Arsenal vs BATE Borisov: Predicted XI with all eyes on Aubameyang

Front Three

This is where the match will be won or lost. For as important as the wingbacks are, we still need those guys that will be fielding the ball and putting it where it belongs. Which becomes exponentially more difficult without Alexandre Lacazette available.

Instead, we will have to found on the starters to make the necessary impact, because the reinforcements just aren’t there to bail them out.

As such, I think we can all count on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starting up front, given the lack of any other serious option, and the pressure will be on him to put away every chance he gets, particularly the early ones, before things get antsy.

On one side of him, I think Alex Iwobi still deserves more opportunity to flex his stuff. He needs to show more consistency and reliability, but he can’t do that without opportunity.

I thought Henrikh Mkhitaryan would be a viable choice opposite Iwobi, but his wastefulness in the first leg overshadowed the fact that he did create the second most chances on the team, even if they amounted to nothing.

Instead, I hope Denis Suarez gets his chance to start. I keep saying the same thing, but I’ll say it again here – no one else is doing the job, so why not ask him to do it in the meantime? Worst case, he’s just as bad as everyone else.