Arsene Wenger will be determined that Arsenal keep up the momentum that we have been building since the slow start to the season which saw the Gunners take just one point from the first two Premier League games. Looking at the fixture list coming up over the next few weeks you would expect Arsenal to take maximum points from the next three games, but it is vital that we get off to a good start this weekend.
Hopefully the fact that we suffered a surprise defeat at home to Swansea City last season, a match that Wenger has suggested ended our hopes of winning the title, will ensure that the players do not take this match for granted, even though the Welsh club have only taken a single point since the opening day.
They have caused a few scares to the likes of Man City and Liverpool though, and they came close to taking all three points off Chelsea, so I reckon that Wenger will be fielding his strongest possible side, but the question is who will be in it?
The back four should be unchanged as the central pairing of Koscielny and Mustafi are playing well and are looking like a really solid unit, while the full backs do their defensive jobs well and also add width and threat to the attack.
With the news that Olivier Giroud is still not fit to play I assume that the boss will have to risk Alexis Sanchez, despite his late return from international duty with Chile in South America, and I see no reason for him to change the front three at all so Iwobi and Walcott should also start.
Mesut Ozil´s fitness has been confirmed so he is in, but there is a little more doubt over the central midfield. Wenger could stick with Granit Xhaka and he could play him in either the deeper lying or box-to-box role. We also have Mohamed Elneny, Santi Cazorla and the fit again Francis Coquelin.
I think it will be Cazorla plus one, but which will it be? What would your starting XI be?
Bob.