Arsenal vs Rennes predicted starting XI: Wherefore art thou, Mesut Ozil?

Arsenal can’t take this match for granted, but that said, it can be a fun one if they send out the right guys. Here’s the likely cast and crew of the starting XI against Rennes.

Arsenal are coming off a telling match against Tottenham that showed the gumption behind their cajones, and it should give fans all the confidence in the world (if you didn’t have the confidence already) that this club is headed in the right direction, without a shred of doubt.

Unai Emery’s level of preparation for that match were out of this world, and they worked to near perfection, save for a bit of misfortune (not to mention the odd introduction of Mesut Ozil to a match he clearly didn’t belong in).

Still though, after that match, and with Manchester United coming at the weekend, the in-between of traveling to Rennes to hopefully avoid another BATE Borisov first leg becomes something of a bridge between high-stress matches, which, in turn, might make it a bit of a tense affair itself, or it might serve the opposite purpose and become free-flowing and open.

Time will tell, and it will be heavily influenced by who Emery sends out there to try to keep the momentum flowing, while also not exhausting any necessary legs.

There are options in this starting XI that Emery will undoubtedly be able to play with, and those options will allow him to keep legs as fresh as possible for a much more important match against United, which can see us back into the top five (or four, depending on Chelsea).

Still, a 7-0 romping over Rennes would be one hell of a way to link together Tottenham and United, especially if we can avoid any injuries or tired legs.

So let’s talk about who Emery calls on in this one, and how he sets his team up. We start where we always do – in goal.

Keeper

Petr Cech will start. It’s clear that this is his competition, even if Bernd Leno is currently at super-human status. Cech is in his last year, so securing a crucial trophy like the Europa League would be a special way to go out.

Moving on, let’s establish that I am predicting a 4-2-3-1 formation, as that has been the go-to for Emery in recent weeks, no matter the opponent. So the centerbacks are next.