The last time Gunners met Swansea at the Emirates, they suffered a 1-2 loss and that was something that ended Arsenal’s title hopes. The meeting between the two sides, this time, comes at a much different time. While Arsenal have won five matches in a row and finds themselves in the third spot, Swansea occupies the 17th position having drawn 1 and lost 4 out of their last 5 matches. A win for Arsenal would prove their intentions to challenge for the title. And Swansea, on the other hand, will be trying to evade the relegation zone.
Players To Watch-
Theo Walcott – After ten years of waiting, the Theo Walcott that Arsenal fans always dreamt of seeing seems to have finally arrived. Having scored 3 goals and created 8 chances in 8 appearances, Walcott is in the form of his life. And even though his performance for England during the International break was reminiscent of his old self, a case can be made for how it was a collective failure and not Walcott’s individual fault. Wenger’s decision to play him on the right has proven to be correct so far and it should continue against Swansea as well.
Alexis Sanchez – In the last seven games, Alexis Sanchez has created 18 chances. This makes him one of the 20 most creative players in Europe this season. He has also scored 4 goals this season and this signifies how influential he has been in the Arsenal’s early success. If Arsenal gets a positive result against Swansea, Sanchez would be at the centre of it.
Mesut Ozil – In Arsenal’s last fixture, Ozil wasn’t able to dominate and pick apart Burnley’s defence. Despite this, he remains one of their most creative players. Not only has he created 13 chances and scored 2 goals in his last 6 appearances, he has also done it with incredible efficiency with his average pass accuracy being 90%.
Important Player Arsenal Need to Keep in Check
Leroy Fer – The 26-year-old midfielder has been a crucial player for his side this season. He has scored four goals and created a total of four chances in seven appearances. He brings pace, precision and incisiveness to Bradley’s side and is at the heart of their attack.
Arsenal vs Swansea Stats: (Taken From FourFourTwo)
- Arsenal have enjoyed just one win in their last five Premier League meetings with Swansea, losing three and drawing one.
- At the Emirates, Swansea are unbeaten on their last four visits in the Premier League winning three and drawing one.
- Arsenal have averaged just 0.8 points per game at home to Swansea in the Premier League, their worst return on home soil against any side.
- Conversely, the Swans’ average of 2.0 points per game away to Arsenal in the Premier League is the best return for any visiting side at the Emirates.
- In each of Swansea’s last four league visits to the Emirates, the Welsh side have either won or drawn the game courtesy of goals scored in the 74th minute or later.
- Bob Bradley is the first American manager to oversee a Premier League game.
- Arsene Wenger has won six of his eight games against managers overseeing their first Premier League game (incl. caretakers), losing the last (v Slaven Bilic’s West Ham in August 2015) and the first (v Stuart Pearce’s Nottingham Forest in December 1996).
Arsenal’sPredicted Lineup
Cech | Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal | Cazorla, Xhaka| Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi | Alexis
Predicted Score
Due to a chasm in quality between the two sides and Arsenal’s run of good form they should overcome Swansea in a 2-0 victory.