He has been out for the best part of two months, but when Arsenal host Burnley in the fourth round of the FA cup, it will mark the return of Francis Coquelin. The Frenchman has made a quicker recovery than expected from a knee injury suffered in the 2-1 defeat at West Brom back in November. Since then, Arsenal’s form in the Premier League has been hit and miss, with the side failing to get a real grip on top spot which has been up for grabs all season.
During Coquelin’s absence, Wenger has opted for Mathieu Flamini to fill the void that the younger Frenchman left. Flamini has overall done a satisfying job but has been caught out in certain away games. The shock Boxing Day thrashing away at Southampton was the most surprising result of the season so far, and the whole team, not just Flamini, looked suspect that evening. When Arsenal were leading Liverpool at Anfield 3-2 with a minute of normal time remaining, the Gunners needed a leader to get them over the line. They ended up conceding a 90th minute equaliser, another two points dropped.
Coquelin has been sorely missed for Arsenal during his spell out, but now his return is on the horizon, can Arsenal finally go on and claim this Premier League title, that it seems nobody else wants? The Gunners’ next six fixtures in the league look particularly tricky, with games against Leicester, Manchester United and Tottenham, and there is no more room for errors going into the final hurdle of the season.
Arsenal’s next 6 PL games:
– 2nd Feb – Southampton (H)
– 7th Feb – Bournemouth (A)
– 14th Feb – Leicester City (H)
– 28th Feb – Manchester United (A)
– 2nd March – Swansea (H)
– 5th March – Tottenham (A)
In between those crunch Premier League games, Arsenal also have the small matter of facing Barcelona in the last sixteen of the UEFA Champions League, so the timing of Coquelin’s return couldn’t have been any better. With more key players returning for Arsenal by the week, they really need to kick on now and end their Premier League title drought, as they will never get a better opportunity to do so.
