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Arsenal vs Cardiff City predicted starting XI: Mesut Ozil returns?

By Josh Sippie

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 07: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Arsenal FC at Craven Cottage on October 7, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 07: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Arsenal FC at Craven Cottage on October 7, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal will have an interesting time putting together a starting XI for the upcoming match against Cardiff City, but here is how they may line up.

Arsenal, Alexandre Lacazette
Arsenal, Alexandre Lacazette (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /

It’s hard to leave the Manchester United loss behind like it didn’t happen, but that’s exactly what we need to do as Arsenal welcome Cardiff City to the Emirates in a match where they can make good on the win against Chelsea and keep the pressure on the top four, hoping to make up more ground with the right kind of luck.

The Gunners will be more focused than ever on the Europa League, but getting into the top four is now likely to take top priority. As we learned last year, trusting in a Europa League win to get into the Champions League is a risky endeavor, and one that shouldn’t be traded for the potential to get into the top four.

Those hopes will take us through Cardiff City, who are currently in a battle to get out of the relegation zone, which, as has been evident every year since ever, is where a lot of the tougher match-ups come from down the stretch.

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Which is why it won’t be an easy match. But not just because of the state of Cardiff City, and their hopes of staying in the top flight, but because of the heaps of injuries that now plague the  Arsneal first team. More than usual, even. Koscielny and Sokratis are both unlikely to feature, which leaves Unai Emery with one hell of a selection headache.

One that I will try to sort out, like a giant wad of tangled Christmas lights. So let’s start with the easy part, the plug.

Keeper

Bernd Leno will get the start again. He has been reliable all year, even if he hasn’t had many matches where he has been tested to the point of looking particularly remarkable.

Still, the fact that he has been reliable is all that is needed. He has the capabilities to do something truly special when called upon, and Cardiff may be one of those times, with a battered defense ahead of him.

We will just have to wait and see.

And now, we get into the knot…. wish me luck.

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