Next six video games after commanding Fulham win

Arsenal’s matches in current weeks have descended into bonkers, breathless affairs far too usually for Mikel Arteta’s liking.

The Premier League-leading supervisor warned within the week: “We’ve performed some actually emotional video games just lately”. A primary-half blitz ensured that the closing phases of Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Fulham on Sunday had been devoid of any stoppage-time drama.

However, because the season attracts in direction of its conclusion and the significance of every level ratchets up within the race for the Premier League title, there are certain to be loads extra emotional outings sooner or later.

Here’s what Arteta should metal himself for within the coming weeks.

Arsenal might rank as one of many favourites for the Europa League however they nonetheless must navigate a well beyond Sporting CP after a full-throttle 2-2 attract Lisbon. Arteta’s rotated XI had been unusually slack in possession, notably in their very own defensive third.

Granit Xhaka’s cross fortuitously deflected off Hidemasa Morita to haul the Gunners degree earlier than Takehiro Tomiyasu’s substitution successfully nullified the competition as Arsenal settled for some extent. However, Sporting shall be with out the suspended pair of Morita and captain Sebastian Coates for the upcoming journey to the Emirates, giving Arsenal a powerful likelihood of progressing to the quarter-finals.

Since taking his final kick for Arsenal – which was the match-winning penalty within the 2005 FA Cup closing – Patrick Vieira has returned to north London to face his former employers 3 times as a participant and supervisor, failing to win any of them.

Crystal Palace haven’t earned a victory at any venue this whole calendar yr, with that run prolonged to 11 matches throughout all competitions following a slender 1-0 reverse towards Manchester City final Saturday. In order to earn three factors, Palace should break a three-game anticipate a shot on track, not to mention a objective.

In a match which was delayed for greater than half an hour after an influence minimize two minutes after kick-off, Leeds had been desperately unfortunate to emerge empty-handed from their assembly with Arsenal in October because the hosts missed a glut of possibilities, the very best of which was Patrick Bamford’s scuffed second-half penalty.

However, the omens usually are not promising for any revenge on April Fool’s Day. Leeds have not crushed Arsenal in any competitors for nearly 20 years, shedding 11 of their final 13 conferences. Manager Javi Gracia’s private file towards the Gunners is even worse, watching his Watford facet lose all three video games with out scoring a single objective.

Arteta has been to Anfield 12 instances as an opposition participant and supervisor. On the one event when his crew recorded a victory throughout his taking part in days, Arteta had limped off whereas the rating was nonetheless degree. His solely managerial success on the floor was earned due to a penalty shootout win after a goalless draw within the Carabao Cup fourth spherical.

It’s secure to say that Arteta’s private struggles away to Liverpool have shrouded Anfield in a menacing mystique.

“The most essential factor with Anfield it’s that emotionally you might be in high situation to compete there,” Arteta feverishly informed his Arsenal gamers final season. “To do this you need to know what’s Anfield and it’s, imagine me, very totally different to any floor you could have skilled within the Premier League.” Arteta and his troops will expertise that distinctive sensation as soon as once more in on Sunday, 9 April.

Arteta performed extra video games underneath David Moyes than some other supervisor throughout in his senior profession. Given their head-to-head information in reverse dugouts, Moyes appears to have taught Arteta a bit of too properly.

Under the Spaniard, Arsenal have collected 16 factors from a attainable 18 towards Moyes’ Hammers. The solely blemish on this sequence may have been a lot worse as Arsenal trailed West Ham by three objectives on the London Stadium in March 2021. However, Arteta’s facet, impressed by future captain Martin Odegaard (who was solely on mortgage on the time), rallied to salvage a 3-3 draw.

Fortunately for Moyes, it is not as if Arsenal have been concerned in any dramatic comebacks this season.

While it might be topic to vary relying on Arsenal’s involvement within the Europa League, Southampton’s go to to the Emirates may very well be a uncommon Premier League match underneath the Friday evening lights for the Gunners.

Arsenal haven’t performed many top-flight video games on a Friday (simply 13) however they’ve usually been profitable. In reality, Arsenal’s Premier League matches on a Friday common extra factors (2.2) than some other day of the week. Up towards a relegation-threatened Southampton, that ratio may enhance additional.