Arsenal will be looking to win their first trophy under Mikel Arteta when they take on Chelsea, in the final of the FA Cup on Sunday. Arteta has won the prestigious cup as a player with the club and will be setting his sights on it once again, this time as a manager. Winning the FA Cup could be an ideal way to cap off an otherwise dire campaign for the Gunners.
Predicted 3-4-3 Arsenal Lineup Vs Chelsea
Defence
Shkodran Mustafi has been ruled out until October after picking up a hamstring problem in the semi-final against Manchester City. He joins Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers in the list of absentees for the north London giants heading into this game.
It means Rob Holding is pretty much a guaranteed starter, ahead of Sokratis. The 27-year-old will partner David Luiz and Kieran Tierney, thus forming the three-man Arsenal backline. Sead Kolasinac is an option too for Arteta, although the Bosnian has been miserable in that role.
Bernd Leno is another player unavailable for Arsenal due to injury. Although the German is undergoing a speedy recovery, he is still unfit, meaning Emiliano Martinez is set to retain his place in between the sticks. The Argentine’s performance could be key to Arsenal’s chances in this final.
Midfield
Arteta won’t be dealt with any fresh injuries in midfield. However, Matteo Guendouzi is unlikely to be considered while Joe Willock could return to the bench following an underwhelming performance against Watford.
Granit Xhaka, therefore, is a guaranteed starter, alongside Dani Ceballos in the double-pivot. It will be interesting to see how these two in-form stars cope with Chelsea’s strong midfield this weekend.
Elsewhere, Hector Bellerin is a doubt heading into this game. Although the Spaniard might be fit, his potential absence could force Arteta into making a key decision between Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Cedric Soares. We expect the Arsenal manager to opt for the former as he has performed a lot better in recent weeks. Bukayo Saka, meanwhile, could be a guaranteed starter on the opposite flank.
Attack
Eddie Nketiah might once again have to settle for a place on the bench this weekend, allowing Alexandre Lacazette to lead the Arsenal attack. The Frenchman is set to be partnered by the wide offensive duo of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe. Nketiah could be introduced by Arteta in the second half while Reiss Nelson is also an option.
