Arsenal vs Watford
Date – 26/07/2020
Kick off time – 16:00pm (GMT)
Venue – Emirates Stadium
Head to Head Stats
In the previous 5 meetings, Arsenal have managed 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss against the Hornets. (3W, 1D, 1L)
The Gunners have an impressive 3 clean sheets in the last 5 clashes against Watford.
Last time out it ended in a stalemate 2-2 draw.
In all competitions, the Gunners have beaten Sunday’s opposition 17 times with 2 draws and 12 losses.
Match Preview
Arteta’s side endured a tough night at Villa Park on Tuesday evening, as they lacked any sort of attacking threat against a side which has one of the worst defensive records in the league, supporting the argument that the Gunners are in desperate need of some creativity in the midfield. This result put the final nail in the coffin for Arsenal to achieve European football next season through the League, with Arteta’s eyes now firmly fixed on the FA Cup final.
The Gunners form has been steady since the restart, with a purple patch in the middle, which saw them put a run of wins together against Southampton, Wolves, Liverpool and Manchester City in the FA Cup however the main issue has been consistency. Disappointing results against Spurs, Brighton and Manchester City in the league means Arsenal can only finish as high as 8th, confirming this as their worst campaign since 1995. Watford’s form has been anything but desirable recently, as the Hornets have been on the receiving end of some heavy defeats to Southampton, Chelsea, West Ham and Manchester City which in turn led to the decision to sack manager Nigel Pearson with 2 matches remaining with the hope of it keeping them up.
Let’s have a look at the team news for both sides:
Arsenal’s injury list remains the same heading into this one as Gabriel Martinelli, Callum Chambers and Pablo Mari have long term injuries. German defender Skhodran Mustafi is set to miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, a huge blow for Arteta ahead of next weeks final. Keeper Bernd Leno continues to progress ahead of schedule for his return from a knee ligament strain, as the 27-year old is aiming to be back in full training this week. Hayden Mullins has a few problems himself as Daryl Janmaat, Gerard Deulofeu and Etienne Capoue are all major doubts for their visit to the Emirates.
Predicted Lineup
Formation – 3-4-3
GK – Emilio Martinez
RWB – Hector Bellerin
CB – Rob Holding
CB – David Luiz
CB- Kieran Tierney
LWB – Maitland-Niles
CM – Granit Xhaka
CM – Lucas Torreira
RW – Nicolas Pepe
ST – Eddie Nketiah
LW – Bukayo Saka
Score Prediction
With Arsenal having little to play for but pride and Watford fighting for survival I can see this being a very tight game:
Arsenal 2-1 Watford
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James Humphreys
Gunners Daily 