Arsenal vs Valencia predicted starting XI: You ready yet?

Wingbacks

I think I know why Unai Emery has been steering away from using wingbacks in recent matches. It’s because he’s been so concerned about preserving his centerbacks for the Europa League fixtures that he hasn’t had the defenders to spare to justify sending out three centerbacks in order to use his dominant wingback set-up.

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Of course, Ainsley Maitland-Niles‘ suspension didn’t help. But with his suspension not affecting the Europa League, and with nothing else mattering now, Emery can’t resort to experimenting with a back four and inevitably changing to a back three at half time. He needs to start with his best and end with his best, and that means letting the wingbacks have the entire match to do their thing.

Thankfully, Maitland-Niles will be more inspired than ever to get in there and do his thing, since he wasn’t able to help in the Premier League while his team drowned.

And Sead Kolasinac is starting to return to form too, as he was a force against Brighton, one of the few guys that I thought could actually make a difference when he came on. Obviously he didn’t, but that should change against Valencia as he and Maitland-Niles both will be in charge of driving counter attacks.

Midfield is next, arguably the most important part of the match.