Arsenal host Bayern Munich on Tuesday night in what is, in all honesty, a very pointless fixture between the two sides. But it represents an opportunity for Arsenal to try something new and attempt to get back on track with a positive performance.Â
Arsenal were humiliated in the away leg, losing 5-1, so it is almost impossible that they will advance in the competition. With that in mind, Arsene will just be looking for a positive performance and that can be achieved with trying out a new formation and new personnel.
Here’s how I’d like to see the Arsenal team line up for the game.
Goalkeeper: David Ospina
Ospina will continue his run in the Champions League – perhaps his last game in the competition as an Arsenal player with reports linking the Colombian with a move away from the club in the summer.
Defence: Hector Bellerin, Shkodran Mustafi, Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs
Monreal had another poor game at Anfield and whilst Gibbs has not covered himself in glory recently, I’d rather see the Englishman in the eleven to help handle the pace of Bayern’s wide men. I’d go with a full strength back four otherwise, with Mustafi and Koscielny’s partnership growing with each game. They handled Bayern pretty well until the Frenchman was forced off with an injury in the second half.
Midfield: Granit Xhaka; Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey
With Ozil out I would like to see a reshuffle of the midfield. Arsenal should make Xhaka the centrepiece of the starting eleven, enabling him to be the deep lying playmaker. Either side of him I would like to see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey. Both players are exciting going forward, but also have the work rate to help the team defensively.
Attack: Â Lucas Perez, Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck
Make Alexis the centre forward, make him the star. Alexis will not get that kind of treatment at Bayern Munich or Real Madrid. He’s also our best striker, so it makes sense to start him. On the left I would like to see Danny Welbeck on the left. On the right I think Wenger will opt for Theo Walcott, but I would like to see Lucas Perez. He has worked hard and certainly deserves to start this game. Whilst this may seem like a very attacking front three, all three players have a very good work rate and are capable of defending from the front. Arsenal will need to play at a fast pace and this eleven, especially this front three, will enable us to do just that.