Midfield
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The base of the midfield for this combined XI sees Manchester City’s Fernandinho as one of two midfield pivots. The Brazilian has been a regular in the starting lineup compared to last season and the box-to-box midfielder has been a crucial link between defence and attack.
Strong in the air and with the ability close down passing channels, Fernandinho has stepped up in a season where Yaya Toure has sleepwalked through most games.
Arsenal’s only outfield signing Mohamed Elneny did not come into the squad until the January transfer window but he hasn’t looked back after cementing his place in the starting lineup. After benching an inconsistent Francis Coquelin, the Egyptian midfielder’s mobility has been instrumental to reviving Arsenal’s stagnant midfield in the second half of the season.
Always on the move and looking around for teammates almost every second, his positioning and runs have seen the ball zip around the field while his stamina has seen him cover a lot of ground, especially in winning the ball back. With a mean shot on him, as Barcelona saw in the Champions League, he is an asset that can only improve at the Emirates.
There’s only one playmaker who deserves his spot behind the striker in this lineup and that is Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil. The German midfielder broke Frank Lampard’ s record for most chances created in a Premier League season and is now looking to overhaul Thierry Henry’s record of 20 assists in a single season.
Ozil is on 18 assists but has slowed down since January. However, a closer look at the numbers show that it is his teammates who have gone missing rather than the German World Cup winner.
