Arsenal welcome high flying Watford to the Emirates Stadium tomorrow for what is a tough looking clash. The Hornets are on a great run and are sitting pretty in the top four of the league table. The Gunners however are in fine form of their own, and will be looking to make it seven wins in a row in all competitions.
After another good mid-week show, Danny Welbeck will be itching for another start and the opportunity to impress. However, for once, all our strikers are in good goa lscoring form with Lacazette and Aubameyang also notching in back-to-back games. Healthy competition though and a nice headache for Unai Emery to have - the choice rather than decision made based on poor form or injury - is ideal. Our manager has been talking recently about options and having many players in form. In getting results in a variety of scenarios and against different opponents, options is exactly what we need. Although Watford are dangerous up top with two out-and-out forwards side by side, I expect to see Emery go with the same formation of recent weeks. And although he was good against Brentford, I foresee Welbeck having to settle with a place on the bench. Outing Lacazette and Aubameyang is going to be a real challenge for the England man.
With Leno having played fairly well in two games now, and showcasing his high level of footwork, the question is still being asked by fans - When will Leno get a start ahead of Cech? Petr Cech however played extremely well last time out and fully justified his selected for the present and the near term future. Again - another good headache for Mr Emery. Moving into defence, there are again question marks over Sokratis, with Holding his likely replacement should the big Greek not make it. A dead leg can have various repercussions depending on the player and the intensity of the injury so availability remains to be seen. If fit, he'll play. His experience up against the likes of Deeney will be critical. Monreal looks set to continue at left full back as expected, whilst Bellerin is very likely to come back in on the right ahead of Stephan Lichtsteiner.
Midfield, and going forward in general, is starting to take shape now. With Elneny and Guendouzi both starting against Brentford, the assumption is that Emery will revert back to the fresher Xhaka and Torreira combo with Ramsey a little in front. Much has been said about Aaron Ramsey over recent days but above all, you cannot fault his ability. As much as his presence forces Ozil out wide, the fluidity and freedom in Arsenal's attack means that both (and Aubameyang) have licence to change it up. Torreira is now looking a real player. After his first start last weekend he'll be looking to push on and step it up again. One noticable thing now is that he makes Xhaka look better than he is but in doing so actually allows Xhaka to fulfill his optimum role of deep lying playmaker. Xhaka is not built for breaking up opponent's play and hunting down tackles all game long. He may be able to contribute but he is ultimately more in the mould of Xabi Alonso than Claude Makelele. However, Torreira is the Makelele that Arsenal have needed for a decade. What he brings, no one else can. And what he allows others to do is completely understated. Just his mere presence allows his colleagues to express themselves freely.
The Hornets are buzzing in all senses of the word. Holebas at left back has never looked better, Kabasele at centre back is proving to be a quality player and Deeney's weight loss and recharged enthusiasm is a fantastic platform for the club. Watford have a solid midfield duo in Doucoure and (former Spud) Capoue who form the engine room of their play, whilst Roberto Pereyra and Will Hughes are the creative hubs of flair and dynamism that get them ticking. Combined with a traditional two up top, Watford are a fairly different proposition to most. They will be delighted with the overturning of Kabasele's recent red card meaning he's free to play tomorrow, solidifying their defence ten-fold. The threat generally comes up the middle - there are times of wide play, but as Pereyra and Hughes are ball carrying unorthodox wide men they both like to step inside. As a result, Arsenal's midfield will need to be at its best defensively to thwart these attacks. This is clear justification why the Gunners need a three man midfield. Dominate the midfield and in turn isolate Deeney and Gray, and the game is there for the taking.
Watford have nothing to fear (and have a half decent record of late in North London) so the pressure is all on us to deliver the result. Fans are looking forward to a seventh win in a row, and although it can definitely happen, it will not be easy. This vision is that we have a great game on the cards - let's hope the teams don't disappoint!
Expected lineup:
GK: Petr Cech
RB: Hector Bellerin
CB: Skhodran Mustafi
CB: Sokratis
LB: Nacho Monreal
CM: Lucas Torreira
CM: Granit Xhaka
CM: Aarom Ramsey
RW: Mesut Ozil
ST: Alex Lacazette
LW: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Prediction: A nervy 2-1 win with Lacazette and Aubameyang continuing their good form.
Comments
Post a Comment