Arsenal host Qarabag at the Emirates Stadium tonight.
Having pretty much secured the top spot of their Europa League group, Arsenal can take it easy against Qarabag. Obviously, Unai Emery isn’t going to put his feet up but expect him to play a number of the youngsters in the starting XI. It’s also an opportunity to play some of the potential first-team stars on the fringe in order to prove themselves.
It should be an easy win but even a draw would see Arsenal finish top of their group. If they lose and Sporting win then it could come down to goal difference. That said, Emery has opted for youngsters throughout the tournament and they’ve served him well.
Without further ado, let’s crack on with the starting XI…
Goalkeeper: Petr Cech
Petr Cech is a valuable player to Arsenal and he will look to prove that once again tonight. He will be the most senior player of the bunch and having won this competition before, he will look to instil a winning mindset into his teammates, particularly the defenders. He is Unai Emery’s main choice in the Europa League now, with Bernd Leno playing the majority of the Premier League matches between the sticks.
Cech kept a clean sheet in his last match against Vorskla. He will look to do the same against Qarabag. He needs to work on his distribution and passing from the back but other than that, it should be a walk in the park for the Czech international.