More than the number of wins in a week, Arsene Wenger has had to worry about the number of injuries, such has been the state of the club over the past two months. Every time one player comes back from injury, two more get injured. As a result of that, Arsenal lost Sanchez, Cazorla and Coquelin, three undisputed starters.
There seems t be some respite in the past week over so, with no injuries and the returns of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott. Arsene Wenger has had very less offensive players to choose from of late and the attacking unit has bolstered by the aforementioned returns.
Theo Walcott started his first game after the injury in the match against Sheffield Wednesday, against Olympiacos. He didn’t have a bad game but needs one or two more starts to get his grip back. Injury to Santi Cazorla meant that Ramsey could return to his favoured central position. And he has been quite something there, with 1 goal and 2 assists in the last two games he started there.
Mathieu Flamini is enjoying his run of games in absence of Francis Coquelin and Mikel Arteta, and he hasn’t been bad. He’s not bad, but he simply is not Coquelin. That might make Wenger look for options in the winter window.
Calum Chambers, having been training in the defensive midfield, but is yet to receive a start in that position. He is though expected to be on the bench, as Wenger would prefer to use the same set of starters in such a crucial time in the league. It is a chance to go top of the table at least till Leicester play Chelsea. After a fantastic performance against Olympiacos, Joel Campbell should be retaining his place in the starting 11, with Alexis Sanchez’s return only imminent for the Manchester City game.
Chamberlain might get the nod ahead of Walcott at the flanks because Walcott’s defensive performance against Olympiacos was poor, and no way he can play at center forward for the form Giroud is on. Mesut Ozil might be rested for this match after playing for 90 minutes against both Sunderland and Olympiacos, so Walcott might start-up front with Giroud.
In defence, Gabriel might have been expected to get his start ahead of Mertesacker at CB, but then Arsenal will be left with no proper captain with Arteta and Cazorla absent. And Koscielny was excellent at Greece, and he will surely be given the opportunity to continue it at Villa Park. So, it is expected that Arsene Wenger will retain the line-up that started at Emirates last week.
PREDICTED LINE-UP
Cech
Bellerin Mertesacker Koscielny Monreal
Flamini Ramsey
Campbell Chamberlain
Walcott
Giroud
CONFIRMED LINE-UP
Cech
Bellerin Mertesacker Koscielny Monreal
Flamini Ramsey
Campbell Ozil Walcott
Giroud
Can Arsenal reach the pinnacle of the Premier League table?
COYG!
