HomeTeams - PLArsenalSwansea City v Arsenal Preview | Team News, Stats & Key Men

Swansea City v Arsenal Preview | Team News, Stats & Key Men

Swansea City versus Arsenal has always been a beautiful game to watch and this weekend the Gunners will make the trip to the South Wales to build on their impressive run in the league. Garry Monk’s Jack army have struggled a bit in recent games but a vital win last weekend was exactly what they needed ahead of the big game against Arsenal. The hosts, although, as aforementioned, will go into this fixture with just one win in the last six games, which can be deemed poor, by their standards. Having stopped the rot with the win against Aston Villa, Garry Monk should be looking to guide his side to another victory against Arsenal, something they managed to do in 2014/15.

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“We know that when we are at our best we can give anyone a game in this league and we’ll need to be at that level on Saturday. If we do that we are in with a chance of getting the result we want”

-Garry Monk

For Arsenal, the general consensus is that, this could be the season they finally mount a proper title challenge with the side being the strongest they have been in recent years. The Gunners have pulled off some big results in England and Europe, the comprehensive win against Manchester United, the massive victory against Bayern Munich, the amount of goals they have scored and the ease at which they do, suggests that Arsene Wenger might have finally got the tools at his disposal to orchestrate a credible title challenge. They have do it, in games like these on the road and they go into this game on the back of a midweek defeat against Sheffield Wednesday, fielding a second-string side meaning the Gunners will be expected to produce a fitting response on Saturday.

The last time when these two sides met at the Liberty Stadium, it was the home side that claimed all 3 points, thanks to a Bafetimbi Gomis winner in the second half of the game.

Team News

Swansea City boss Garry Monk could field an unchanged side after last weekend’s victory. Gomis, who after a promising start to the season, has faded a bit, not scoring in his last 6 outings, should lead the line against Arsenal.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott picked up hamstring and calf injuries, respectively, which will keep them out of action for the next two games. Whilst Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla are among the players set to return to the lineup much to the delight of the manager.

Swansea possible starting lineup: Fabianski; Naughton, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor; Shelvey, Ki; Montero, Sigurdsson,Ayew; Gomis

Arsenal possible starting lineup: Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Flamini, Coquelin; Cazorla, Ozil, Sanchez; Giroud

Interesting Numbers

  • Swansea are unbeaten in their last three Premier League meetings with Arsenal (W2 D1), after losing three of the five before that (W2).
  • Arsenal have lost just one of their last 11 Premier League away games (0-2 v Chelsea), winning nine and drawing one.
  • Garry Monk’s side are without a win in three home league games (D2 L1); their worst run since last February (also three games). They’ve never gone four without a victory at home under their current boss.
  • Arsenal have scored 1999 goals in all competitions under Arsene Wenger.

Key Men Comparison – Gylfi Siggurdson (Swansea City) v Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)

It’s been a long wait for the Iceland international and it has come at last. Gylfi Siggurdson opened his account in the Premier League with a well taken goal against Aston Villa last weekend culminating in Swansea’s first win in seven league games. He’s been tremendously influential for the Wales side, scoring or assisting 30 goals in 60 games for the Swans, since his move from Tottenham Hotspur (only Bony has involved in more – 31). With him pulling the strings in midfield, Swasnea City can look forward to better results in the near future, starting from the fixture on Saturday.

Mesut Ozil has been mesmeric in the league since the start of 2015/16 campaign, and tops the assists chart. The fact that Mesut Ozil has the best games per assist rate in Premier League history – averaging an assist every 2.71 matches (min. 20 assists), is testament to how far he’s improved or shall I say settled in England? Him in the form of his life can prove to be the difference in any game and Arsene Wenger would be counting on the German to continue unlocking defences in the Premier League for fun.

Prediction

Third win in a row for Swansea against Arsenal? Can’t be, surely? Arsenal to shade it then.

Swansea City 1-2 Arsenal

Aashish Murali
Aashish Murali
I can bore you to tears.
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