Abdoulaye Doucoure will have added responisbility in absence of injured Allan.
Midfield:
Central midfield: Abdoulaye Doucoure
The Frenchman was the best player on the pitch against Leicester. Even though he had a few initial hiccups, his defensive qualities outshined every weakness. Given that Allan is out, Doucoure will have a huge responsibility on his shoulders and there’s no reason not to believe that he’ll rise to the occasion. Arsenal have blistering pace in their attack with Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka, Pepe all ready with their revving speedy engines so Doucoure’s interventions during a counter will be key.
Central midfield: Andre Gomes
Ancelotti will likely deploy Gomes as a replacement to Allan and line up Gomes and Doucoure in a double pivot. The Portuguese may have slightly more freedom than the former Watford man but his responsibilities on the defensive side are bound to increase. Such is the effect of absence of Allan that him being out of the lineup has left a large gaping hole to fill.
Attacking midfield: Gylfi Sigurdsson
Often criticized for being out of sync and laggard, Sigurdsson has rightly earned the praise he’s getting after working extremely hard in the last couple of games. The Iceman was spot on with his deliveries into the box, tracked back and pressed when needed and was accurate with his passing. The 31 year old needed such a showing to win back the support of the fans especially when the chief creator James Rodriguez is out of action.