Arsenal visit Watford, aiming to back up their superb 3-0 victory over Manchester United last time out with another three points at Vicarage Road.
Arsene Wenger’s side have failed to sustain a serious title challenge for 11 years now, and it is games like this that they must keep winning if they are to be up there at the end of this campaign. Gunners’ fans would bemoan their sides’ lack of consistency and winning here would begin to represent encouragement on that front.
Watford will believe that they can get something from the game though, boasting the league’s joint best defensive record so far this season.
They held Manchester City to 0-0 for 48 minutes at the Etihad Stadium in August and will be a tough nut for Arsenal to break down on Saturday evening.
Tactics
The Hornets will stick to their rigid, pragmatic approach – an approach that has been cultivated by new Head Coach Quique Sanchez Flores. Watford climbed their way into the Premier League by playing open, attractive football but have metaphorically shut up shop upon their promotion, immediately becoming much harder to beat.
And they may even exaggerate that stance here – like they did at Manchester City when they played 4-6-0 – by leaving out a forward for a midfielder. Troy Deeney could be looking over his shoulder having failed to score so far this season, though he is perfectly capable of doing a midfield job himself.
Ikechi Anya may be employed to do a doubling up job with Nathan Ake down the left, while Deeney or perhaps summer recruit Adlene Guedioura could do the same job down the right. Valon Behrami is welcomed back from suspension but his replacement Ben Watson has done such a good job that both men may line-up alongside Etienne Capoue.
Arsenal will stick to the game-plan that has seen them have an excellent recent record away to the lesser sides in the Premier League. September’s 5-2 victory over Leicester looks the perfect blueprint, although the potential injury to Alexis Sanchez is a big blow.
Wenger will know that three points here are just as valuable as the win over Manchester United and will look to ensure that his side don’t become complacent. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain might replace Sanchez, while Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott will be charged with continuing where they left off in that win over Louis van Gaal’s side.
Francis Coquelin will do the screening job in midfield but it’s certainly possible that he may have to be sacrificed for more of a ball-player, as Watford sit back and allow Arsenal to play in front of them.
Previous meeting
The two sides last clashed at Vicarage Road on Boxing Day in 2006. Watford already looked relegation fodder and, despite faring well here, fell to another home defeat.
Gilberto Silva opened the scoring for the visitors, before Tommy Smith soon equalised for the Hornets with his first goal back in a yellow shirt after three years away.
The hosts held firm, but a certain Robin van Persie broke their hearts late on with a sweetly-struck left-footed finish.
Arsenal went on to qualify for the Champions League yet again, while the Hornets slid to their second bottom-placed finish in two Premier League attempts.
Injury news
Watford welcome back Behrami from suspension, while Allan Nyom and Anya should be fit after pulling out of international duty with injuries.
Juan Manual Jurado remains out with a hamstring injury, while Joel Ekstrand and Tommie Hoban are long-term absentees.
The big news for Arsenal fans is that Sanchez looks set to miss the game, with an injury picked up against Manchester United exacerbated while on international duty.
Other than that, there should be a clean bill of health for anyone Wenger was planning to use in the first XI anyway.
Predicted teams
Watford (4-3-2-1): Gomes; Nyom, Prodl, Cathcart, Ake; Behrami, Capoue, Watson; Deeney, Anya; Ighalo.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bellerin, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Ramsey; Walcott.
Prediction: Watford 0-3 Arsenal
