Three Arsenal line-ups we could see in 2018/19: how will the Gunners look under Unai Emery?

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For the first time in 22 years, Arsenal are preparing for a new campaign without Arsene Wenger at the helm following the Frenchman’s departure at the end of last season.

The veteran was replaced by former Paris Saint-Germain boss Unai Emery and the club are sailing towards their new era with the Premier League just over two weeks away.

So far this summer Emery has already brought in Bernd Leno, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi as part of an upheaval to try and push Arsenal back into the Premier League’s top four.

The Gunners may not be done in the transfer window just yet, but Emery’s men take on Atletico Madrid as part of the International Champions Cup on Thursday – the new head coach’s first real test of pre-season.

But, with their improved squad, how could we see Arsenal line up once competitive football begins in 2018/19? Here are three ways Unai may set up his XI over the upcoming season.

Arsenal line up 2018/19 No.1: The Unai Special

On paper, this will be the strongest XI Emery can put out using the players currently registered at Arsenal – including those not currently with the squad due to World Cup commitments – and the new head coach’s favourite formation.

Since the departure of Jens Lehmann, Arsenal have struggled in terms of their goalkeepers with Petr Cech a shadow of the man bought from Chelsea. With the arrival of Leno from Bayer Leverkusen, the Gunners will certainly have a new number one to try and take the club into the new era with solidity at the back.

Despite the signing of Lichtsteiner, Hector Bellerin presents the best option at right-back, as he continues to grow as a player using his pace in both defence and attack. On the other side, Sead Kolasinac can use his power for a different way in breaking down opposition attacks as well as providing a force to be reckoned with further up the pitch.

In central defence, Shkodran Mustafi and new-signing Sokratis can bring the solidity Arsenal have been lacking over the past few seasons owing to the downturn in form of Laurent Koscielny (and his six-month layoff through injury) and the ageing, now-retired Per Mertesacker. Sokratis’ ability on the ball would also give the Gunners the option of playing out from the back.

Just in front of the defence, a pairing of Aaron Ramsey and Torreira can bring balance to this Arsenal side and provided an effective means to transition between defence and attack. While Torreira sits back to cut out passing lines, Ramsey can push forward to add to an already frightening attack with his creativity and potency in front of goal. For Sampdoria last season, Torreira averaged 4.2 attempted tackles per 90 minutes in Serie A while Ramsey was Arsenal’s second-highest scorer in all competitions with 11 goals. Granit Xhaka could also slot in to the Torreira role if required.

Then, the frightening attack. A front four essentially, consisting of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette with the latter leading the line.

Ozil would be the creative hub of the attackers, dictating play on the edge of the box as his team-mates rotate and provide the runs worthy of the German’s passing range and eye.

Despite being the main forward at Dortmund, Aubameyang has a unique skillset which would allow him to play out almost as a wide forward, using his pace to devastate defensives but also cut into the area to provide a back up for Lacazette to finish the amount of chances created by Ozil and Mkhitaryan. Think Mohamed Salah at Liverpool, but on the left.

Arsenal line up 2018/19 No.2: The Developmental XI

Last season in the Europa League, Wenger used the full extent of his squad in the group stages, giving the club’s younger players invaluable game time while resting others without truly harming Arsenal’s chances of progression.

And Emery could do the same this season, using a mixture of youth and players with splashes of experience for a fresh look to the squad. Speaking upon his unveiling as new Arsenal head coach, the Spaniard said: “In terms of young players, it’s important to give them the opportunities that they deserve. And when they earn those opportunities, they also earn the respect of their teammates.

“I’ve never seen anything handed out for free in football and in terms of Arsenal and their history, the young players have always earned those opportunities.

“I’m not going to be closing the door to anyone, so I’ll be giving young players just the opportunities that they deserve.”

So, for the cup competitions, in particular the Europa League and League Cup, Emiliano Martinez could see himself starting in goal the younger of Arsenal’s back-up goalkeepers, at 25, having also played 13 times for the first team.

In defence, two full-backs with years of experience could flank a youthful centre-back pairing as Lichtsteiner and Nacho Monreal start alongside Calum Chambers and Rob Holding.

New signing Lichtsteiner has played over 500 senior games in his career, winning an array of trophies including the past seven Serie A titles with Juventus, while Monreal has become somewhat of an unsung hero with Arsenal for his quiet leadership and knack for goals last season.

Despite their young ages at 23 and 22 respectively, Chambers and Holding are no strangers to first-team football having been given the opportunity at Arsenal in the past, but could further cement their places as part of the club’s future with strong performances.

Mimicking his formation at PSG, a midfield trio of Guendouzi, Mohamed Elneny and Ainsley Maitland-Niles would provide defensive stability and excitement in attack.

While Elneny will be the designated defender in the trio, new signing Guendouzi would work well in helping to sweep up balls before they reach the defence and holding back alongside the Egyptian while Maitland-Niles pushes forward to join in the attacking without putting the back line in danger.

And in attack, an exciting front three of Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Lucas Perez can use their mixture of youthful pace and steady experience to threaten opposition defences down both flanks.

Arsenal line up 2018/19 No.3: Diamonds are Forever Special Occasions Only

While Arsenal fans may have welcomed the defensive solidity the club have brought in with their signings so far this summer, the Gunners are yet to add any attacking players.

As a result, the Gunners may be over-reliant on certain wider players throughout the season, especially Mkhitaryan given the average form of Alex Iwobi and Danny Welbeck and inexperience of the likes of Nelson.

One way Emery could combat this is by playing a more compact formation of a 4-1-2-1-2, using no wide players and focusing the play purely down the centre of the pitch.

Leno would continue in goal as the club’s number one, with Bellerin, Sokratis, Konstantin Mavropanos and Kolasinac making up the back four. In this particular formation, the impetus may be on Bellerin and Kolasinac to be more attacking than they might usually be, using their respective pace and power to add width when certain situations require it.

Slightly in front of the defence, Xhaka finds his way into the team, being the last shield for Arsenal’s back four, using his game-stopping ability to cut balls out before they can cause trouble, but also being the first passing option for both centre-backs.

A midfield two follows, of Torreira and Ramsey, playing in a similar style to how they would in Emery’s favourite XI, with the Welshman pushing further forward and having more influence on the attack while Torreira helps sweep up balls and frustrate opponents to provide back-up for Xhaka.

Ahead of them, the talisman that is Ozil can have the creative freedom he requires to dictate play high up the pitch, playing slightly behind the strikers who will gladly convert the numerous chances he will provide for them.

Something Arsenal are yet to truly experiment with will lead the line as Aubameyang and Lacazette start together in a strike partnership that will have many a defender running scared when going up against the Gunners in his formation. Combined last season, the pair scored a total of 27 goals for Arsenal despite Aubameyang joining late and Lacazette dealing with injuries and poor form.

The post Three Arsenal line-ups we could see in 2018/19: how will the Gunners look under Unai Emery? appeared first on Squawka News.



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