Arsenal vs Southampton Ideal Starting XI: Alex Iwobi Back

Carl Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs

Not sure how confident I am in this prediction, but it totally makes sense. Carl Jenkinson is the subject of some ill-founded rumors that his Arsenal career is over simply because he was given a breather against Bournemouth after having played two matches in a week, which can be taxing coming off a major knee injury.

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Jenko would be a welcomed presence in a match that needs Premier League quality. And yes, our lifelong Arsenal man is Premier League quality. He knows how to hold his own defensively and, while he may not provide the same benefits going forward, he is what we need on the defensive end.

Kieran Gibbs, meanwhile, should absolutely be in there. Again, just because it is the EFL Cup doesn’t mean that we don’t need top quality players. This isn’t Reading we are dealing with.

Gibbs should be primed and ready to put forth another promising display and with Jenko opposite him, he may be needed to make himself a significant presence on the offensive side of the ball. Luckily, he has all the abilities to make that a reality.

Next up, the center back pairing.