Arsenal predicted lineup vs Brentford requires minimal predicting

On August 31 Arsenal will take on Brentford in the opening fixture of the 2021/22 Premier League season. Two months and 21 days on from the 2-0 win over Brighton and what fans can expect is set to be something largely similar.

Arsenal have been working extremely hard to sign new players. Arsenal have also been working extremely hard to sell players. As it stands, those sides of the story haven’t been as fruitful as one would hope.

And while this isn’t ‘fine’, it’s also, sort of, fine. Not in the sense that the new season may look scarily like the old season just with a different kit on, but because it’s to be expected. This summer was always going to be a painful one with the occasional multi-million pound move intermittent among loan deals.

Chelsea still have Danny Drinkwater and Baba Rahman on their books but are also throwing close to £100m at Inter for Romelu Lukaku. It’s a bizarre window that is frightfully difficult to sell in and only beneficial to the buying clubs if they’re backed by mega funds.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Brentford requires minimal predicting with transfer window proving to be extremely difficult to both buy and sell in

Arsenal clearly have more money than expected with the £50m spent on Ben White meaning they’ve now totalled £75m parted with. However, the defender is all that has changed in the starting lineup, one that will be eerily similar come the short journey west.

The window doesn’t close when Arsenal walk out in the first Premier League game ever played at the Brentford Community Stadium. Following that there are still two and a half weeks to conclude business. Yet, coming to terms with what team Mikel Arteta selects might be a solid course of action.

Thomas Partey is injured and his absence for what looks set to be the opening three matches of the season is extremely damaging. It’s a huge blow.

Granit Xhaka has signed a new contract with Arsenal so that clears that up, while Bernd Leno, despite all the drama previously, is the number one. So, as it stands, the change to come will be White in the heart of defence and Bukayo Saka given more time off to rest.

Predicted lineup: Leno; Chambers, White, Mari, Tierney; Elneny, Xhaka; Pepe, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang; Lacazette

That didn’t require an awful lot of predicting, since it’s almost certain to be the team. Where it could change, however, is if somehow James Maddison is miraculously brought in before then or if more damaging injuries occur.

Albert Sambi Lokonga is definitely in with a shout, and how Arteta sets up against Tottenham will provide a strong indicator, but the knee-jerk reaction to go for Premier League tested in Elneny may prove too unavoidable for Arteta.

These are the cards that have been dealt and from the outside looking in, there is nothing that can be done. There will be undoubted uproar at the team, not least if the result isn’t favourable, but as gut-wrenching as it is thinking about the prospect of a Xhaka and Elneny double pivot, the window will remain open even after Thomas Frank finishes chewing his eighth packet of gum.

While the bones of this team aren’t looking too reassuring, the game hasn’t even started yet.