When it comes to picking a starting XI for Sunday’s derby game against Tottenham, Arsene Wenger has a wealth of options.
We know that Petr Cech will return to the starting lineup, as will Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal.
We also know that Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi, Alexis, and Mesut Ozil will all start. So who takes those final four spots?
In midfield, Francis Coquelin should start because he always starts when he’s fit.
Alongside him, I expect to see Granit Xhaka (whose red card record is nothing like popular opinion would have you believe) return from his suspension. Santi Cazorla is training, but his Achilles problem appears troublesome and I reckon the medical staff would love to give it some more time to heal.
Theo Walcott’s form means he must surely return to the starting lineup while we know that Wenger has absolutely no problem trusting Alex Iwobi, given just a few minutes of injury time midweek, with big games.
Olvier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey, both returning from layoffs, will rightly feel hard done by to not get the nod (and we could see Ramsey in beside Coquelin) but it’s hard to argue with what this starting XI are capable of:
Here are some lineup predictions from our Twitter followers:
Cech, Bellerin, Kostafi, Monreal, Santi, Coquelin, Walcott, Ozil, Sanchez, Giroud
— bingtsuigooner (@bingtsuigooner) November 4, 2016
Spoilt for choice (as long as all fit).Would like Granit to start, Iwobi over Ramsey,Sanchez over Giroud up front, it's tough.
— Christopher Moore (@scramble_suit) November 4, 2016
Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Xhaka, Elneny, Walcott, Özil, Iwobi, Alexis
— Met. (@AFCMet) November 4, 2016
Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Kos, Naco; Coquelin, Xhaka; Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi; Sanchez. Need to have pace. Kill them early
— Ljungberg's Y fronts (@louisbrowneIOW) November 4, 2016
https://twitter.com/spomeard/status/794506712745185281
cech
bellerin mustafi kos monreal
coq cazorla
theo özil iwobi
alexis— Craig Jex Hawker (@jex_75) November 4, 2016
Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Kos', Monreal / Santi, Xhaka / Walcott, Özil, Alexis / Giroud
— Mam_G (@Mam_G) November 4, 2016
Cech – Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscileny, Nacho – Xhaka, Elnenny – Chamberlain, Ozil, Walcott – Alexis. Iwobi, Giroud, Santi Subs.
— M Dio Khairunnas (@mdiokha) November 4, 2016
Cech Bellerin Mustafi Koscielny Monreal Coquelin Xhaka Ozil Ox Theo Alexis
— Jimmys ⚽ Arsenal (@jimmysarsenalfc) November 4, 2016