Better late than never, a phrase appropriately describing Arsenal’s transfer activity this past summer. Securing the services of Granit Xhaka, Shkroden Mustafi, Lucas Perez, Rob Holding, and Twano Asano; Arsene Wenger has added plenty of new faces to an already strong squad. With one of the more unlikely candidates to win the title, the XI the French manager settles down on will be quite intriguing.
GK: Petr Cech
One of the veterans of the Premier League, Cech will also be in the running for one of the best goalkeepers in the world. His form has not let up since he left Chelsea in the 2015/2016 summer transfer window. David Ospina is a worthy competitor that will probably not take the spot from Cech, but challenge him further to secure his place in the squad.
LB: Nacho Monreal
One of the more underrated players in the Premier League, the Spaniard had troubles at first climatizing to the league. Since then, he has grown leaps and bounds to be the undisputable number one in Arsenal’s left back position this year. Much more solid at the back than his competitor Kieran Gibbs, the former man from Malaga is one of the stalwarts in Arsenal’s backline.
CB: Laurent Koscielny
Arguably the best centerback both in Arsenal and France currently, Koscielny is one of the shoe-ins for Arsenal’s ideal XI this year. His absence was felt in Arsenal’s 3-4 loss against Liverpool on opening match day, and his return against Leicester instantly improved the team significantly. He offers an aura of security that no one other offers at Arsenal at the moment. Any sustained form is reliant on Koscielny’s inclusion this season.
CB: Shkrodan Mustafi
A potentially ideal partner for Koscielny this year, the German international had a strong showing throughout his years at Valencia last season. With Mertesacker’s calmness and lack of pace and Gabriel’s pacy but rash defending, Mustafi looks to offer the happy medium for Arsenal’s defense.
RB: Hector Bellerin
A player that has improved immensely since his inclusion over Mattheiu Debuchy at right back, the former Barcelona academy player has become one of the right backs in the league. He offers immense pace, a feature that allows him to run up and down the pitch depending where’s he needed at that time. His defensive work his solid and has a strong technical game. One of the easier inclusions on this list.
CM: Granit Xhaka
Potentially being Arsenal’s best midfielder this year, the Swiss international offers a steel presence combined with a long range passing ability that would certainly give Arsenal options going forward.
CM: Mohamed Elneny
Santi Cazorla’s exclusion may be a surprise, but the combination of Elneny and Xhaka would be the strongest and most durable for Arsenal’s XI this season. The Egyptian offers energy and incision that can complement Xhaka’s strengths very well. Especially against stronger opponents, this is the duo that can challenge those teams.
LW: Alexis Sanchez
Another comfortable shoe-in, Sanchez is the talisman for Arsenal. He offers a direct style of play from the flank, a style that has shown time and time again to be effective against Premier League defenses. There is arguably no other player that is as dynamic nor explosive as the Chilean forward.
CAM: Mesut Ozil
Arsenal’s most talented footballer, the German International can be the argued as the best #10 in the world at the moment. He sees passes that only the most elite playmakers can attempt, and often times those passes find their target. Ozil offers the X factor that few other teams possess in terms of having an incredible playmaker that can make any range of passing work. Ozil will be needed to be fit to provide for Arsenal’s offense this upcoming season.
RW: Theo Walcott
It has to be said that this is the weakest inclusion on this list. Walcott has become an incredibly frustrating figure at times for Arsenal. Some of the time he has the pace and finishing ability that can destroy opposing defenses on the counter. Other times he is completely out of the game, where the ball rarely finds him. However, he has been more consistent in weeks past, so there is hope that the English winger can find himself being a tricky threat once again.
ST: Olivier Giroud
Even though Lucas Perez has been signed, it should be the Frenchmen that should be upfront for Arsenal. He offers a presence upfront that the likes of Ozil and Sanchez lack. His combination play is key for Arsenal to tackle stubborn back lines. He offers an aerial threat that allows Arsenal to play long-balls to him. In a sense, he is the glue that allows Sanchez and Ozil to thrive.
Michael Skok
Football Editor for
Polish-American Portal www.Poland.us
More on: www.mikesgoal.com
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