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THE GUNNERS
Rob Holding, Alexis Sanchez and Alexandre Lacazette: How Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal new look side could line-up in 2017-18
Football Whispers predicts how the Gunners will line-up for the upcoming Premier League season
THE uncertainty surrounding the futures of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hangs over Arsenal’s preparations for the 2017-18 season like a dark cloud.
But the Gunners are determined to hold onto their stars.
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And Arsene Wenger has further bolstered his squad with the astute additions of Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac.
They are likely to stick with the 3-4-3 formation which saw them win nine of their final 10 matches last season – including an FA Cup final triumph over Chelsea.
Here our friends at Football Whispers have taken a look at how Arsenal could line up this season.
GK – Petr Cech
Now 35, former Chelsea keeper Cech is heading into his 14th Premier League season and his third as an Arsenal player.
His reflexes may not be quite as sharp as they once were but the Czech keeper made 95 saves last season – more than Thibaut Courtois, David de Gea and Hugo Lloris among others.
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CB – Shkodran Mustafi
A last-gasp £35million signing from Valencia last summer, Mustafi wasn’t wholly convincing in his maiden campaign at the Emirates.
But the German international still produced 2.2 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game in the Premier League last term.
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CB – Laurent Koscielny
A stalwart of the Arsenal backline, Koscielny has been with the Gunners for seven years now and is widely regarded as one of the finest centre-backs in the Premier League.
At the heart of Wenger’s back three, the former Lorient man has the composure and quality to stride forward with the ball at his feet and conduct play from deep.
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CB – Rob Holding
An unheralded signing from Bolton Wanderers a year ago, few expected Holding to be thrust into the limelight as quickly as he was. But he was required to start a handful of games at the beginning of last season and came back into the side late on when Wenger switched tactics.
With maturity and discipline beyond his 21 years, the youngster looks every bit a future England international.
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RWB – Hector Bellerin
It seemed almost inevitable Bellerin would return to childhood club Barcelona this summer, with the Spanish side in search of a full-back.
But the Blaugrana instead signed Nelson Semedo from Benfica, meaning Arsenal retain the gifted young Spaniard. Below par in 2016/17, Bellerin will be hoping to get back on form in the coming season.
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LWB – Sead Kolasinac
Wanted by Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal’s capture of Kolasinac, on a free transfer from Schalke, could prove to be quite the coup.
The Bosnian wing-back scored five goals and registered three assists in the Bundesliga last term, and well as making an impressive 2.8 tackles and 3.2 interceptions per game.
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CM – Granit Xhaka
A £30m arrival from Borussia Monchengladbach last summer, Xhaka was brought in to add the kind of steel and presence in central midfield that Arsenal have missed since Patrick Vieira’s prime.
After initially struggling to make the anticipated impact, the Swiss came good in the latter stages of the season and was imperious in the FA Cup final, making more passes than any other player (73) at an 87.7 per cent completion rate.
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CM – Aaron Ramsey
At 26, Ramsey is entering the peak period of his career. Injury disrupted his involvement last term but the Welshman’s stellar performance alongside Xhaka in the FA Cup victory over Chelsea in May shows that he is ready to kick on in 2017/18.
Often asked to operate in a more advanced role, the switch to 3-4-3 seemed to suit Ramsey as it allowed him to operate in the Arsenal engine room, pulling the strings as he has done so well for Wales over the years.
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LW – Mesut Ozil
Out of contract next summer, Ozil’s Arsenal future is shrouded in doubt, but it is looking increasingly likely he will remain at the Emirates for at least the coming season.
The mercurial German playmaker is among the best in the world when on form, but inconsistency has plagued his Gunners career to date. However, Ozil finally has a pacey No.9 to feed in the shape of Lacazette, so expect the former Real Madrid star to be at his creative best.
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RW – Alexis Sanchez
Arsenal’s top scorer last term with 24 Premier League goals, Sanchez also chipped in with 10 assists in what was the most productive campaign of his career. Deployed centrally for the majority of 2016-17, Lacazette’s arrival will see the Chilean shifted back out wide where he is no less effective.
If he stays, that is. Sanchez remains a Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City transfer target. Wenger is adamant the former Barcelona player is going nowhere but there will be speculation right up until deadline day.
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CF – Alexandre Lacazette
Arsenal tried and failed to land Lacazette last summer, but – with a club-record £46.5m bid – Wenger finally secured the 26-year-old striker.
Lacazette has scored at least 20 goals in each of the last four seasons, including a career-high 37-goal haul last term, in which he also averaged an incredible 33.33 per cent conversion rate.
