When trying to predict who Arsenal manager Unai Emery could start on Saturday versus Burnley FC the first question to ask is- will Mesut Ozil play? The German international (who recently retired from the national side) was omitted completely from the EFL Cup loss to Tottenham Hotspur Wednesday night and only saw substitute minutes last weekend against Southampton.
Given how he’s fully fit, the team’s highest paid player and arguably the most accomplished- what gives? “It was only a tactical decision,” Arsenal manager Unai Emery told reporters at his post match news conference in midweek.
“I thought the players today that are with us were for us the best for this match.”
Emery said next to nothing there, and he dodged the question entirely when asked why he didn’t include Ozil, or whether the attacking midfielder could be sold in the January transfer window.
“I am thinking about the match on Saturday and not thinking about another situation,” the Spaniard responded.
“I am thinking about every player, we have 24, 25 players, and when they are playing in one [game], and they are not playing in another, it’s a decision for me, and today it’s tactical. Tomorrow we are going to train with every player [and see] how they can be for the match against Burnley.”
Emery was coy and now you can’t help but wonder about the other stated official reasons for why Ozil has missed games this season: illness and back problems.
Was he really that seriously hurt at the time? Does he want out?
Has there been a falling out between Ozil and Emery? Ozil was reportedly fully fit when he was benched for the Bournemouth game in November, and Emery did use the phrase “tactical decision” to explain that omission as well. Then you had Ozil’s getting subbed off in October versus Crystal Palace, which noticeably angered the player.
These are questions we don’t know the answer to, but we’ll be leaving the 2014 World Cup champion out of our lineup prediction until we do.
The Bank Arsenal Predicted line-up (4-3-3) vs Burnley FC
Attack: Alexandre Lacazette, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Midfield: Lucas Torreira, Granit Xhaka, Aaron Ramsey
Defense: Sokraitis, Stephen Lichtsteiner, Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal
Goalkeeper: Bernd Leno
Arsenal vs Burnley FC FYIs
Kick-off: 12:30 pm (BST), 7:30 am (EST), Saturday December 22, Emirates Stadium
Google Result Probability: Arsenal win- 78%, Draw 15%, Burnley win- 7%
Odds via Sport Pesa: Arsenal win 4/17, draw 21/4, Burnley 13/1
Injury Report: go to this link
Prediction: Arsenal 3, Burnley 1
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.