Arsenal’s top-four bid faces defensive dilemma

LONDON: Unai Emery is faced with a defensive dilemma that could make or break Arsenal’s hopes of a top-four finish to their Premier League campaign.

The Gunners travel to Wolves today having missed a chance on tightening their grip on a top four finish following a 3-2 defeat at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Arsenal were extremely poor defensively that day. Two goals were from badly-defended setpieces while the other was the result of an extraordinary individual error by Shkodran Mustafi.

Gunners manager Emery had opted to rest a number of players after a win at Napoli the previous week that had seen north London side Arsenal into the last four of the Europa League.

Now, after that plan backfired, the Spaniard must decide whether to keep the three-man back line that allows Mesut Ozil to flourish in an advanced midfield position behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, or play safe with a traditional back four.

Arsenal won 1-0 at Watford in their most recent away day outing with a back four and switched to one at half-time against Palace.

Emery’s biggest headache though is to decide if the veteran Laurent Koscielny can carry on playing at a time when Mustafi cannot be relied on.

“I have the confidence in our way and I want to be positive because this season we have been working and fighting to be in this key moment with the possibility to be in the top four, and we are,” Emery said after the Palace loss.

“We are also in the semi-final of the Europa League and we can be proud of all the season.

“Today we can be frustrated, but tomorrow stand up and be ready for the game on Wednesday against Wolves knowing it is going to be very difficult but it is in our hands.”

Meanwhile, Emery will sanction an Arsenal clearout this summer — with Mustafi among the players for sale.

Emery will head into the transfer window with a budget of as little as £45 million (RM241 million).

But the manager, who has impressed the Gunners hierarchy during his first season, has been told he can reinvest a significant amount of any money raised from player sales.

Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will also be in the shop window.

The Gunners are under pressure to reduce their wage bill, especially if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Selling Ozil, despite his recent renaissance, remains a key objective because of his mammoth £350,000-a-week wages. Mkhitaryan earns £180,000 a week and the Armenian is another one Arsenal hope to sell.