Arsenal vs Manchester City: Predicted starting XI for massive opener

Midfield

This position will obviously depend on just how Unai Emery decides to line up. He has utilized both the 4-3-3 and the 4-4-2 during the preseason, but primarily, he has gone with the 4-3-3. That may not mean anything though. Maybe he knows he wants the 4-4-2 and has been testing out the 4-3-3.

Which is actually what I expect him to do. I think he will employ the 4-4-2 to better utilize his strengths and to better keep pace with Manchester City’s outright attack. It is a gamble, but Emery strikes me as the gambling sort.

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Meaning that the midfield four will be anchored around two deep midfielders while two attacking midfielders will be sorted out wide.

For the deep midfielders, I would expect to see Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey. Although this is absolutely the part where I have the most hesitation, simply because Matteo Guendouzi has been so good and Lucas Torreira is supposed to be the big-time solution.

Still, with Torreira lacking fitness and Guendouzi lacking experience, I would imagine that Emery wants to error on the side of two experienced guys who fill very specific roles. If Torreira had a longer time with the club, this would be a different story. But he didn’t, so it isn’t.

Again, I hesitate the most with this portion, but that’s my logic.

Which would mean, rather obviously, that Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be starting out wide. We really should be employing both of them as often as possible.

Last but the opposite of the least – the attack.