Arsenal vs Brentford: Predicted starting XI for League Cup opener

Fullbacks

There really isn’t much of an option here. Although I really wish there was. Unai Emery has stuck with his Spanish pairing of Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal in the Premier League, although I have seen enough of Bellerin and his inability to not play attackers onside. All I want is a rightback who can hold the line and defend. That’s not too much to ask, is it?

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Thankfully, against Brentford, we will see Stephan Lichtsteiner again, who really should be our No. 1 right back. His experience and defensive intelligence would put Bellerin to shame and I truly believe that a lot of our defensive problems would magically disappear if the swap were made.

That claim can be made a lot more viable if Lichtsteiner puts in a class performance against Brentford, which should absolutely happen.

Opposite him will be Nacho Monreal, though I do worry about him playing too many minutes, and hope that an alternative can be found soon, even if that means pulling from the youth squad. Monreal has been consistently adequate thus far into the year, but exhaustion is a real thing and I’d hate to see him burn out too soon.

Now, let’s talk centerbacks, where I have no idea what will happen.