Arsenal will seek to get back to winning ways in the Premier League when they take on West Bromwich Albion in Saturday’s early kick-off. The Gunners have had a wretched run since the turn of the year and defeats to Watford, Chelsea and Liverpool have all but ended their chances of challenging for the title.
Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger’s side also face a tough task of finishing in the top-four despite having two games in hand over Liverpool, who hold a five-point lead for the final Champions League place.
Formation: 4-3-3
Wenger has managed to bring out a new 4-3-3 formation to their setup following his reluctance to change from the 4-2-3-1 lineup for much of the campaign.
Lineup:
Goalkeeper:
Petr Cech has been ever-present for the Gunners this term. He will be a definite starter for his side on Saturday afternoon.
Defenders:
Hector Bellerin will take up his regular role on the right side of the defence with Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny making up the centre-back partnership. Kieran Gibbs was largely criticised for his performance against Lincoln, and he could be dropped in favour of Nacho Monreal at left-back.
Midfielders:
Aaron Ramsey had a mixed day out against Lincoln last weekend though he bagged a goal. With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain still injured and Mohamed Elneny just returning to full training, the Welshman could get another run in the starting lineup. Ramsey could start alongside Granit Xhaka in midfield with Ozil preferably playing ahead of them in a deep playmaker role.
Forwards:
Theo Walcott has been in fine form with goals against Lincoln City and Bayern Munich in his previous two outings. He is a definite start on the right side of the attack with Alexis Sanchez preferable on the left, while Olivier Giroud could lead the line in order to combat the physical presence of the Baggies backline.
Prediction:
West Bromwich Albion 0-1 Arsenal
