Arsenal 5-a-side: A balanced Defense and fiery Attack

With no Premier League this week, I thought that I would make my own Arsenal 5-a-side team. One could have opted for pace and creativity in the form of Sanchez and Ozil, or perhaps width and finishing with Walcott and Giroud up front. Everyone has their own opinion of how you could turn Wenger’s XI into a 5-man beast of a team, and here is my team.

1) Petr Cech:

First up is the Czech Player of the Year, he is a solid unit as the last line of defence and with his excellent reflexes, the 33-year-old can deal with short balls played into the mixer. The keeper has no need to come out and be a Neuer as we have a very offensive four other players.

2) Hector Bellerin:

Who else? The right-back is full of pace and loves to run down the flank and create decent chances in the box. The Spaniard is by far the most offensive of Wenger’s defenders yet he can also play deep when necessary. His immense speed and exceptional acceleration allow him to move up and down the pitch, giving options at both boxes. He is the gem of this Gunners’ team and provides wherever most needed.

3) Mohammed Elneny:

The Egyptian sits just in front of Bellerin. This allows Bellerin to have more freedom when attacking. Elneny has the highest work rate of the Arsenal XI and this is absolutely key in the fast 40 minutes of a 5-a-side fixture. The 23-year-old is put in this team as he can shape the midfield to his needs whilst being adaptable to the other three attacking players. He is a midfield controller and can dominate the centre of the field with tackling as well as sending long through balls to the pacey forwards.

4) Alexis Sanchez:

Despite the Chilean’s recent struggles in the League, he has definitely earned himself a place in my team. Alexis is full of tricks, outrageous dribbles, as well as a keen eye for goal. The 27-year-old bagged himself a whopping 25 goals in all competitions last season and he provided many assists on top of that. He has excellent pace and could link up with Bellerin in the opposition’s box. His mazy dribbles make him a 5-a-side specialist and he always seems to have chemistry with the players he works with.

5) Danny Welbeck:

I know…it’s a controversial choice. However the England international has been in great form since his return from a long-term injury in February. The 23-year-old has bagged four goals in nine games since his return and he is looking better than ever. The striker was also fairly impressive in the 3-2 win over Germany last night. He created some decent chances but was unlucky to be brought down in some harsh challenges by Mats Hummels that the referee failed to notice.

Arsenal 5-a-Side: Formation and Strategy 

I have chosen a youthful side with qualities that stretch further than just the basic defend to offense 5-a-side scheme. This team has width, as well as solid stability in the midfield. Each player has a key role and these together give us tactics.

We can play on the counter-attack or opt for a narrow run down the middle with Sanchez. Welbeck is clinical in front of goal and this makes him the most important player in the team. Bellerin can whip balls in front of goal from the right hand side which allow Welbeck a tight finish.

Elneny can provide through balls and the offensive moves can crush any opposition. There is also a good defence with Cech, Bellerin and Elneny combining to build a solid wall at the back.