Arsenal return from the international break to face Norwich City on Saturday, let’s take a look at our predicted lineup for the clash.
Arsenal currently sit bottom of the Premier League table with no wins and no goals in their first three games. The good news is that they’ll now face one of only two other teams to fail to pick up a point – Norwich City.
The Gunners absolutely have to get their season going with a win, particularly at the Emirates Stadium in front of their own fans. Here’s our predicted lineup for the match.
Goalkeeper
It seems likely Bernd Leno keeps his place in the team, though Aaron Ramsdale is certainly putting the pressure on. Ramsdale kept a clean sheet against West Brom and another in the international break friendly against Brentford – for what it’s worth.
Still, Leno has been away during that same international break keeping a clean sheet for Germany. Despite the criticism often aimed at him, he prevented quite a few more goals against Chelsea and Manchester City and will probably continue to start.
Defence
Thankfully, Ben White is back from his Covid-19 absence, and he should start at right-centre-back. Kieran Tierney is also still a nailed-on starter, but the other two positions are a little harder to call.
Gabriel Magalhaes is closing in on full fitness, but he’s still only recently back from his extended injury absence. We’re predicting Mikel Arteta to stick with Pablo Mari for now, but it could go either way.
As for the right-back position, Hector Bellerin is gone, but Cedric Soares and Calum Chambers remain to provide competition for new signing Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Our prediction is that Tomiyasu will make his debut, given how keen Arteta was to push the deal through and the fact neither Cedric nor Chambers have really managed to nail down their spots.
Midfield
Thanks to Granit Xhaka’s red card and Mohamed Elneny’s injury, Arsenal’s midfield options are a bit short right now. Thomas Partey is supposedly close to a return, but he wasn’t ready to feature in the international break friendly against Brentford.
As a result, Arteta may have to turn to Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, as basically his only available deep midfielders.
Ahead of them, you get the sense Arteta may have to choose between Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe. With Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli to squeeze into two wide positions as well, it’s difficult to find room in the team for both.
It’s not ideal to give up Odegaard’s chance creation when you’re struggling for goals as badly as Arsenal are, so we’re giving him the nod.
Forwards
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should start up front, though Alexandre Lacazette is definitely putting the pressure on him.
Pepe and Saka are the likely choices either side, with Saka in good form over the international break and Pepe back from illness to provide an assist in the Brentford friendly.
Youngsters Martinelli and Folarin Balogun will have to wait for chances, likely in the Carabao Cup against AFC Wimbledon in mid-September, and Eddie Nketiah remains out injured for now.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs Norwich City
