Arsenal: Breaking down the eight April fixtures

Arsenal have eight fixtures in April. Here, I break each one down and discuss how the month will play a key role in determining the success of the season.

At present, Arsenal are going through a quiet phase of the season. Unai Emery has actually taken the opportunity to whisk his players off to Dubai for a mid-season break. After the 3-0 win over Rennes on March 14th, the Gunners will not play another match in 18 days, their next coming against on April 1st.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — Rubbish Rennes, Article of the Week

However, this relaxed period will very quickly end. And in April, Unai Emery must prepare his players for eight games spanning just 28 days, an average of a match every 3.5 days — you can see a full fixture list here. That is a similar intensity to the renowned mania of the festive schedule.

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April starts with a home match against Newcastle. With only three more Premier League matches coming at the Emirates, it will be critical for Arsenal to take advantage of this one. Newcastle are in excellent form, buoyed by the club-record signing of Miguel Almiron, and Rafa Benitez will make them difficult to beat.

Then comes a crucial 21-day period, consisting of seven matches, four matches on the weekend and three in the midweek separating them. And the matches are far from easy. The run starts with a trip to Goodison Park to face an inconsistent but dangerous Everton. Chelsea, incidentally, lost 2-0 there last weekend.

After that, Arsenal host the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Napoli. This will be one of the biggest games of the season, with Emery’s side very much in the mix to win the competition should they find their way past the excellent Italians.

Then, on Monday 15th, they travel to Watford, an equally awkward match against extremely awkward and difficult opposition. Just three days later, the team will fly to Naples for the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final. It is a 50:50 tie.

And then comes what I believe is the crucial week of Premier League football to see if the north London outfit is capable of a top-four finish: Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Sunday 21st, a trip to Wolves on Wednesday 24th, and then a consecutive away trip to Leicester City on Monday 29th. They are far from easy matches, especially given the vulnerabilities away from home.

These eight matches are an extremely tough run, even without playing a single top-six Premier League side. The games come thick and fast, a lot of travel is involved, and the opposition are all dangerous in their own right, especially those played on the road. Moreover, because of the frequency of matches, momentum can very quickly snowball and losses can pile up.

If Arsenal and Unai Emery want a successful season, they will have to earn it. Because with this run of matches in April, absolutely nothing will be handed to them.