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

Midfield

I’m going to go out on a limb here and commit to the 3-5-2 set-up, even though in my heart, I know I am more likely to be right by picking the 3-4-3. Still, I’ll press on with the three in the midfield, which I hope will form a sort of triangle, with Aaron Ramsey at the front of that triangle, to form the hinge between the two behind him and the two strikers ahead of him.

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I realize that we’ve tried this formation before and it didn’t necessarily work. I realize that it’s a flimsy situation already, with three at the back, so to start two strikers again, in that situation, may not seem wise, but (here we go again) we need to play to the strengths of the players that we have. And that doesn’t involve trying to build a squad around Ozil, or Aubameyang. It means playing our best, most consistent players where they are best played.

So behind Ramsey, we need to see Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira, the pair that makes the midfield tick. Don’t mess around with Guendouzi or anything at this juncture, we have to trust these two to do the job that was made look so effective with three.

Like so many other matches, this match can be won by the midfield, and thus we have to trust in the three most talented midfielders that we have to do their part.

Last but most important, the strike force.