Cech & Walcott Start: Predicted Arsenal Starting XI To Take On Chelsea

FA Cup holders Arsenal will be looking to secure a morale boosting  win over Premier League champions Chelsea when they face-off in the Community Shield on Sunday.

Here is the side Gooner Mac thinks Arsene Wenger will select for the game:

Goalkeeper: All eyes will be on Petr Cech to see if he starts against his old club for the first time since making the move from Stamford Bridge to the Emirates. With David Ospina only just returning to pre-season training and Wojceich Szczesny out on loan at Roma, I think Wenger has no option but to go with the experienced Czech international in goal.

Defence: It’s going to be interesting to see what Wenger goes with as his first choice defence this season. Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker are expected to continue as the first choice central defensive partnership but the full-back slots are both open for debate.

Nacho Monreal ended the last campaign as first choice left-back but I think we might see Kieran Gibbs start this season as No.1. Hector Bellerin was also the automatic choice during the run-in but with Mathieu Debuchy now fully-fit, I feel Wenger may opt for the 30-year-old at right-back in the big games this year.

Midfield: While there may be changes at the back, I don’t foresee the boss mixing things up immediately in the centre of the park so Santi Cazorla should start alongside Francis Coquelin on Sunday.

Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey are both competing for places and want to start in the middle but I just don’t see how Arsene can split Cazorla and Coquelin up, especially in the games against the top teams, after how well they played together last season.

Attack: Mesut Ozil is the only player who’s guaranteed to start in attack on Sunday with the other three positions all up for grabs. With Alexis Sanchez unavailable, there is a spot free on the left and I think we might see Theo Walcott deployed there. There is an argument for Walcott to start up front but I think Arsene will go for Olivier Giroud’s presence against the physicality of Cahill and Terry.

Ramsey is probably favourite ahead of Wilshere to start on the right, although Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is another option.  but I think we’ll see the attacking three behind Giroud all fluid and changing positions throughout the game.

Here is how I think we’ll see Arsenal line-up against Chelsea:

What do you think? What line-up would you like to see start?