right-back, though the latter actually played as a wing-back against Vitoria. Kieran Tierney, meanwhile, will be the second player to retain his place in the backline. The Scot will be deployed on the opposite flank as he looks to keep up his excellent run of form.
And finally, Bernd Leno will return in between the sticks for Arsenal, at the expense of Emiliano Martinez. The German will be looking for only his third clean sheet of the campaign.
Midfield
Dani Ceballos is a doubt going into this fixture. The Spaniard picked up a knock in midweek and might be replaced by Lucas Torreira, with Granit Xhaka unlikely to feature. In fact, the Swiss international is now reportedly facing an uncertain future at the club following his reaction to Arsenal fans in the stadium against Crystal Palace.
Torreira, meanwhile, could be partnered by the ever-present figure of Matteo Guendouzi. These two will operate in the double-pivot. In the number ten slot, we expect Emery to opt for Mesut Ozil. He will be starting ahead of Joe Willock, who is waiting on the wings should the German fail to make the squad on Saturday.
Attack
With both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette available, one would expect Emery to return to his previous idea of playing the former in a wide attacking role.
Indeed, Aubameyang could operate as the left-winger while Nicolas Pepe is a guaranteed starter on the opposite flank. These two will look to combine with Ozil and craft scoring opportunities, though the Gabonese may drift into a central role, making it more like a 4-2-2-2.
The number nine role will be occupied by Lacazette, who has become a vital member of the side following his return from injury. The Frenchman will be desperate to add some goals to his tally following an uneventful start to the campaign.
