It seems like only last night we were watching our side romp to a 2-0 victory over Dortmund, but now Arsenal step back into the not so pretty Premier League, where they know the real work has to start come Saturday lunchtime.
With just 17 points on the board, Arsene Wenger’s men know they haven’t been up to par, and whether that’s down to injuries or performances we don’t know. The one thing thats clear is that squad rotation hasn’t been up to scratch, with Wenger reluctant to make any changes at the back four.
But focusing on the game, well nobody can really call on what’s going to happen at this point, seeing as our form is so up and down. We’ll take confidence from mid-week and hopefully it’ll have made the lads forget about last week.
Here is a take on how Arsenal should line up against the Baggies, making a number of changes and a long-last start for a certain Frenchman!
Goalkeeper – Emiliano Martinez
Fresh out of Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Dortmund, Martinez was possibly our best player on the pitch, and that was rewarded as he made the UEFA Team of the Week on Friday morning. Martinez has shown us he is more than ready when it comes to being called up unexpectedly, and will rave about starting against a side who haven’t managed a goal in over 260 minutes!
Right Back – Hector Bellerin
I cannot tell you how much I want this to happen. With Bellerin coming in to the squad it forces Chambers to move in next to Mertesacker which creates a much more formidable partnership. Ballerin is ready, and can cope with the pace and agility of top scorer, Saido Berahino. The only downside is he hasn’t played in a while, and I feel Wenger hasn’t used him due to being worried about yet another injury, he can’t afford to take risks.
Centre Back – Callum Chambers and Per Mertesacker
Chambers has recovered from his slip up against Chelsea, and has shown confidence when playing a central role at the back. Both he and Mertesacker understand one another, which we haven’t seen from Nacho Monreal. No longer can we say Monreal “needs time”, he simply hasn’t been good enough.
Wenger stated in mid-week that he will play Koscielny if he wants to, after the defender returned to full training last week. I feel the only reason Koscielny won’t be used is because this isn’t a big enough game. There is no serious threat to our goal coming from West Brom, so Wenger will take comfort in making sure Koscielny is ready.
Left Back – Kieran Gibbs
Quite possibly our best player of the season so far behind Alexis, what Gibbs has done this season is brilliant. He’s worked a lot harder in the gym and that combined with his mental attitude has reflected in his tackles. The youngster will retain his place from mid-week where he dealt incredibly well with Dortmund attacks.
Centre Defensive – Matthieu Flamini and Aaron Ramsey
Injuries to both Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta mean good news for Matthieu Flamini, who should jump straight back into the squad, offering a decent bit of strength to protect our shaky Premier League defence record. Flamini has had a little and much-needed break recently, after not starting against either Dortmund or United. He will want to reassure Wenger he can be used when it matters, following the long-term injury to Wilshere who could be facing up to four months on the sidelines.
Rambo should also feature. People keep comparing him to last seasons Ramsey, the goalscorer, provider and overall player of the season! The fact is, Ramsey has had to change his game completely this season, and is no longer the man to look for when trying to rescue points, that man is now Alexis. At first Ramsey didn’t react well to the change, and was trying too hard to score goals. Since then, I have seen a change in the Welshman and he is now working on his defensive work. In the long-term Rambo will be the complete player, we just don’t appreciate that at the moment just because his name isn’t appearing on the score sheet!
Right Wing – Oxlade Chamberlain
The player to watch this weekend. Chamberlain is relishing the chance to carry on his role at right-wing following the news Theo Walcott will face a minor set back due to his groin playing up. Chamberlain is improving in every game this season and Wenger has no reason  to drop him.
Left Wing – Alexis Sanchez
Do we really need to justify why this guy is getting a place in the starting 11? Another goal in mid-week made it 8 for the Chilean and he now wants to continue his place in the centre of midfield ever since Mesut Ozil picked up his long-term injury. The fact of the matter is Alexis is improving everyone else’s game around him, by providing serious competition in all positions in the attacking area.
Attacking Midfield – Santi Cazorla
On Wednesday we saw a completely different player in Santi. After dropping him against United, Wenger reinstated the Spaniard into the centre and Cazorla responded well. He was the key figure in our opening goal, combining well with Yaya Sanogo to open the scoring at the Emirates.
There is no doubt Cazorla has the quality, and perhaps the drop from the starting 11 was exactly what he needed. All I can say is he will take a lot of confidence from the mid-week fixture.
Striker – Olivier Giroud
Well isn’t this great to see, it seems like the last time we saw Giroud on the starting 11 was last season! The Frenchman was ineligible for the game on Wednesday night, so has the chance to come straight back into the side following small knocks to Yaya Sanogo and Danny Welbeck.
The injury to Welbz may come as some good news to both him and Arsenal fans, after the 24-year-old has struggled to find the back of the net. But Giroud has already got back to scoring ways, with a splendid strike against United a week ago. I think it will be a case of recovery this time round though, and Giroud will take time to get into the game but its positive news all round for our attacking options.
How It Might Look:
Martinez
Bellerin     Chambers     Mertesacker (c)     Gibbs
Ramsey    Flamini
Chambo            Cazorla            Sanchez
Giroud
Injured Players: Wilshere, Arteta, Sanogo, Welbeck, Ozil, Walcott, Diaby, Debuchy, Szczesny, Ospina