Arsenal vs Watford: 3 Things To Watch For

A top four finish again? Maybe not but Arsenal have only themselves to blame, so they need to start performing now!

Date: Saturday, April 2 (EST)

Venue: Emirates Stadium

After a much needed break, Arsenal kick off the final stretch of the season going up against Watford this weekend. For Arsenal, every game from this point forward is a must-win, yet no matter what happens, I for one have already given up on the season. I have spent the better part of this past week dreaming up what players would look awesome in a red and white jersey next year. Maybe its the cynic in me, but frankly I think I will accept a top three finish, maybe even fourth.

Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Watford

1) Elneny will grow on us

Mohammad Elneny was a typical Wenger signing. Relatively low cost, and definitely low on a lot of team’s list. All off which is why I look forward to seeing him play more often. In a total of four appearances in both the Premier League and Champions League, Squawka.com has Elneny contributing ten defensive actions and averaging about 16 meters per passing attempt.

Couple that with his pass percentage hovering above 80% and a player that is equally involved on the offense as he is on the defensive side of the ball, and the conclusion I draw is as follows. Elneny may not be Viera but when I see him play and watch his highlights, I ponder if Elneny can be the solution to some of Arsenal’s midfield problems.

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Let me continue to add to that last point. Coquelin has been a great player in his meteoric rise. However, he is not a complete player. Elneny may not be as great defensively but he is more complete. Elneny possesses the ability to drive forward and make smart passes up towards the attacking midfielders and strikers.

What made Viera such a great midfielder wasn’t only his defensive instincts but his ability to make a good tackle and follow that up with a great pass to push the team forward. Too many times have I seen Coquelin do the first part but fail on the second part of that combination that great defensive midfielders are built on.

Look for Elneny to continue to gain more playing time and show all of us why he belongs on Arsenal’s starting lineup. His ability to make tackles coupled with how comfortable he is to be involved in the attack means he has what it takes to be very good, if not great.

2) Sanchez will score again and again

Sanchez hasn’t looked the same since his injury. No one can argue with that. Statistics show that Sanchez has experienced an Ozil-like decline since his injury. However, Sanchez has gotten some time to rest and for someone with all that skill and ability some time to heal may be all that is needed. Look for Sanchez to have a great deal of influence on the game and guide Arsenal to that top three finish we all expect from the team.

Sanchez’s dip in form has directly coincided with Arsenal’s struggles. I, like everyone else reading this, just hope Sanchez will regain his form and start scoring again. All of that is especially important given how poorly Giroud and Walcott have been playing.

3) Arsenal will be exciting

When Arsenal play poorly, Wenger gets blamed for a whole host of issues related to the team. I agree that Arsenal was in a great position to control their own fate in terms of winning the league, however Wenger does not deserve all of the blame. Football is a team sport and when a team does poorly it can never be the sole fault of one person.

Next: What About Zlatan?

Under Wenger, Arsenal have played some of the prettiest football ever seen. Look for the team and Wenger to show all the critics how the beautiful game is played. I feel sorry for Watford, but Wenger and Arsenal may be about to take out all of their frustrations on their opponents this weekend.