Load the Cannons: Who Should Arsenal Play Against Stoke City?

The answer to this question is certainly not going to be "Theo Walcott" as he has become the latest Arsenal player to join the growing injury list. Alexander Song is another who will be missing as the Cameroonian's yellow card in the Carling Cup was his fifth in all domestic competitions and he is thus suspended for one game. Bacary Sagna however has recovered and Wenger said he should be able to start against Stoke.

Wenger does not have his whole Arsenal available against Stoke but how should he utilise what he does have in his armoury? He will almost certainly start with his now standard 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation against the Potters.

The defence is the easiest to predict; with Sagna at right back, Vermaelen and Gallas in the centre and either Traore or Silvestre starting at left back. Wenger went with Traore against Chelsea but I would prefer Silvestre for this game.

Traore is quicker and would provide more going forward, but Silvestre's height and superior heading ability will help us defend against the inevitable long-ball assault we will receive from Stoke. 

With Song missing for this game, there is an obvious gap in midfield. This could however be a positive thing as it can be like a 'dress rehearsal' for when he flies off to the AFCON in January.

Denilson will probably replace him in the holding man position and, although the Brazilian lacks Song's physical presence, he can be a decent tackler and his "solid" passing (the usual sideways or backwards ball) should at least help us keep possession. The other midfield positions will be taken by the skipper and, to support him, Wenger will either choose Ramsey, Rosicky, or Nasri.

If Wenger lines up with the 4-2-3-1, I hope he plays Denilson and Fabregas at the base of the midfield and Nasri in the hole. Fabregas can also play in the hole but I feel he is better utilised in a deeper play-making role where he doesn't have to receive the ball with his back to goal and can therefore dictate the game with his passing.

From the deeper position he can also make late runs into the box or get shooting chances from the edge of the area. Nasri with his excellent dribbling will be able to pull Stoke defenders out of position and this will create space for the Gunners to get in behind them. Denilson would be the most defensive and would sit back to quell any Stoke counter attacks.

If he plays the 4-3-3 then I prefer it Fabregas plays on the right side of the three man midfield, Denilson in the DM role in the centre and Nasri on the left. In this formation Fabregas would play the "Xavi" role dictating the game with his passing, Denilson the "Toure" role, and Nasri the "Iniesta" role hurting Stoke with his dribbling.

Of the two options I would prefer the 4-2-3-1 because Nasri would then be able to switch positions with Arshavin and the Russian could get a chance to influence the game from the centre as he prefers.

In attack (the problem area for this game) I think Wenger will persist with Eduardo in the centre with Arshavin playing on the left and either Rosicky, Nasri, or possibly Vela on the right. I think he'll go with Rosicky but I don't like him playing here because he tends to play too deep and too narrow minimising the team's penetration.

Ideally I'd like to see Arshavin on the right and Rosicky on the left. On the left Rosicky can cut inside his man and create space for the left back or LCM to run down the flank. Arshavin on the right should try harder to use his skill to get past his fullback and once behind, his crosses should be cut-backs as this gives our short players the best chance to get to the end of them.

In the end the formations should look like this:

4-3-3:              Almunia

         Sagna-Gallas-Vermaelen-Silvestre

              Fabregas-Denilson-Nasri

              Arshavin-Eduardo-Rosicky

In this formation Nasri and Rosicky can switch positions during the game and Rosicky and Arshavin can also switch flanks. This would increase the team’s fluidity and make it harder for Stoke to mark players.

4-2-3-1:             Almunia

         Sagna-Gallas-Vermaelen-Silvestre

                   Fabregas-Denilson

               Arshavin-Nasri-Rosicky             

                         Eduardo

In this formation Nasri, Arshavin, and Rosicky can all interchange positions at different points during the game and Fabregas would be given licence to make runs from his deep role, making him harder to pick up.

The problem with both these formations though is that Arsenal still have to rely on Eduardo or Vela as the lone striker (a role that they've both been unable to perform so far). The solution then (although I doubt that Wenger will do this) is to line up in a 4-4-2.                       

                          Almunia

         Sagna-Gallas-Vermaelen-Silvestre

         Nasri-Fabregas-Denilson-Arshavin   

                     Eduardo-Vela

In this formation Vela and Eduardo would be able to support each other and there would be more options in the box for balls played in from out wide. Arshavin and Vela could also rotate positions and this would add to the team’s fluidity.

The bench options should provide alternatives to what Wenger has in his starting line-up and this would be pace and physicality. Eboue's dribbling and strong running would be useful as a replacement for Sagna (good defender but one dimensional in attack) if we're chasing the game or struggling to unlock Stoke.

Traore also provides pace and should be an option on the left side of midfield or attack to provide us with pace and the width that having a natural left-footer provides. I'd also like to see Sunu or Watt on the bench (preferably Sunu) as the duo would add height (something neither Vela nor Eduardo have).

Sunu in particular is a very strong player and his physicality would add a different dimension to our play and thus be a good option to change our approach.

Whatever formation Wenger uses the team must try hard to play with energy and zip. If they keep moving they will make it harder for Stoke to close them down and thus make it possible for them to pass the ball quickly. The wingers should try and play with some width to stretch Stoke, and the central midfielders (Denilson excluded) should try hard to make runs past their back-line.

I'd also like to see the team try harder to create and take shooting opportunities (if in range, drive at the defence and have a shot!). This will result in Stoke having to push up to try and close us down and thus create space in behind them for our team to exploit. In defence we should try to press them hard and cut out their attacks quickly before they have any chances to get into any good crossing positions.

Nasri, Fabregas and Arshavin can be the key players tomorrow. If the team moves well and the Spaniard picks out their runs, as we know he can, and Nasri and Arshavin work hard to run at Stoke's defenders instead of just settling for pass after pass, then the Gunners will walk away with a victory.

An early goal would be welcome in order to relax the team but they have to make sure they keep their feet on the gas and try to finish Stoke City off (a big win will improve the mood drastically). I predict a 3-1 victory to Arsenal.