Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi was showing off his finishing skills during a recent training session.
The German tried two scissor kicks as balls were crossed into the box, with both shots beating goalkeeper Bernd Leno:
? Musti, that’s outrageous! ?
? @MustafiOfficial pic.twitter.com/gagbEtB9yG
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) 27 May 2019
Some fans on Twitter were jokingly asking whether Mustafi should play up front against Chelsea tomorrow:
BE SCARED CHELSEA, BE VERY SCARED
— bojchev3️⃣ (@BoForArsenal) 27 May 2019
Start him as striker????????
— TheUnaiView (@TheUnaiView) 27 May 2019
No excuses he starts up front on wednesday. I dont wanna hear any excuses
— Farda Wengz ?? (@farda_wengz) 27 May 2019
Absolutely mental, sell Aubameyang and put Mustafi as striker
— sako (@sakopath) 27 May 2019
Mustafi scoring the winner. I know it. You know it. We all know it.
— LacaZte. (@LacaZte) 27 May 2019
@jcodderz get him up top
— George (@GeorgeWormaldd) 27 May 2019
A number of others were pleading for Gunners manager Unai Emery not to start him in the final:
He better not start?
— Keith Ramos (@youngkeitho) 27 May 2019
Please don’t fool us with this…..He should not be in the starting Lineup.Period!!!
— Kubasu ???? (@ItsKubasu) 27 May 2019
Still, dont start him
— Haris (@prmjkt) 27 May 2019
Mustafi’s defensive lapses make him a liability according to the majority of Arsenal fans but, despite the criticism, he has remained very much part of the club’s first-team plans.
Whether he starts the game in Baku tomorrow very much depends on the formation Emery employs. If the Spaniard follows the tactics used in the 2-0 win over Chelsea in the league back in January, Mustafi may not be needed.
The back four employed on that day was Bellerin, Sokratis, Koscielny and Kolasinac. Maitland-Niles could simply replace the injured Bellerin in that defence for the final.