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Arsenal predicted lineup vs Chelsea: 3-4-3 return with Balogun?
Arsenal host Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday for a fixture that can be viewed as a glass half full or glass half empty encounter. Mikel Arteta needs to oversee a vastly improved performance to stand any chance of success. Here is the predicted lineup.
So, after falling to defeat away at Brentford on the opening day, Arsenal have gone on to sign two new players! Martin Odegaard arrives on a permanent £30m deal to bolster the creativity department and Aaron Ramsdale comes in to give Bernd Leno the kick up the backside he so desperately needs.
Sadly, only one is available to play. Even that is touch and go.
Odegaard couldn’t secure a visa in time to make the squad which, if Arteta does as expected with his team, is a big miss. Ramsdale has a chance to be on the bench.
Nuno Tavares at left wing-back with Kieran Tierney at left centre-back vs Chelsea to help deal with Romelu Lukaku wouldn't be a bad shout.
— Pain In The Arsenal (@PainInThArsenal) August 17, 2021
Means in the 3-4-3 Arsenal can get two creators behind the striker and avoid the forwards having big distances from one another.
A thought.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Chelsea: 3-4-3 return with Folarin Balogun keeping his place in the Premier League for his full home debut?
It is touch and go for both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Willian to be involved but given their length of absence and that the latter is still considered not fit to be part of the matchday squad, it’s highly unlikely that the pair will feature. At least not from the start.
Alexandre Lacazette and Alex Runarsson are the other two who tested positive for COVID-19 and they’re confirmed absentees for Sunday.
Having overseen two victories against Chelsea in the Premier League last season, how will Arteta approach this one? Against Frank Lampard it was a 4-2-3-1 and in the away clash against Thomas Tuchel he tried to match their system with a back three that utilised two No. 10’s.
Again, if Odegaard were available he’d slot straight into one of those two positions behind the striker – even if he had a poor game at Stamford Bridge. Not expected to have much of the ball, will the centre-forward be a someone with pace to isolate Chelsea centre-backs or someone who can hold the ball up? We’ll have to find out.
Goalkeeper & Centre-Backs
Bernd Leno (GK) – Ramsdale may be in the building but it would be an almighty shock to see him usurp Leno in the starting lineup just yet. Hopefully the mere presence of a £24m goalkeeper will push the German to be considerably less terrible as he was against Brentford.
Ben White (CB) – A position that many argue is more suited to his skillset, while Arsenal being at home may prompt Arteta to adopt his usual approach, facing a side of Chelsea’s quality (surely) calls for a change of shape? In which case, White on the right of the back three may come into play.
Rob Holding (CB) – Low-block football calls for low-block defenders. Holding can leave all the distribution to his fellow central defenders and be left to act as the covering body to double up on Romelu Lukaku.
Kieran Tierney (CB) – Having Tierney in the back three will obviously limit his attacking output, but does anyone fancy Calum Hudson-Odoi and Lukaku having the run on Pablo Mari? No, didn’t think so.