Arsenal vs Manchester City: Hector Bellerin Return Complicates Things

Arsenal seemed permanently set at right back with Hector Bellerin, now all of a sudden, his return complicates things ahead of the Manchester City clash.

Everyone wants to know how Arsene Wenger will line up his Arsenal troops against Manchester City. Will he revert to the safer option and unleash his favored 4-2-3-1 or will he stick with the revolution and give the 3-4-3 another try?

The follow-up question to that, as was covered today here at Pain in the Arsenal, is in what facet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be used. He has to be on the pitch. Somewhere. Anywhere. And given how strong his audition at right wing back was, along with how much Leroy Sane terrorized Hector Bellerin last time these two clubs met, it’s worth a good deal of pondering.

Which raises the next sequential question – what do we do with Hector Bellerin.

No one should be hitting the panic button on this young man. He’s just having a down year (let’s just blame the hair, that’s easy enough). But while he still may be the long-term answer, just like he has always been, the present day set up is complicated a bit with the Spaniard’s return.

Wenger admitted that the young right back had been struggling with an ankle problem (which begs the question of why he was being played) but it is assumed that all signs are go against City.

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So what do you do? Bellerin was absolutely torched by Leroy Sane last time these two clubs met in February. On that note, would it really be so much more of a risk to stick with the 3-4-3 and let Oxlade-Chamberlain have another go? Methinks not.

Still though, the risk of that three back system is pretty hefty as well. Probably even moreso than handing the reigns back to Bellerin in the 4-2-3-1. But the reward portion of the ‘risk-reward’ scenario is in favor of the 3-4-3.

This is getting complicated, but that is rarely ever a bad thing. This complication comes from having two good options at the center of two very different philosophies. In the past, the problems came from having just one option and just one philosophy. So while this complication may be stressful, it is progress, and that counts for something.

This doesn’t even include the possibility of Bellerin starting as a wingback, which is also a definite option. I still love the idea of the Oxlade-Chamberlain and Bellerin starting opposite each other, but that seems like a very distant possibility.

Next: Predicted XI To Face Manchester City

All eyes will be glued to the team news as we await the release of the starting XI. How exciting, that we actually have to wonder what Wenger will do.