Arsenal: Star striker could appear on the bench vs Manchester City

Alexandre Lacazette may need to sit this one out, as Emery looks to be shifting towards a 4-3-3.

Every Arsenal fan is looking towards Emery and begging the Spaniard to deploy both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. And rightly so, this should always be the aim when you have two of the world’s best strikers at your disposal.

However, the formation which Emery seems to prefer may leave no room for two strikers. Football Talk called for Lacazette to miss out against Manchester City, in order to make way for Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Is this a legitimate call?

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Absolutely. The Arsenal attack has a lot of depth and fluidity, so very few players have their places nailed on. If Unai Emery decides he wants to deploy width, which is never a bad idea against City, then Mkhitaryan should definitely get the nod.

In pre-season, Emery tried to utilize Aubameyang on the flanks, but it didn’t work as well as when he’s through the middle. It seems a huge waste to play Aubameyang out of position, because we all know the Gabonese can produce the goods.

Mkhitaryan is always a good option to have. The Armenian will provide a lot of creativity, alongside his German partner Mesut Ozil. Mkhirayan differs to Ozil in his approach. Where the former relies on gut-instinct, the latter takes more time to see and perfect the pass.

These can both have pros and cons. If Mkhitayan can have a game like his home debut against Everton, then Arsenal fans could be in for a real treat.

Lacazette is still a good option from the bench.

This is an area in which Arsenal trump City, even though there may not be many. Off the bench, the Citizens could call on Gabriel Jesus, whereas the Gunners could call on Lacazette.

Last season, in the fixture at the Etihad, Lacazette came from the bench and made an instant impact. He brought the scoreline to 2-1, although the Gunners eventually lost the game 3-1.

If Emery does start Lacazette alongside Aubameyang, then this will obviously bring a lot more excitement to the fans. That said, we shouldn’t be concerned if Lacazette doesn’t start – Emery knows what he’s doing.

Who do you think will get the edge in this match?