Arsenal: 5 key players to ensure victory vs Watford

Arsenal can vault into the top five if they win against Watford, but it won’t be easy. Here are the five key players needed to ensure this most crucial victory.

Arsenal are rolling into the clash against Watford, while Watford are falling off the path a bit. They got off to a roaring start to the Premier League season, winning four straight, including a clash with Tottenham, but have pulled just one point from their last two matches.

And that leads them into a rather crucial match-up with our dear Gunners at the Emirates. Watford has become a team with a bit of bad blood with Arsenal, mainly because of Troy Deeney’s boisterous (but not wholly untrue) accusations of lacking “cajones.”

This all culminates in a clash that can launch the gunners into fifth place, ahead of Watford, and into Champions League qualification position, which is exactly where the club needs to be. And, honestly, not where Watford deserves to be, so call it a big helping of justice if the Gunners can knock Watford out of their spot and claim it for themselves.

But of course, it won’t be easy, because nothing with Arsenal ever is easy. Here are five players we are going to need to step up in order to ensure victory.

5. Hector Bellerin

He’s going to be starting, so might as well start wrapping our heads around the consequences here. Hector Bellerin is tremendous at getting forward, and that’s great and all, but in the meantime, he continues to play guys onside through the middle of the box.

So long as that risk exists, you can count on the opposition getting at least one clear chance on goal. That can change the flow of a game, it can change everything. We need Bellerin to tighten his line and not allow this mistake to come back out. Because we can’t always rely on Petr Cech to bail us out. Though, while we’re on the topic, let’s hop over to No. 4.