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Arsenal vs Sunderland Predictions
By Josh Sippie
Arsenal will be looking to take their first steps towards an FA Cup three-peat by welcoming Sunderland to the fray. Here are the predictions.
The FA Cup is back, meaning Arsenal can finally weigh in as trophy heavyweights in a cup pursuit. Having won the cup the past three years, the Gunners are odds-on favorites to win it again. Although, with Wenger’s men sitting top of the table, it may inevitable become less of a priority given the club’s EPL-title-less streak that stretches back to 2004.
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And yet the allure of being the first team to win three consecutive FA Cups in over a century has to be a compelling factor. The Gunners are all about doing the extraordinary and this gives them another opportunity to do just that.
With this in mind, the Pain in the Arsenal team endeavors to predict the outcome.
Nasra: Arsenal 3-1 Sunderland
Brian: Arsenal 2-1 Sunderland
Wenger may elect to rest most of his starters including ozil and cech. Look for arsenal to give away possession cheaply and concede at least one goal. However, arsenal are never short on firepower and look for them to score more than their opponents.
Andy: Arsenal 3-1 Sunderland
The FA Cup has been kind to Arsenal in recent years. However, strength of side is always a little bit of a lottery, with both sides involved. Arsene Wenger and his Gunners have a key game away at Liverpool in the week to remain top of the league, while Sunderland are in a brutal battle to stave off relegation.
Ultimately, I expect weakened sides from both teams, and Arsenal’s squad is significantly better than that of the Black Cats. Sam Allardyce won’t be too concerned if Sunderland lose, with such troubles in the Premier League, and Arsenal will run out fairly comfortable winners. 3-1 to the Gunners.
Finn: Arsenal 2-0 Sunderland
Jabari: Arsenal 3-2 Sunderland
Arsenal will win a thrilling 3-2 come from behind win to beat a Spirited Black cats side.
Thomas: Arsenal 3-0 Sunderland
Max: Arsenal 2-0 Sunderland
If there has been one competition that the Gunners have consistently been the best at, it would be England’s oldest and most prestigious football cup competition: The FA Cup.
Yes they’ve struggled mightily in the League Cup (exhibit the 3-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday this season and the fact that their last League Cup title came in 1993), consistently bowed out at the Round of 16 in the Champions League (thanks Bayern Munich!), and choked either near the beginning or the end of almost every Premier League season since the Invincibles campaign of 2003-2004.
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On the other hand, Arsenal comes into their 2015-16 FA Cup campaign as two time defending champions, and certainly show no signs of slowing down as of late.
Yes, there is no doubt that Sunderland isn’t the easiest third round opponent to play (considering their are teams such as Eastleigh and Hartlepool United still in the mix). But playing a team that is firmly stuck in the relegation zone of the Premier League at Emirates Stadium (with all the momentum on the Gunners side, might I add), isn’t exactly expected to be a nail biter either.
Giant killing still very much exists in the FA Cup, but Arsenal have been one of those Giants that rarely get unperched by an underdog in the early stages of the cup. In the end, I give Arsenal a comfortable (but less than impressive) 2-0 victory against The Black Cats.
Josh: Arsenal 2-1 Sunderland
Sam Allardyce is a good enough manager to get the Black Cats fired up to face a potentially-heavily rotated Arsenal squad. While he has stated that he will have to make changes as well thanks to the diabolical scheduling of the EPL, Sunderland is still an EPL quality team and that makes them contenders.
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Meanwhile, Arsenal’s squad could be anything. Wenger wants to win the competition so much that a massive rotation is unlikely. However he has to rotate if he does not want to risk even more injuries. There will still be plenty of quality within the side to see out a steady, albeit hard-fought win.