Two late, important goals against Bournemouth and Preston put the Gunners in a good frame of mind preceding the game against Swansea.
With injuries hitting in defence in midfield, it seems the Xhaka-Ramsey pivot will finally be deployed not ideal for an away game, but Swansea have proven to be a poor side under their previous two managers.
It’s likely that Paul Clement will try to revert to the Swansea philosophy of playing a 4-3-3 and keeping possession, so pressure on the ball in the form of our dynamic duo will be welcome.
Offensively, Mesut Ozil is likely to return to the lineup after illness has kept him out – our team has scored, but hasn’t quite flowed without Ozil, who has great chemistry with Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott.
Targeting the flanks is a must – and a player like Walcott lining up against deputy full back Ben Kingsley will lead to success down the flanks.
Defensively, Swansea may take advantage of our right back situation by putting a winger such as Barrow or Routledge against Gabriel.
The guile of Sigurdsson, likely to come inside of a flank, means Xhaka will need to keep a watchful eye. Cork, Britton and Fer are likely to start in midfield and are all very tidy with the ball.
The key matchups:
Giroud vs Mawson:
A bullying centre forward against an equally physical yet inexperienced centre half could mean misery for Swansea.
Sigurdsson’s set pieces vs the Arsenal defence:
Whether it be delivery into the box or direct on goal, the Icelandic’s free kicks have tormented Arsenal in the past. I hope Bould has been working on zonal marking this week.
