The starting XI that should play against Brighton
Arsenal face a trip to Brighton and Hove Albion tomorrow looking to pick up a head of steam. The club is still buzzing from the heroics at the Etihad last weekend and will be hoping to continue this form and go on a bit of a run. Arsenal should have too much for Brighton, but such is the beauty of the cup that every match is a test. Wenger spoke about his wariness of complacency and about showing Brighton the proper respect, and as such I expect him to field a strong side.
Wenger revealed the team news ahead of the fixture, saying Bellerin and Chamberlain will face late test with the former more likely to recover fully. Both picked up knocks against City, with Chamberlain suffering an inflamed groin and Bellerin an ankle injury. The boss also revealed that Serge Gnabry has recently returned to training but will not feature while Danny Welbeck will miss a further two games. New signing Krystian Bielik is not in Wenger’s plans at the moment with the 17 year old just returning from a long break in Poland and is not yet fully fit.
Arsenal are of course the holders and will be taking the cup seriously. With Chelsea, City, Spurs, Swansea, and Southampton all knocked out, the lads should feel the cup is their for the taking. I suspect a very strong side with a mixture of regulars and fringe players both on the pitch and on the bench.
By my estimation, Szczesny is now the second choice keeper at Arsenal and as such he would be in line to play in the cup run. Regardless of what Wenger will have you to believe, Szczesny has fallen out of favour at the moment. Not only for his now infamous smoking incident, his form was wavering and this could be a chance for Szczesny to prove himself again.
Brilliant as of late Monreal has been and with Gibbs only just returning, I think Wenger will stick with Nacho. He was solid against City and I think Monreal has flown under the radar with his performances this season. He shouldn’t have many problems against Brighton.
Heroic last weekend alongside Mertesacker and ideally you would look to rest him in a fixture like this but Arsenal is of course limited in options. He will be raring to go anyway though, having missed much football this season through injury. Laurent has been outstanding since his return (except for the Southampton match) and with him back Arsenal look all the more stable defensively.
What I like about Per recently is his response to criticism. He endured some difficult patches this season but has stood up when it really mattered. The time is now for Arsenal to go on a run and make a statement, and we will need Per in the heart of defense to be at his best. When thengoing gets tough, the tough get going.
We haven’t seen much of Chambers lately with Wenger saying before that the player has played more than he should have at such a young age. I suspect Wenger will recall Chambers tomorrow. This is the perfect kind of fixture for a young player and one you would have expected Chambers to play in before hand. He has done well this season for the most part.
Francis has been sensational since his return to the club and has done enough to retain his place. He looks the real deal and a long term solution in defensive midfield going forward for Arsenal (yes we still another one though), and I think he should keep his place in the side so long as he is fit. Gooners have taken to him immediately since his return and his performances have shown he we were right to do so.
Wenger all but confirmed Ozil will return to the line up tomorrow answering “it is likely” when asked by a reporter. The German has just returned from a long layoff and didn’t feature last weekend against City (despite my prediction otherwise), so should be rested and raring to go. Ozil is at a crucial stage in his career now, with many doubting him and counting him out since his arrival in England. All eyes will be on him to see how he responds both to the injury and to the criticism.
The little Mozart is a joy to watch and although it still saddens me that he has fallen from grace, this is is the kind of fixture he features in these days and I think we will see him tomorrow. Santi Cazorla has been sublime as of late and normally I would play him at all cost, but he deserves a rest and this is the kind of fixture that gives Arsenal a chance to rotate and rest key players.
Rotation is the name of the game, and I think Sanchez should be rested as well. Campbell’s chances have been limited and he needs to take the few moments he does get. This match is a perfect time to do so. Arsenal should see much of the ball and he should get plenty of chances to contribute. I would love to see him score his first official Arsenal goal tomorrow.
Another man who could really use a run out and I suspect it will come tomorrow. He of course has been out for quite a while and has been chomping at the bit to return. Although I expected Theo to play anyway, Chamberlain’s fresh knock leaves Walcott right in line to replace him in the XI. Gooners will be delighted to have Theo back, with his pace and crossing a huge asset to the side. His return is a huge boost for the club.
Back amongst the goals last weekend and back on form. He was exceptional against City, holding up the ball and combining well and when he does that, Arsenal are extremely hard to play against . He will be a handful for Brighton and I think he will score again. We need him for the rest of the campaign to retain this kind of form and energy.