Arsenal lacked creativity in defeat to Manchester City... it's time for Jack Wilshere to return to the starting XI

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This defeat proved that it is time for Jack Wilshere to return to Arsenal’s first team.

Arsene Wenger’s game plan was to stop Manchester City playing and for periods, it worked. But where was Arsenal’s midfield creativity?

They were not able to play the way they wanted in the final third and that is where Wilshere would have made a difference.

Arsenal's performance against Manchester City was crying out for a player like Jack Wilshere

He commits defenders, he creates space, he finds that pass for Alexis Sanchez or Alexandre Lacazette.

Sanchez and Mesut Ozil did not have good games. If they are not going to sign contracts, then Arsenal have to start looking to the future. 

Does Wenger play Wilshere instead of Ozil, or in midfield in place of Granit Xhaka?

Wilshere has the ability to play the passes that Alexis Sanchez was left craving on Sunday

Alexandre Lacazette proved he should have started the game when he scored from the bench

I do not understand why Lacazette did not start. This was the second big game after the defeat at Liverpool that he has started on the bench. I don’t think he deserves that.

Any doubts about Arsenal’s record signing were erased when he came on and scored.

Wenger heads into another international break at a crossroads. Once more he has to go back to the drawing board to work out his best XI — and Wilshere is ever closer to making the cut.