da 888casino： We at Football FanCast are brimming with excitement ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League action, which sees Arsenal play hosts to FC Basel at the Emirates Stadium.
da cassino online： The Gunners will enter this fixture bursting with confidence after a resounding 3-0 win over Chelsea in the Premier League last weekend, suggesting Arsene Wenger’s boys will be serious contenders in this season’s title race.
That being said, FC Basel are no easy customers. They may seem like European minnows, mainly famed for their domination of the Swiss Super League, but the St. Jakob-Park outfit boast some serious giant killings against English clubs in their recent history – beating Spurs, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea over the last five years.
With that in mind, although some rotation seems inevitable, it’s imperative Wenger picks the right starting XI for Wednesday’s 7:45pm kickoff – or the Gunners could find themselves on the receiving end of another Basel-inspired upset.
Using our Arsenal knowledge and a dash of tactical insight, FFC have outlined the starting line-up Le Prof should pick to dispose of Basel in a calm and effective fashion.
GOALKEEPER
Petr Cech remains Arsenal’s undisputed No.1 but David Ospina deserves all the game-time Arsene Wenger can afford him this season, patiently waiting on the subs bench since the Czech international’s arrival from Chelsea last summer.
Despite serving as understudy, the Colombian is a reliable goalkeeper and just as strong as Cech when it comes to shot-stopping – although other aspects of his game do occasionally leave something to be desired.
Most important for Ospina on Wednesday night is concentration; Basel are unlikely to get much of the ball or create a plethora of chances at goal, so he must stay switched on for the whole 90 minutes to defend the few shooting opportunities the Swiss will have.
DEFENCE
We’ve gone with two changes from the backline that kept a clean sheet against Chelsea on Saturday, with the need for rotation in mind.
Rob Holding looked a fantastic prospect during the first two games of the season, especially considering he’d just made the jump up from being relegated into League One with Bolton, and exposure to Champions League football can only further aid his development.
There’s a natural inclination to rest Laurent Koscielny as Arsenal’s most important defender, but the Frenchman and Holding worked to great effect against Leicester City last month and familiarity – no matter how limited – is always key at the heart of defence.
Meanwhile, after spending the last 18 months playing second fiddle to Nacho Monreal, FFC would like to see Gibbs get the nod. Arsenal are playing at home against lesser opposition, so it makes sense to field their more attacking left-back anyway.
DEEP-LYING MIDFIELD
With Francis Coquelin out injured, the time is right to bring summer signing Granit Xhaka into the starting line-up. Despite much fanfare surrounding his arrival, Arsene Wenger has utilised the Switzerland international sparingly thus far, starting him just twice in the Premier League.
But Xhaka’s combination of aggressive playbreaking and control of possession is made for Champions League ties like this. Furthermore, the 24-year-old began his career at Basel, so he should know a thing or two about how to beat them.
In terms of partners, we see Mohamed Elneny as Xhaka’s most suitable accomplice. Santi Cazorla was fantastic against Chelsea but an overload of game-time can be dangerous for a 31-year-old and neither he nor the Swiss enforcer are the quickest.
Elneny, coincidentally an even more recent former Basel star, offers mobility and industriousness in abundance. His relative speed could play a crucial role in snubbing out counter-attacks.
ATTACKING MIDFIELD
With Theo Walcott in fantastic form, notching up three goals and one assist already this season, we want to keep the good times rolling for the England international. Furthermore, his goal threat is proving a real asset for the Gunners on the right-hand side, easing the scoring burden on the centre-forward.
Likewise, although some will want to see Mesut Ozil rested, it remains to be seen if the Gunners can function in the same way without him. That’s not the kind of test you want to self-implement against Basel, who are more than capable of punishing the Gunners in their own back yard.
However, FFC are backing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to get the nod on the left, simply because he’s played relatively well when called upon this season but is still waiting to hit top gear. An outing against somewhat lesser opposition might give him the chance to do so – and take some confidence into the Gunners’ domestic campaign.
STRIKER
Alexis Sanchez is in red hot form and rarely takes well to being left on the bench, but the settling in process won’t get any easier for Lucas Perez unless Arsene Wenger issues his summer signing a fair portion of game time.
With Olivier Giroud also an injury doubt for the weekend, Wenger can’t afford to lose Sanchez as well. Although Basel are a better side than Burnley, the Premier League must take precedent for the Gunners as they continue to search for their first title since 2004.
Admittedly, this game doesn’t particularly pander to Perez’s strengths as a lightening-quick attacker, because Basel will line up pretty deep anyway. Nonetheless, it’s a good opportunity for the Spaniard to continue his scoring run after netting twice past Nottingham Forest in the League Cup.