Preview: Watford v Arsenal
Posted Saturday, August 27, 2016 by foxsportsasia.com
Walter Mazzarri’s Watford will be hoping to heap further misery on Arsenal when they host the stuttering Gunners at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
Watford v Arsenal
Premier League
27 August 2016
Kick-off: 22:00 HKT
Venue: Vicarage Road
Referee: K. Friend
Assistants: I. Hussin, M. McDonough
Fourth official: S. Hooper
Head-to-head summary
TEAM MATCHES WIN DRAW LOSS
Arsenal 69 21 18 30
Watford 69 30 18 21
Previous encounter
Arsenal 4-0 Watford 02/04/16 (Premier League)
Arsenal goalscorers: A. Sanchez (4′), A. Iwobi (38′), Bellerin (48′), T. Walcott (90′)
Players to watch
France international midfielder Etienne Capoue has scored two goals in as many games this season and has been a colossus for the Hornets in the middle of the park – his sheer presence and physicality has driven Walter Mazzarri’s side forward in the opening stages of this campaign.
For Arsenal, there are a number of returning players to keep an eye on, none more so than Germany playmaker Mesut Ozil.
Rule No. 1⃣: Smile! 😉👍🏽 #training #AFC #Gunners @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/eZPeldDflY
— Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) August 26, 2016
Ozil is set to return to the starting XI this week, having been rested by manager Arsene Wenger after his exertions at Euro 2016. Arguably one of the best playmakers in Europe at the moment, the former Real Madrid midfielder has the ability to create something out of nothing and recently suggested he will be adding goals to his game over the coming seasons.
Team form and manager quotes
Watford have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 13 league games, while they have only won twice in their last 10 home games this year.
After a credible 1-1 draw with Southampton on the opening day of the season, they went down in the last few minutes to Chelsea with a narrow 2-1 loss.
Mazzarri admits he’s excited about his latest record signing, Roberto Pereyra. He said: “Pereyra is an eclectic player, he can play in many different positions. He can play on the wing, as a striker and is a more offensive player.
“He can play in lots of different roles in the different formations: 3-5-2, 4-3-3.
“He is a runner with good dribbling abilities and in my opinion we needed him. He was the missing point in our squad. He has got different characteristics to other players.”
Wenger, who could conclude two new signings before Saturday’s game, had this to say in the pre-match press conference.
“It was a strange transfer market. I expected it to be easier than ever but it was more difficult than ever. Not a lot has happened.
“It looks like when you meet other clubs and you have an English passport, you hit these prices which are very difficult to understand compared to the quality of the players. It looks like it will be frenetic for me in the last three days.
“Everybody has sat on their pounds until now. We know they will all splash out now. I expect the next three days to be very, very busy, so be on alert!”
Team news
Watford have new signings Roberto Pereyra, Younes Kaboul and Daryl Janmaat all available for selection.
For Arsenal, Per Mertesacker, Carl Jenkinson, Danny Welbeck, Alex Iwobi and Aaron Ramsey remain sidelined by respective injury problems.
Photos
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