Arsene Wenger’s distaste in spending was axiomatic in his two-decade stay at Arsenal. Breaking that conservative approach, Unai Emery has been backed by the Arsenal board to bring in some defensive recruitments. Bernd Leno, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Torreira, are part of the major overhaul for Unai Emery’s Arsenal.
Lacazette signed for Arsenal in the last summer, followed by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in January. All these signings have revamped Arsenal who have emerged as a strong contender for a spot in top-four.
Arsenal are going to embark on a Wenger-less era after 22 years. They will be hoping to avoid the stumble, which Manchester United felt after the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.
STRONGEST ARSENAL XI
DEFENCE
Peter Cech had a poor season by his standards, and at 36 years of age, Unai Emery won’t be expecting him to get any better. Bernd Leno has played over 300 games for his club and country. He is a young goalkeeper and the best form of his life is yet to come. Unai Emery’s trust in the German keeper can reap great benefits for Arsenal over a prolonged period.
Hector Bellerin should be the first-choice right back for Emery. He is one of the quickest players in the Premier League. Mkhitaryan, who will be in front of him, likes to cut inside which will create enough space for the Spaniard to overlap and contribute in attack.
The addition of veteran defender Stephan Lichtsteiner would increase the competition for that position.
Laurent Koscielny will be missing the first half of the Premier League season which forced Arsenal to sign a centre-back in the transfer window. Mustafi and Sokratis will be looking forward to forming a solid partnership at the back. Mustafi, in his spell at Arsenal, has been very inconsistent. He has been a regular starter for Arsenal but has often been criticized due to his silly errors at the back. Till Koscielny gets his fitness back to normal, the German and Sokratis will be the first choice central-defenders in the squad.
In the left-back position, Nacho Monreal will get the nod ahead of Sead Kolašinac, who is yet to establish himself in the team since his arrival from FC Schalke 04. While this was always supposed to be the case, Kolasinac’s unfortunate injury has ruled him out for 8 weeks, thus making the decision easier for Emery.
MIDFIELD
Lucas Torreira can be a magnificent signing for Arsenal if he is able to replicate his World Cup performances. Ramsey’s future with the club is still in doubt but he will be a starter if he decides to stay put at Arsenal.
Granit Xhaka was one of the first names on the teamsheet for Arsene Wenger but he is often criticized for his lack of discipline and his tendency to switch off at times. Only Aaron Ramsey’s exit can guarantee his chances to start for Arsenal. Mohamed Elneny failed to impress Arsene Wenger and mostly featured in the cup games for the Gunners and we believe that trend is set to continue.
ATTACK
Arsenal have built a formidable attack with the acquisitions of Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan. The former Manchester United player should start on the right-wing, leaving the number 10 position for Mesut Özil.
Aubameyang featured as a striker for Dortmund but he can also be deployed on the left-wing. He had a glorious start to his life in the Premier League, scoring 10 goals in 13 matches for Arsenal. Alexandre Lacazette is a prolific finisher and with Aubameyang in the camp, he will always be under pressure to score goals for his team.
(Stats Courtesy: Whoscored)