Arsenal Vs BATE Borisov: Tie comes at perfect moment

Arsenal play BATE Borisov twice over the next week. With inconsistent form and players returning from injury, the tie could not have come at a better time.

Arsenal play BATE Borisov twice over the next week and with the top four race very much in the balance, these games could not have come at a better time. With players returning from injury and new combinations to try, Unai Emery will hopefully come out of the next week with a squad ready to deliver on its goals.

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While I continue to defend Emery, it is true that Arsenal have looked disjointed in recent weeks. The performance against Chelsea was a slightly isolated incident, with the games surrounding it proving a difficult watch. This was a trend largely caused by injuries, but nonetheless, it comprises form that wouldn’t strike fear into their rivals.

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Now, with the two games against BATE Borisov, Emery has something of an opportunity to take stock. This is not to say that Borisov are in no way a threat — we have seen that pretty much any attack can cause Arsenal issues — but it will allow Emery the scope for some rotation and provide players like Denis Suarez with a springboard for the remainder of their seasons.

On Thursday, Emery will most likely play a strong side. With Granit Xhaka back, I would expect to see a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 diamond that looks to remain defensively solid, while allowing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette to win the tie, or at least put Arsenal in a dominant position.

Following the game, the team has a week off in which Sokratis will move closer to fitness and Laurent Koscielny can rest his ageing legs. In the second leg, you would hope that there is more space for resting and rotation, thus ensuring a fresh squad for the game at Southampton.

The frustration I continue to have with this team is the lack of quality beyond the first 12 or 13 players. We have seen that with players fit this group has potential, but too often Emery has witnessed players that should be able to step up, flounder.

For much of the season, Emery has been stuck between playing an unreliable yet experienced option and a younger, but perhaps more talented alternative. Understandably, given what is at stake, he has erred on the side of caution, but two legs of a Europa League game could see this change.

Denis Suarez’s situation, too, is an interesting one. In 45 minutes over two substitute appearances, he has hardly ripped up trees. But Borisov provides him with the chance to at least get a start under his belt. If he can impress, he can certainly begin to offer a new option in attack, taking the pressure of Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

With 12 games remaining in the Premier League and plenty to play for in the Europa League, Emery will hope to see his side begin peaking, reaping the benefits of the fitness regimen he brought in during the summer. These BATE Borisov fixtures present an opportunity to take a step back, build confidence and go again. They come at just the right time.