Arsenal: Predictions & expected points from 5 upcoming fixtures

The break has been long. As the weekend draws near and Arsenal fans can finally look forward to watching their team in action once again after a painfully extended set of World Cup qualifiers, the wait will have to carry on. Until Monday. Yay.

This period without Premier League football has felt even more draining as a result of the club’s failure to qualify for Europe this season. International breaks tend to drag. The absence of midweek action extends that.

Brighton feels like an age ago. In the hideous English rain with swirling wind, the impressive Seagulls pressed Arsenal to death and can count themselves lucky to leave with only a point.

And, despite the exceedingly lacklustre performance from Mikel Arteta’s side, the longing for the next fixture remains as strong as ever.

Arsenal upcoming fixture list: Predictions and expected points from five crucial Premier League and EFL Cup matches for Mikel Arteta’s side

What will be of the coming set of games until the next international break – yes, the final two World Cup qualifying matches commence after matchweek 11 on November 7 – is what fans are starting to consider as Arsenal face an inviting set of fixtures to keep climbing up the Premier League table.

Something to feed the excitement is how prolific Arteta’s men have been across the globe. There have been goals for Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Nuno Tavares, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe, Thomas Partey and others, who have all got on the scoresheet.

Does that mean Arsenal are going to romp their way to a streak of victories? Well, no. But it does boost confidence across the team and who knows what could come.

The fact is, however, that nobody knows what will come. Educated guesses can be made, and while predicting what may happen at home to Watford in five games’ time is worth a crack, that opinion could change prior to facing Crystal Palace, may well change at half-time and will almost definitely change at the full-time whistle.

So, what could come of this crucial set of matches?

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace – Premier League

The return of Paddy.

Use legend at your peril. Don’t call Arteta one, for example. But do, in every single circumstance, bow to the feet of one of the club’s all-time greatest players and one of the best the Premier League has and will ever see.

He isn’t doing too badly as a manager, either.

Pre-season predictions universally had Palace to struggle. Roy Hodgson left, there were an unbelievable amount of players out of contract and the situation looked tough. Yet, some superb and exciting business in the transfer market picked that up, so too with the assumed arrival of one of Lucien Favre or Nuno Espirito Santo.

The mantle eventually fell to Patrick Vieira, who despite recording just one win from his opening seven matches, has drastically improved the way Palace are organised and added some central threat with the capture of Conor Gallagher. They’re looking like a team in learning, but one picking up pointers fast.

There are only two matches in the season where Arsenal fans want the Eagles to lose. This is one of them.

And as poor as the Brighton display was, on home soil on Monday night with the additional rest from internationals helping tired legs, Arteta’s side should see this one out.

Score prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Palace

Match prediction: Vieira chants to go from minute 1-90

Continued…

Arsenal vs Aston Villa – Premier League

How many times will Emiliano Martinez give interviews in the build-up to this one? Plenty. How many times will his name be mentioned in general? Endlessly.

It could, and should, be a case of revenge on the cards here. Aston Villa won both these fixtures last season – one very comfortably and the other less so – and Dean Smith will have those matches fresh in his memory as he aims for another scalp.

In the 3-0 home defeat it was Villa’s interchangeability that tore Arsenal to shreds: Jack Grealish, John McGinn and Ollie Watkins were ruthless in that excruciating November dismantlement.

Boasting more capable right-backs in transition (not Bellerin) and centre-backs who save the dancing for the clubs (not Holding) Arsenal are better equipped to deal with Villa’s threat. Adding Emi Buendia, Danny Ings and Leon Bailey to their front line has invigorated them after Grealish’s departure and they continue to look a threat down wide areas and in those pesky transitions.

Even in matches where they’ve lost they’ve been unfortunate (Chelsea away) and Smith has got his side bursting with energy and fitness, running endlessly in fixtures and chasing down all lost causes.

Pinning a tail on this donkey ends up somewhere around score draw. After all, both teams like shipping a goal or two.

Score prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Aston Villa

Match prediction: Both goals in the second half

Continued…

Arsenal vs Leeds United – EFL Cup

Three home games? In a row? Arsenal are getting spoiled.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side head to the capital four days after the Villans do likewise, with the Yorkshire outfit boasting one extra days’ rest ahead of this round of 16 EFL Cup tie. Will that matter?

Likely no, simply down to the number of changes Bielsawill make for this one. After a rocky start to the season their focus is firmly on Premier League action and based on the selections made in the previous rounds it could be another youthful lineup for the men in white.

That doesn’t mean this game is a write-off though. Not at all.

Much will depend on Arteta’s own selections. Going strong against AFC Wimbledon, in the sense of a full first team squad, if anything he’ll go even stronger here. Of course, this game has fixtures four days apart either side so his hands will be somewhat tied, though it should look similar to the visit of the Dons.

Whatever team Bielsa fields will play the only way Leeds know how, which is why this could well be a high scoring encounter as the desperately out of form Pablo Mari will likely also be in attendance. However, as this is the third consecutive home fixture and Arsenal will have (as per predictions) extended their unbeaten run to seven matches by this point, victory should be on the cards.

Score prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Leeds

Match prediction: Nuno Tavares to open his competitive account

Continued…

Leicester vs Arsenal – Premier League

Is this where the Arteta steam train derails?

As is stands (before gameweek eight) only three sides have conceded more goals than Leicester this season. Losing Wesley Fofana until the start of 2022 at the earliest has been a devastating blow for Brendan Rodgers, whose acquisition of Jannik Vestergaard has turned out fairly horrendously. He’s looked dreadful.

James Maddison looks like a huge bullet dodged, if indeed Arsenal even got shot at in the first place, while the rigours of Europa League football are also impacting the Foxes’ performances. They just haven’t clicked into gear at all.

How this one pans out depends on the form building up (obviously) but even if Rodgers’ side are struggling heading into this one there are few easy matches at the King Power Stadium.

Heck, who knows, maybe Rodgers has been pinched by Newcastle by this stage of the season and Kolo Toure is left to man the dugout while compensation packages and the like get sorted? Apparently he’s committed to Leicester though. Boring.

Whatever the managerial circumstances, this is a big game. The likes of Leicester are exactly who Arsenal hope to be directly competing with for a top six spot even if the Foxes have struggled so far this term. With momentum behind them, Leicester playing Brighton three days prior and also travelling to Moscow four days after, three points are there for the taking.

Score prediction: Leicester 1-2 Arsenal

Match prediction: Arteta to get sent off

Continued…

Arsenal vs Watford – Premier League

It’s very hard not to like Claudio Ranieri. Regardless of footballing approach and the like, he’s a fun character.

What he does to this Watford team will make for interesting viewing. His title winning side at Leicester was a fairly simple implementation of inverted wingers in a compact shape who excelled in counter-attacking football, and should he plan for similar at Vicarage Road then at least Arsenal are built in a more physically manageable way to counter that.

As the last game before another international break, if the aforementioned predictions go as planned (big if) then this could be Arsenal’s chance to go ten matches unbeaten in all competitions. What a turnaround that would be after the horrific start to the season.

The low-block Hornets will sit back and aim to soak up pressure a la Ranieri-staving-off-relegation, which will call for the creative players in the Gunners’ squad to be firing on all cylinders. Scoring goals is an issue that may not be resolved fully until a new, more well rounded centre-forward joins the club and winning by the odd goal may be here to stay this season.

With the firepower Arsenal have that should absolutely not be the case. That needn’t be said.

Still, a dogged three points will do nicely with Arteta sat in the stands (as predicted).

Score prediction: Arsenal 1-0 Watford

Match prediction: Watford will be unlucky to leave empty handed