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Arsenal manager Unai Emery will face his toughest test so far since taking over the reigns from Arsene Wenger, he faces Pep Guardiola's title winning Manchester City side at the Emirates on Sunday for their first competitive match of the 2018-19 campaign.
This will be Unai Emery”s first Premier League game in charge of Arsenal, playing against last season's champions won't be an easy task.
The Spaniard has however made a number of astute signings this summer to strengthen visible areas of weakness as evidenced in preceding seasons - be it the shaky defence or lack of visible leaders throughout the team.
Many of the new signings are expected to take their place in the season opener against the defending champions Manchester City at the Emirates.
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Let's look at the formation aswell as the personnel the new Arsenal boss is most likely to opt for.
Unai Emery will most likely opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Goalkeeper: Bernd Leno
Selecting a Goalkeeper will be a tough choice for the new boss as he has two genuinely good keepers in Petr Cech and Bernd Leno to choose from.
However, the summer signing Bernd Leno is expected to be the club's number one, and therefore is likely to start against Manchester City.
Defenders: Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis, Hector Bellerin
There is a high possibility that first choice left backs like Kolasinac and Nacho Monreal won't be fit for The Gunners' season opener against Manchester City. Therefore, Maitland-Niles might be asked to play as a left back.
Shkodran Mustafi is an experienced Premier League defender, but in the absence of a player like Laurent Koscielny, he will have to lead the Arsenal back four if The Gunners are to upset the odds against the defending champions.
Sokratis will most likely partner Shkodran Mustafi at centre-back. The Greek defender has the reputation of being a no-nonsense defender, and he will have to be at the top of his game to contain the Manchester City attackers.
Hector Bellerin will be playing at right back for Arsenal against Manchester City. His blistering pace could be unsettling for Manchester City's left flank.
Midfielders: Lucas Torreira, Granit Xhaka, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Lucas Torreira is likely to start for Arsenal at the Emirates. Torreira is a player expected to add the combative spirit in the midfield which Arsenal has been lacking since the days of Patrick Vieira.
He could be the most vital player for Arsenal, especially when it comes to controlling the midfield against Manchester City.
With Aaron Ramsey lacking match fitness, Granit Xhaka is likely to start alongside Lucas Torreira, and will most likely play the role of destroyer for Arsenal in midfield.
When it comes to attacking options, Unai Emery will most likely play Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the left side of the midfield, although he was very prolific when he played in the striker position last year. With his outrageous pace and skills, he can cause havoc for the Manchester City defence .
Mesut Ozil will hope to put his disastrous summer for both club and country behind him. He will most likely be given his favored number 10 role against Manchester City on Sunday, and he will be looking to bury the ghosts of the summer.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be playing on the right side of midfield. Mkhitaryan will be set for his full first season with Arsenal, and he will be looking to impress the Arsenal faithful following his January move from Manchester United.
Striker: Alexandre Lacazette
Alexandre Lacazette is likely to lead the line for Arsenal following a decent pre-season. Last season he had a good start to the campaign for Arsenal, but faded away due to untimely injuries and bad form. This ultimately cost him his place in the French squad for the 2018 World Cup.
However, he is a proven goalscorer, and in all likelihood will get the nod to play as a striker against Manchester City at the Emirates on Sunday.
Aside his goal-scoring prowess, he is very speedy and has got good dribbling attributes as well. Furthermore, he also presses the opposition and has the ability to win the ball back high up the field, this could prove beneficial for Arsenal.
A fully fit and confident Alexandre Lacazette can trouble the best of defences in the world. Therefore he should start for Arsenal in the striker position against Manchester City on Sunday.
