Granit Xhaka and Nicolas Pepe return while Bukayo Saka drops out of the starting lineup, as Arsenal prepare to take on Watford at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta has made five changes to the side that was beaten by Aston Villa in the Premier League earlier this week as Arsenal get set to lock horns with Watford at the Emirates. There is no shuffle in goal, however, as Emiliano Martinez continues in the absence of Bernd Leno.
Ahead of Martinez, Arteta seems to have reverted to a 4-3-3 formation, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Kieran Tierney being the full-backs, replacing Cedric Soares and Sead Kolasinac. David Luiz and Rob Holding start at the heart of the Arsenal defence.
? Five changes from midweek…
➡️ Maitland-Niles, Tierney, Xhaka, Willock, Pepe
⬅️ Cedric, Kolasinac, Torreira, Saka, Nketiah#ARSWAT— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 26, 2020
Bukayo Saka makes way for Joe Willock, who seems like he is starting in the three-man midfield. Granit Xhaka also returns, with Lucas Torreira making way for him. Xhaka should be the holding midfielder, with Willock and Dani Ceballos being the box-to-box midfielder.
Finally, in attack, there is one final change, as Nicolas Pepe comes in for Eddie Nketiah. Pepe starts on the right flank, with captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang deployed on the left wing again. Alexandre Lacazette leads the line for Arsenal against Watford.
Arsenal Starting Lineup: Martinez, Maitland-Niles, Luiz, Holding, Tierney, Xhaka, Willock, Ceballos, Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang
