This Thursday, Arsenal managed to put an end to a disastrous run. They beat AC Milan in Italy in a Europa League game and are now hoping to do something similar against Watford in the Premier League. The game Arsenal vs. Watford is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at the Emirates Stadium in London. Can the Gunners take all 3 points from this match? Read this match preview and betting tips to find out!
Arsenal vs. Watford Match Preview
Arsenal
Before beating AC Milan, Arsene’s boys were in a disastrous run. They lost 4 games in a row, which raised a lot of eyebrows not only amongst their fans but also in the club’s management. Even after beating AC Milan, the post of Arsenal manager is still not that secure. Arsene Wenger needs to make his team play well until the end of the season. Otherwise, we probably won’t see him managing Arsenal after the summer break.
Arsenal lost their previous two games in the Premier League, first to Manchester City, which was expected, and then to Brighton, which was not. In fact, that’s kind of scenario that must not happen to the Gunners if they want to stay high on the table.
Speaking of the table position, Arsenal are currently on the 6th place, with just 5 points more than Burnley. What this means that unless Arsenal players start performing better in the league, the chance is high they will drop even lower. That said, the Sunday’s clash with Watford seems like a match which they must win. The good news for them is that the match is played at their stadium, the place where they’ve won 10 out of 14 games this season.
Watford
Watford have been playing pretty well lately, winning some really big games. For example, a few rounds ago, they managed to beat Chelsea 4:1. To be fair, most of their impressive performances happened on their turf, whilst their away form hasn’t been that great. In fact, Watford have lost 7 out of 8 previous away matches. The last time they won all 3 points when playing away from home was back in November.
Another worry for Watford ahead of the game against Arsenal is that they’re having huge problems with injuries. Almost a dozen players are out of the team, while many others are struggling with fitness. The bad news don’t end there – they’re also in the middle of a very tough schedule. After the game with the Gunners, Watford travel to Merseyside to take on Liverpool.
Team News
Arsenal absentees:
- Hector Bellerin (injury)
- Santi Cazorla (injury)
- Alexandre Lacazette (injury)
- Calum Chambers (doubtful)
- Nacho Monreal (doubtful)
- Sead Kolasinac (doubtful)
Watford absentees:
- Tom Cleverley (injury)
- Gerard Deulofeu (injury)
- Christian Kabasele (injury)
- Molla Wague (injury)
- Jerome Sinclair (injury)
- Nathaniel Chalobah (injury)
- Younes Kaboul (injury)
- Jose Holebas (doubtful)
Probable Lineups
Arsenal: Ospina – Koscielny, Mustafi, Holding, Maitland-Niles – Ramsey, Xhaka, Wilshere – Ozil, Mkhitaryan – Aubameyang
Watford: Karnezis – Mariappa, Prodl, Janmaat, Holebas – Capoue, Doucoure – Richairlso, Pereyra, Carillo – Deeney
Arsenal vs. Watford Match Prediction
I’m pretty sure Arsenal will take this. It’s not only that the Gunners need to win this match to gain confidence and stay in the competition for a place in the Europa League; it’s also because they have a much better team than Watford. Furthermore, the away team is struggling with injuries, which is something Arsenal can take advantage of. For instance, Watford currently have only two central defenders who are match fit, others are from the B-team.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, they also have some problems with injuries (as always). In fact, none of their regular full-backs is 100% ready. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Watford managed to take advantage of that, so we might very well see goals on both ends. Over 2.5 goals also seems like a pretty reasonable bet.
Arsenal vs. Watford Betting Tips
Arsenal @1.50 (WilliamHill)
BTS @1.66 (bet365)
Over 2.5 Goals @1.53 (bet365)
