After getting back to winning ways on Saturday, Arsenal need to keep pushing for a top-four spot with another win against Brighton on Boxing Day.
Chelsea’s shock result against Leicester brought Arsenal right back into contention for the Champions League places over the weekend. The Gunners are currently only behind on goal difference, so Unai Emery’s side need to be ready to pounce on any further mistakes.
With a game against Liverpool at the weekend, Emery has a bit of a dilemma in terms of his team selection. As nice as it would be to get a result at Anfield, it’s probably better to make sure he secures the three points in midweek, rather than heavily rotating and risking dropping points in both matches.
Let’s have a look at our predicted lineup for the trip to Brighton.
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Lucas Torreira was given a rest on Saturday, but he’s likely to come back into the starting lineup on Wednesday. Arsenal almost always look better with him on the pitch, and Mohamed Elneny didn’t make a particularly impressive Premier League return over the weekend.
The problem is that Torreira is only one yellow card away from a suspension. Arsenal can’t afford to lose him for the Liverpool game, so he needs to come through this match without a booking.
Granit Xhaka got to enjoy 30 or so minutes in his favourite midfield position at the weekend before being forced to fill in at centre-back again. Thankfully, with Koscielny’s return, he should get to play in midfield again on this occasion. To complete the midfield trio, Matteo Guendouzi seems the most likely candidate.
Unai Emery has preferred to use Aaron Ramsey in the front three, whether as a wide player or a number 10, so it doesn’t seem like he’s a real option in midfield. We’ll see if that changes if Arsenal stick with a midfield three for an extended period of time.
Click ‘Next’ for Forwards and the full Predicted Starting XI