Wenger has settled on a favoured defence (Picture: Getty)
Wenger has settled on a favoured defence (Picture: Getty)

Arsene Wenger believes a back-three of Shkodran Mustafi, Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal is the way forward this season, with the latter pair flanking the former at the heart of the Arsenal defence.

The French tactician is preparing to lead his troops into battle against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and is set to stick with the 3-4-3 formation he’s deployed throughout the season.

Wenger has used four different back-three combinations in the Premier League so far this season, with Rob Holding and Sead Kolasinac also getting game time, and Monreal has been the only ever present in his role.

Monreal has started every match (Picture: AFP/Getty)
Monreal has started every match (Picture: AFP/Getty)
Mustafi was praised by his manager (Picture: Getty)
Mustafi was praised by his manager (Picture: Getty)

But the Arsenal boss seems to have settled on his favoured defence after the 3-0 win over Bournemouth and believes a Koscielny-Mustafi-Monreal combination looks ‘well-balanced’.

‘He’s reading the game well, strong in the challenge, and he likes to talk as well, so that’s an important quality in that part of the pitch,’ he said of Mustafi.

‘On both sides of him, we have Koscielny and Monreal who are quick, so that looks well-balanced.

‘Communication is very, very important. In the organisation, it’s very important that you talk early, and sometimes you have to be very vocal because the crowd is shouting.

‘The timing of your talking and sometimes how loud you are is very important.