Europa League Final: Predicted starting XI for Chelsea vs Arsenal
The much-awaited clash between Arsenal and Chelsea for the Europa League trophy is only a few hours away!
Chelsea face an uphill task against Arsenal, considering the bust-up during their last training session. Videos that were released after training, clearly show disharmony between David Luiz and Gonzalo Higuain over a bad challenge.
Sarri reacted adversely to the situation, as reports claim to have seen him throwing his cap to the ground and storming out of training. This unrest at the most inopportune moment could give Arsenal the upper hand.
However, Chelsea will field their best team for the game, with the exception of Kante. After suffering a knee injury during training last weekend, Kante has been sidelined from selection for the big match. His absence will impact the team’s dynamics.
Chelsea are most likely to play with a 4-3-3 formation. All predictions point to the following team for the final.
Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK)
Cesar Azpilicueta (RB)
Andreas Christensen (CB)
David Luiz (CB)
Emerson Palmieri (LB)
Ross Barkley (CM)
Jorginho (DM)
Mateo Kovacic (CM)
Eden Hazard (RF)
Olivier Giroud (CF)
Willian (LF)
Arsenal are geared to impress! The break from regular football would have given the team enough time to recover from their season ending form. They are sure to hit the ground running when they take to the pitch for the final.
Unai Emery will be eager to win the Europa League with Arsenal, having already won the trophy on three occasions with Sevilla. Over the past year Emery has worked hard to instil a fighting spirit in the Arsenal team. The likes of Torreira and Kolasinac have displayed the toughness that will be required for Arsenal to beat Chelsea.
Aaron Ramsey will be absent for the Gunners with a hamstring injury. The Welshman is set to leave Arsenal for Juventus in the summer. It would have been the ideal send off for Ramsey, if he had won the cup for the club where he spent almost 11 years of his playing career.
Arsenal are likely to play a 3-4-1-2 combination for the final. The predicted Arsenal team is as follows:
Petr Cech (GK)
Sokratis Papastathopoulos (CB)
Laurent Koscielny (CB)
Nacho Monreal (CB)
Sead Kolašinac (LW)
Lucas Torreira (CM)
Mesut Ozil (AM)
Granit Xhaka (CM)
Ainsley Maitland-Niles (RW)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (WF)
Alexandre Lacazette (CF)
The finals promises goals galore! Football fans await an exciting match!