Arsenal vs Napoli predicted starting XI: This is the moment

Midfield

Please don’t mess with the formula. And I don’t think Unai Emery will. But the point of this midfield should be to clamp down on their attacks before they build momentum and to control possession when we do win it back. There doesn’t need to be much urgency, but there should be that potential to strike quickly if the opportunity presents itself.

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Enter Granit Xhaka. With his long ball ability in tandem with his consummate calmness, anything can happen when he gets the ball, but you can rest assured that that “anything” doesn’t include a baffling mental collapse that gifts the other team a goal.

He’s too good for that, those days are well behind him. He is as trustworthy as they come with possession, always with ideas, but always knowing the situation as well, and what is required in those situations.

Lucas Torreira should start next to him. Xhaka isn’t mobile, in case you haven’t heard, and having someone like Torreira who can swarm the ball and dish it to Xhaka to turn play the opposite way is a nice component to bank on.

Finally, our front three.