Watford travel to London to face Arsenal and will be hoping to complete a double over the Gunners this season after winning their clash at Vicarage Road earlier in the season. Arsene Wenger, on the other hand, will be expected to field a team capable of beating their opponents and more importantly avoiding another defeat in the Premier League.
Arsenal, hard to say typically but are in a tricky situation, where a defeat would mean four in a row in the Premier League for the first time since Arsene Wenger’s appointment as manager. The same feat in all competitions has already been achieved, although the impressive win over AC Milan midweek put an end to that unwanted streak.
The Watford squad have many players on the sidelines, as do Arsenal, who have some critical players pencilled to miss the game at the Emirates. Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal among others, would be missing the Watford game, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is set to return after not part taking in the Milan clash as he was ineligible in the competition.
Arsene Wenger switched to a 4-3-3 at the San Siro and it worked quite well for the team, as Mkhitaryan and Ramsey were on the scoresheet. Wenger is likely to stick to the same formation as well as most personnel, barring few changes.
Petr Cech is likely to replace Ospina in goal despite the Colombian having a great night at the San Siro as he kept a clean sheet. Petr Cech has been looking for his 200th clean sheet for some time now, but with Arsenal conceding in their last 11 games in the Premier League, the wait seems to be longer than it has been.
Hector Bellerin, after missing the Milan game with a knee ligament problem is set to be sidelined for the Watford game as well, but his replacement, Calum Chambers faces a late fitness test after coming off injured in the midweek game.
Nacho Monreal likewise would be missing as he is yet to recover from the injury he sustained during the Carabao Cup Final a fortnight ago. Sead Kolasinac, his replacement in the team, is a doubt too, after coming off injured against Milan, and if he fails to recover, it would be Ainsley Maitland-Niles who is likely to play at left-back.
Wenger is set to stick with his midfield three, but more importantly, he seems to have finally found a way to play Wilshere and Ramsey together to effect on the same team. Xhaka will continue at the base of midfield.
Arsenal’s attack will have Mesut Ozil on the right and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the left, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, expected to come back into the team to replace Danny Welbeck. Welbeck especially had a great game at Milan, and this would have put Wenger in a tricky situation as to choosing his first choice striker.
