Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal Vs West Ham United: Predicted starting XI – Lacazette returns

By Andrew Dowdeswell

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 12: Unai Emery, Manager of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on August 12, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 12: Unai Emery, Manager of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on August 12, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Sokratis
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 12: Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Arsenal in action during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on August 12, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

Centre-backs

Easily the most settled position in the squad, Emery is ostensibly quite clear in who he believes his two best centre-backs are. Whether they are actually any good is another question altogether. I have major doubts over both. But such is the dearth of alternative options in the squad, Emery doesn’t really have a choice.

In fairness, neither Sokratis Papastathopoulos, a new £17 million signing in the summer, nor Shkodran Mustafi has been completely exposed. That’s not to say that they have played well. They certainly haven’t been the solution to Arsenal’s defensive vulnerabilities. But they also haven’t been as bad as I perhaps expected them to be.

I am still not especially confident about their prospects moving forward. It will be interesting to see them in a match when Arsenal enjoy far more of the ball, as is expected in this fixture. But, for now, they are the best pair in the squad. That, though, says more about the squad than either player.