Arsenal Vs Manchester City: Do you risk Aaron Ramsey?

The start of the season is here. Arsenal host Manchester City on Sunday afternoon. Unai Emery has quite the decision to make: does he risk Aaron Ramsey?

The new Premier League season is finally here. Even with World Cup to tide me over, the return of the domestic season is always of eager anticipation. And this season, with Arsenal making a raft of changes from top to bottom, is perhaps more exciting and uncertain than any other.

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Moreover, the Gunners open the year against Manchester City. While many bemoaned the fixture gods when the schedule was announced, it is a fascinating opener, one with myriad storylines that will unfold over a riveting 90 minutes. I cannot wait.

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Unai Emery, in his first competitive match as Arsenal head coach, has quite the raft of selection decisions to make. Because of the World Cup and the delayed return of many of his more established players, Emery has a collection of players with a range of fitness levels. There are those that are definitely out, Sead Kolasinac and Laurent Koscielny, for instance. There are those that have not played on their return from the World Cup. There are those that have played a bit in the preseason but probably not enough. And then there are those that have been at the club for the whole preseason and should be razor sharp.

And then there’s Aaron Ramsey. The central midfielder who is reportedly the individual who Emery wants to build the team around, the Arsenal Player of the Season, the man who has spurned the chance to sign a new contract, now entering the final year of his current deal, and the injury-stricken player who only returned to training this week after suffering a slight calf issue earlier in the preseason.

At the heart of this team, Emery must decide whether he will risk Ramsey. The Welshman will not be fully fit. That is for certain. But is he still a better option than an equally unprepared Lucas Torreira or Granit Xhaka or inexperienced Matteo Guendouzi or restricted Mohamed Elneny?

While rushing a player back from injury is never wise, especially at the start of the season when suffering a longer-term injury is plausible and against a team of City’s quality, who will easily take advantage of a midfielder lacking the cutting-edge sharpness at the top level, given the lack of convincing alternatives, Emery may be persuaded into starting Ramsey.

Another way that he could go is to abandon the presence of a marauding central midfielder, play with two holding players in two from Xhaka, Torreira and Guendouzi, and insert Henrikh Mkhitaryan in a wide position, moving Mesut Ozil into a central attacking midfield role. It would be risky to field so many attacking players against a team as potent as City, but it may be his best option.

It remains to be seen what Emery will do. At this point, it is just speculation. No one really knows what he is thinking. But I am sure he is wrestling with risking Ramsey. Whatever side he lands on, it is a decision that will be pivotal to Arsenal’s fate, that’s for sure.