Arsenal’s Predicted Starting XI To Face Manchester United

Gabriel Paulista and Per Mertesacker

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We will be watching closely to see if Laurent Koscielny is fit enough to play but the initial indication is that he will not be. Koscielny is a tough cookie and if he could not continue, he has a serious injury. Let’s see Arsenal’s medical staff work their magic.

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Gabriel Paulista will be back to Premier League action, hoping that Mike Dean stays away. He and Koscielny may have had some communication problems against Olympiakos, but hopefully that will be ironed out by time United comes to town. With Memphis Depay and Anthony Martial bearing down on the defense, Gabriel is going to have his hands full keeping pace with the two speedsters. We all know that pace is not Per Mertesacker’s strong suit.

With Koscielny likely out, Mertesacker will resume duties in the center of defense. The German has always been a smart defender, but the pace of United may be enough to tie his shoe-laces together. Hopefully he can gather his wits and put up a strong showing.

Next: Defensive Mids