Mikel Arteta has made two changes to the Arsenal side that beat Brighton ahead of tonight’s heavily favourable clash against nailed-on relegation candidates West Bromwich Albion.
Dani Ceballos partners Granit Xhaka in central midfield instead of Mohamed Elneny, the other change sees in-form Alexandre Lacazette returning to the starting lineup ahead of Gabriel Martinelli.
It’s perhaps a bit harsh that Martinelli has been benched, but the Brazilian only recently returned from a lengthy knee injury, plus his absence is the one that allows Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to maintain a starting berth.
The decision to start Real Madrid loanee Ceballos over Elneny could be a smart one, the Gunners will surely dominate the possession against Sam Allardyce’s new side, meaning the Spaniard is arguably a better fit for this kind of opponent.
Take a look at the Gunners’ lineup below:
Here’s how some of the Arsenal faithful have reacted to Arteta’s teamsheet:
Arsenal lost seven (failing to win in nine) of their 10 Premier League fixtures in the disastrous run before their crucial back-to-back wins against Chelsea and Brighton eased some pressure.
Regardless, there’s absolutely no excuse for the Gunners not to be beating the second-bottom Baggies comfortably tonight, especially as the west Midlands outfit have lost four of their last six – conceding sixteen times and scoring just four times.