Arsenal will look to carry their recent momentum in the Premier League forward when they host a struggling Watford at the Emirates this weekend.
Arsenal are on a good run of form, something nobody expected after their horrible start to the season. Their three defeats earlier placed them at the bottom of the league. Mikel Arteta has since orchestrated a remarkable turnaround to put together a seven-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, seeing them climb up to sixth.
Last weekend, when presented with a tough test away at Leicester City, they came up with the goods and three points as goals from Gabriel and Emile Smith-Rowe secured a deserved win. Aaron Ramsdale played a telling part in that game, making tremendous saves to keep a clean sheet.
They now have Watford in their sights as Arsenal return to the Emirates in the hope of winning their third game in a row and extending their unbeaten run. The Gunners are not playing any European football this term, meaning they can have plenty of time to recover from games and plan their next match with ease. Arsenal will have to keep their momentum going heading into the Watford game, where they will target a win before they break for the international rounds.
Watford manager Claudio Ranieri will face a stern test at the Emirates, where the memories of the last gasp defeat during his title-winning campaign with Leicester will still be fresh. The Italian endured a terrible 5-0 loss to Liverpool in his first game in charge of the Hornets, then set the tone with an emphatic win against Everton.
When it seemed like Watford might have stumbled upon a system that works, they lost narrowly to Southampton last time out. That defeat placed them closer to the relegation zone, with only two points separating them, and 18th-placed Burnley.
Watford can take courage from their performances away from home this season as two of their three wins have come on the road. Moreover, they have scored eight of their twelve league goals on trips away from home, although they might find it difficult to do so against Arsenal, who have established themselves as a defensively astute team lately.
Team News & Tactics
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta will probably retain the same starting XI which won away at Leicester. With the team performing well overall, there’s no need for change, although the manager has plenty of options to play with if he deems necessary.
Granit Xhaka is the only notable absentee with his return set only in the new year. Kieran Tierney also returned to full training this week after missing the previous two games. Nuno Tavares expertly covered for the Scot in those fixtures, and Arteta now has a dilemma over replacing the Portuguese with Tierney again.
Although Scotland’s manager commented on the issue suggesting Tierney is fit again, Arteta might be reluctant to bring him just yet, particularly with the Liverpool clash after the international break in mind. Things point towards Tavares keeping his place again and hoping to impress Arteta even further.
Albert Sambi Lokonga will keep his midfield place alongside Thomas Partey, while Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka will play traditional wing roles in Arteta’s latest 4-4-2. The formation is more suited to the team, specifically Alexandre Lacazette, who played behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to win the ball in important areas.
Martin Odegaard has come on from the bench to replace Lacazette in the last two games, and Arteta will likely keep the same arrangements for the Watford clash. Ben White and Gabriel will continue their central defensive partnership with Takehiro Tomiyasu supporting from the right side. Aaron Ramsdale, after that impressive performance, will keep his place in goal ahead of Bernd Leno.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tavares; Saka, Partey, Lokonga, Smith Rowe; Lacazette, Aubameyang
Watford
Watford will have to do without attacker Ken Sema, who withdrew from international commitments recently following an injury. He joins Christian Kabasele, Peter Etebo and Kwadwo Baah on the sidelines. Others such as Francisco Sierralta and Kiko Femenia are in contention to feature after having recovered from their injuries.
Emmanuel Dennis is available again after serving a suspension, while he is expected to reclaim his place in the lineup ahead of Cucho Hernandez. Meanwhile, new signing Nicolas Nkoulou is also likely to make his first appearance of the season.
Ranieri could seek to drop Joao Pedro, who only made his debut against Southampton, although he was subbed off at half-time. Tom Cleverley is set to play an important role, starting in an advanced position and behind striker Joshua King.
Ranieri will keep hold of a back four and similar style in midfield, to probably mirror how Arsenal could set up. The idea is to keep the Gunners in check with proper man-to-man marking.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Foster; Ngakia, Troost-Ekong, Cathcart, Rose; Sarr, Kucka, Sissoko, Dennis; Cleverley; King
Key Stats
- Arsenal have won their last three games against Watford in all competitions.
- Arsenal are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League matches, winning five of those.
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored six goals in five Premier League appearances against Watford.
- Since winning 2-1 at the Emirates in 2017, Watford have lost four out of five games against their London rivals.
- Watford have never kept a clean sheet against Arsenal in the Premier League.
Player to Watch
Aaron Ramsdale
It’s not a coincidence Ramsdale features in this section and becomes the player to watch for against Watford. After a summer spent blocking comments online for abuse as he neared a switch to Arsenal, Ramsdale then decided to answer those who doubted him with a string of impressive performances on the pitch.
Against Leicester, he was immense and made several crucial stops to keep a clean sheet. He was then selected for the England squad and now will have eyes on Jordan Pickford’s No.1 spot for the national team after displacing Leno at club level. He will have to keep up his top displays against Watford before facing Mohamed Salah over at Anfield.
Prediction
Arsenal 2-0 Watford
Watford have been out of sorts, inconsistent, and their defence is best described as leaky. Shipping eight goals in three games since Ranieri took over doesn’t represent success by any means. They face an in-form Arsenal side who look hungry for more after recent results.
The Gunners have been sharp in front of the goal and have shown the awareness to exploit mistakes. Watford have been just the opposite barring the late show at Everton. Expect the Gunners to take all three points and a clean sheet, leaving the Hornets to struggle.