Arsenal will look to continue their remarkable winning run in the Premier League, having secured victories in all of their last three competitive matches. However, things could be tricky as they travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Monday.
The Gunners are currently fourth in the league table, so a win could potentially help them overtake Manchester City. Here is how Unai Emery’s men line-up against the Red Devils in this encounter.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Defence
Emery will shuffle the pack in defence following an impressive win over Nottingham Forest in midweek. But, we might see Calum Chambers retain his place in the side ahead of Ainsley Maitland-Niles. The ex-Southampton star has been involved in four goals in the last two matches and will start at right-back, with Hector Bellerin unlikely to be risked.
Kieran Tierney had an excellent game in midweek. But, just like Bellerin, he is unlikely to feature, with Emery having one eye on the Europa League clash against Standard Liege next Thursday. Hence, we could expect Sead Kolasinac to return to his duties at left-back.
In central defence, both Shkodran Mustafi and Rob Holding will make way for David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos. The duo, however, will be under pressure to deliver, following the return of Holding while Mustafi has been excellent too.
Emiliano Martinez, meanwhile, will return to the bench, paving the way for Bernd Leno to start in between the sticks for Arsenal on Monday.
Midfield
We could expect a complete overhaul in midfield, with Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi replacing Lucas Torreira and Joe Willock. Guendouzi has been in excellent form for the Gunners this season and will be one of the most influential players in this crucial fixture. His driving runs into the final third could cause some problems for the Man United defence.
Dani Ceballos is also likely to get the nod ahead of Mesut Ozil, who wasn’t particularly great against Nottingham Forest. Ceballos will be expected to provide the creative essence going forward, and his ball-carrying traits could cause a few headaches for the Red Devils defenders.
Attack
Reiss Nelson was incredible against Nottingham in midweek and could earn a place in the starting lineup on Monday. The ex-Hoffenheim star will be deployed on the left flank, where his crossing prowess could be useful for Arsenal in the final third.
Nicolas Pepe, meanwhile, is a guaranteed starter on the opposite flank. But, the Ivorian could also shift into a more central role, alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – making it a flexible 4-2-2-2, with Ceballos and Nelson operating in the attacking midfield slots.
