Its set to be a hectic start as the Premier League rolls back around this weekend and one side who have certainly attracted plenty of attention in pre-season have been Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger has been up to his old tricks of being extremely quiet in the transfer window with only Granit Xhaka, Rob Holding and Takumo Asano coming in so far, with their first game only a matter of days away.
It’s begun to frustrate some Gunners supporters, who want to see a little more ambition from their manager in their transfer window. We’ve seen some big transfers this summer and Arsenal have just been left behind a little.
So with all this in mind, how can we expect the Gunners to lineup against Liverpool in their league opener?
We’ve put some thought into it and we reckon this could be their starting XI that could beat Liverpool on Sunday, lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation…
GK: Petr Cech
Pretty standard stuff here, we expect former Chelsea keeper Petr Cech to hold down the goalkeeping berth all season, as long as injuries or poor form don’t take hold.
The Czech international is a massive part of the Gunners side and if he is playing well then expect Arsene Wenger’s side to do well this season. He’s got plenty of experience and is a real leader from the back of the team.
RB: Hector Bellerin
Again, no change in the right-back spot.
We, as well as many Arsenal supporters expect Bellerin to hold down this position for years to come after another impressive season last time out. The former Barcelona academy prospect has been tipped to be one of the best full-backs in the world in a couple of seasons time so Arsenal will want him fit and ready to go for Sunday.
CB: Laurent Koscielny
Even though he’s just returned to training, expect Laurent Koscielny to be thrown into the side to face Liverpool.
This could backfire massively but with the Gunners in dire need of defensive cover and no imminent signings on their way, the Frenchman will marshal the side from the back despite not being at full fitness.
CB: Calum Chambers
Will get the nod ahead of Rob Holding because he has more experienced than the recently signed Bolton youngster.
Injuries to Gabriel and Per Mertesacker mean that Chambers could nail down the centre-back position for the first time in his Arsenal career, with the former Southampton man having struggled to get into the side in the past.
A big test for the youngster but its time to step-up and impress the supporters.
LB: Nacho Monreal
With the two centre-backs not an ideal choice for this game, Nacho Monreal needs to have a great game if the Gunners are to overcome Liverpool on day one.
The Spaniard offers some consistency to the back line having featured 45 times for Arsenal last season but he’ll have to be in top form if Arsenal are to come away with a victory.
CDM: Granit Xhaka
It seems unlikely that Xhaka won’t start against Liverpool and if he doesn’t, expect some Gunners to be rather annoyed indeed.
As we saw at the Euros, Xhaka is a tough-tackling, hard-working midfielder that isn’t scared of doing the nitty gritty work in the middle of the park. He will be the glue in Arsenal’s midfield this season.
CDM: Mohamed Elneny
There are a few Arsenal supporters who haven’t given Mohamed Elneny their full support but he’s been tipped by some to be a real hidden star this season. Much like Xhaka, the former Basel man isn’t afraid of doing the dirty-work in order for Arsenal’s more attacking players to go forward with more freedom.
If anything he is a luxury for a manager like Wenger. Had a busy pre-season and is likely to be involved from the start.
RM/RW: Theo Walcott
A strong performance against Manchester City might have seen Theo Walcott do enough to get in the Arsenal side for their opener this weekend.
He’s had a slow couple of seasons but some have tipped the former starlet to kick on this season and produce some of his better form. As competition for places hots up, Walcott really needs to show Wenger what he can do.
CAM/CF: Aaron Ramsey
Has been deployed in this role a number of times in Arsenal’s pre-season games and he has looked extremely comfortable, just as he did at the Euros in France.
He shone for Wales in the tournament, which saw his side reach the semi-finals. If he plays well this season, Arsenal could do very well indeed.
LM/LW: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Another forgotten English winger that has shown real glimpses of quality during Arsenal’s pre-season campaign. Much like Walcott, Chamberlain has really dropped of the radar in recent months and he will do his chances no harm if he can have a good game in The Gunners’ opening game.
ST: Alexis Sanchez
With Olivier Giroud still not up to speed after his Euro 2016 commitments, we’re expecting Alexis Sanchez to lead the Gunners line against the Reds.
We know what he’s about and after Chile’s Copa America win he should return to the Emirates full of confidence. Again, if he can stay in-form then he could be devastating for Arsene Wenger’s side again this season.