Arsenal’s Predicted Starters To Face Barcelona

Arsenal’s last line of defence is a great one, but Petr Cech is undoubtedly going to need a ton of help from his full-backs if he is going to keep a clean sheet against the likes of Messi, Suarez and Neymar. His net presence and Champions League experience will be vital in this game.

How sweet would it be if Hector Bellerin could do one over on the team that let him go all those years ago. Bellerin will have something to prove in this game, in the sense that he will be determined to show Barcelona what they missed out on.

For me, Gabriel gets the nod over Mertesacker in this game, for obvious reasons. Arsenal are going to need their strongest and quickest defenders to play in this game if they are to have any chance of stopping MSN. Gabriel can hold his ground better than the German, and he is well equipped to deal with the inevitable bursts of speed into the box from Suarez and Neymar.

Laurent Koscielny has been in this situation before. He’s wiser and more improved than the last time Arsenal faced Barcelona. Hopefully that growth and experience translates into different fortunes this time around for the Frenchman and his team.

Nacho Monreal will probably have the toughest time out of Arsenal’s defenders tomorrow night, given the fact that he will be tasked with guarding the best player in the world. The Messi/ Monreal match up will be key tomorrow. If Monreal can show why he is the best left back in the Premier League by keeping Messi quiet, Arsenal may have a real chance of taking something from this game.

Without a doubt, Francis Coquelin will be the most important player on the pitch tomorrow night. Coquelin will be responsible for breaking up Barcelona’s dynamic tiki-taka play, which is no easy feat. He will have to do his best to ensure that Messi, Suarez and Neymar are not able to cut through to the final third with ease. It will be tough, but Coquelin is more than capable of seeing this through.

In my opinion, Aaron Ramsey is a bit of a wildcard in this game. I like the fact that he can play with the ball at his feet and keep possession well, which is key against a team that will almost certainly have the majority of the ball through 90 minutes. The one thing I will look for is whether or not Ramsey is clinical enough in front of net. He likes to shoot from outside the box, which may be the best kind of chances that Arsenal get all game. Watch this space.

We’ve heard it time and time again straight from the mouths of Barcelona player’s themselves. When Arsenal play Barcelona, Theo Walcott is always the man they are wary of the most. For one reason only. Pace. Walcott’s ability to get up the pitch quicker than any other player among the two teams will cause Barcelona trouble, and they are right to fear the Englishman. If Arsenal are going to score tomorrow, Walcott’s pace will be vital as most of Arsenal’s chances will likely come on the counter-attack.

Oh boy. If you think Alexis Sanchez won’t be fired up for tomorrow’s game, then you are wrong, tenfold. Wenger said it himself that he wasn’t worried about Alexis’ ability to get going tomorrow against Barcelona. Like Bellerin, he will be out to prove something against his former team. Hopefully, he puts in a performance that will make Barcelona regret letting the Chilean go.

I’ll keep this one straight and to the point. Mesut Ozil’s distribution will be key in this game. If his passes are not done with precision, Arsenal will achieve nothing in a game where they need to be efficient when they get their few chances with the ball.

Olivier Giroud will be an important player for Arsenal tomorrow. His excellent hold up play could prove to be just what Alexis or Walcott need when they are looking to get up the field to take on a scoring chance.