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Arsenal: Watford Is Last Chance For Momentum
Arsenal are out of continental competition earlier than usual. Revenge against Watford could be the boost they need to reach the top of the Premier League.
In these past two seasons, Arsenal’s season folding during the winter period has been overlooked thanks to some great F.A. Cup runs.
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This upcoming weekend, the Gunners, who have been nothing if not inconsistent in 2016, have a Premier League match with Watford, the side that knocked them out of this year’s F.A. Cup.
The second match against the Hornets in this year’s Premier League is at the Emirates, and both the Arsenal players (hopefully) and fans will be keen to get some revenge after they were stunned a few weekends ago.
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The fixtures for the Gunners after this match only include two teams in the top half of the table, and three of the remaining seven fixtures are against teams very much in the relegation scrap.
Aside from Aston Villa, who are unlikely to win another game this season, the teams that Arsenal play will be fighting for gobs of TV money and Premier League status.
That is a kind of desire to play that Arsenal might lack if they were fourteen or fifteen points adrift of high-flying Leicester City.
A solid performance against Watford at home would send a message to fans about the players’ dedication to earning some credibility when it comes to challenging for a title. Not only would it restore some confidence at the Emirates during a football match (there haven’t been any wins at the Emirates in six weeks), but it would generate some important confidence within the players.
Confidence in their ability to learn from a defeat, bounce back and smash the same team at the second time of asking.
This match comes before, honestly, a very difficult match with West Ham. It is definitely not a match any Arsenal fan would be expecting their team to win, especially after the match between the two sides at the Emirates.
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West Ham are not having the same kind of season as Leicester, but the Hammers are seriously upsetting the top four apple cart. While they started out quite inconsistent at the Boleyn Ground, they have learned to defend their home turf and will be an offensive machine that requires serious concentration to defend.
Against Watford in the most recent match – there’s no point in comparing it to the reverse fixture in December 2015, Arsenal is a totally different team – Danny Welbeck provided a big attacking threat when he came on as a substitute for Olivier Giroud.
The Englishman’s pace and ability to play on the ground with his teammates seems to have been working much better in 2016.
Olivier Giroud is clearly not the frontman to be working with, based on recent form and the fact that everything I’ve seen of Giroud at Arsenal recently has been totally second-class.
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If Mesut Ozil is serious about these calls to arms, if Francis Coquelin wants to back up that call to the fans about chasing this title, this match needs to be won convincingly. Positivity needs to be restored in this team, and they a real kick up the *** if they want a hope of even getting back in the race.