Arsenal vs Middlesbrough
English Premier League.
Date: Saturday, 22nd October, 2016,
Kick-off at 15:00 UK
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London.
Arsenal host Middlesbrough in the Premier League this weekend and the Gunners will be looking to extend their unbeaten run with another positive result at home.
Arsene Wenger‘s side picked up a thumping 6-0 win over Ludogorets on Wednesday night in the Champions League. Since the opening day defeat against Liverpool, the Londoners have been in scintillating form. They have now won their last seven competitive outings and are unbeaten in their last eleven in all competitions.
Wenger will be without his first choice central midfielder for this game. Granit Xhaka is suspended for the Gunners after picking up a red card in the previous league game. However, defensive midfielder Francis Coquelin expected to start alongside Santi Cazorla. Per Mertesacker, Danny Welbeck and Chuba Akpom are all sidelined here. Carl Jenkinson and Aaron Ramsey are still lacking in match fitness and are expected to miss out.
Predicted Arsenal Starting Lineup (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla; Iwobi, Ozil, Walcott; Alexis
Team news
Arsenal are missing the suspended Granit Xhaka, who was sent off against Swansea.
Santi Cazorla is a doubt after taking a kick against Ludogorets, but the Gunners otherwise have no fresh injury concerns.
Olivier Giroud (toe), Aaron Ramsey (hamstring), Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck (both knee) are still missing.
Meanwhile, Boro skipper Grant Leadbitter is close to a return.
The midfielder is yet to feature this season after undergoing hernia surgery during the summer, but is back in training and working his way towards full match fitness, although a starting berth against Arsenal is likely to come too soon for him.
Head coach Aitor Karanka otherwise has no fresh injury concerns.
Match stats
Arsenal have won just one of their last six Premier League fixtures against Middlesbrough, though four of these were draws (L1).
Middlesbrough's last league victory away to Arsenal came in April 2001, winning 3-0 thanks to own goals from Edu, Sylvinho and a strike from Hamilton Ricard.
Since that loss, Arsenal have won six of their last eight home games against Boro in the Premier League (D2).
The last time these two sides met was in the 2014/15 FA Cup, with Olivier Giroud scoring twice to send Arsenal to the quarter finals. They went on to lift the trophy that year.
This game is on the same day as Arsene Wenger's 67th birthday. He has won his two previous Premier League games on his birthday, 1-0 v Man City in 2005 and 4-0 v Reading in 2006.
The Gunners have scored 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7 goals in Premier League matches against Middlesbrough - one of four clubs to do so against another in Premier League history (also Chelsea vs Sunderland, Everton vs Sunderland and Man City vs Norwich).
Mesut Özil has been directly involved in 51 goals in 90 league games for Arsenal (18 goals, 33 assists), the same total he had after 90 La Liga games for Real Madrid (14 goals, 37 assists).
Middlesbrough's only Premier League win this season has come against bottom club Sunderland (D3 L4).
Five of Middlesbrough's seven Premier League goals have come in the first half this season (71 per cent), a league-high proportion.
Merson's prediction
Arsenal are irresistible at the moment. Swansea could count themselves a little unlucky last weekend, but the way the Gunners played in the Champions League showed that confidence is high at the Emirates.
Middlesbrough are struggling, they've got little pace in the team and up front, and I'm going 4-0 Arsenal. They're going to suffocate them, and I just don't see how Boro will get out of their half.
I really hope Arsene Wenger doesn't start changing the team, because that's dangerous, they're on a right good run at the moment, and you'd like to think he'll keep the same team.
Arsenal vs Middlesbrough: Head-to-Head Stats
From 10 matches where Arsenal has been at home Boro have won 1 of them and that was at the old Highbury Stadium 12 years ago. The last two fixtures here have ended in the same result of 2-0. It has been a dominant win/draw record for the Gunners.
Arsenal vs Middlesbrough: Prediction
Nothing less than a comfortable Arsenal victory is expected. The only quality side that Boro has faced this season away from home was Everton. And they conceded 3 goals in that encounter. With Arsene Wenger’s boys in fine form, we can expect more of the same from Ozil and co.
Arsenal vs Middlesbrough: Betting Tips
Leading at 30 minutes- Arsenal at 27/20 (2.35)
Arsenal to score Over 2.5 in the match at 23/20 (2.15).
