Arsenal were despondent after losing 6-0 to Chelsea at the weekend, but can they bounce back tonight?
Well, Arsene Wenger’s one thousandth match in charge of Arsenal football club could not have gone any worse if he’d have planned it meticulously himself as they two goals down after seven minutes and a man down after 15 after Kieran Gibbs was red carded for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s handball in the penalty. All in all it was shambles from start to finish, now they face a much easier game tonight as they are at home and are facing a side with less half the points they have collected.
Arsenal to win – 1.53
Draw – 3.90
Swansea to win – 6.00
(All first leg odds provided by GR88.com are accurate as of today and subject to change)
Unlike that horrific away performance at the weekend, Arsenal’s form at The Emirates Stadium is impressive as they have recorded just a single defeat in 16 matches being dumped out of the Capital One Cup by Chelsea in October. The only team to win in this particular corner of North London since is the European and World champions Bayern Munich and are Swansea equal to the task of competing at that level? Especially as Bayern needed a red card for Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny in order to make the breakthrough.
The answer is a massive no as Swansea are in shocking form right now with no win in eight matches and just one win since January. Their last away win came at relegation threatened Championship side Birmingham City in the FA Cup and they have lost five of the last six away games since then, while their last away win in the Premier League came against bottom of the league Fulham in November, ten away games ago.
In addition to this shockingly bad Swansea form, Arsenal also have won each of the last three meetings with Swansea and are unbeaten in four. However, the last match that Swansea won against Arsenal was the last Premier League clash at The Emirates last season as Michu scored twice in the last two minutes for Swansea to claim all three points. This season, however, the Spaniard has scored just two goals all season and this lack of goals in a symptom of their season that sees them just three places and four points above the drop zone. As such, I see a comfortable victory for Arsenal this evening in front of their own fans.
Back Arsenal to beat Swansea by at least two goals (Arsenal -1) @ 1.97 with GR88.com.
ANTONY JORDAN (antonygr88) is an avid football and cricket fan who loves to play his favourite sports as much as write about them and bet on them. Read his daily sports betting blog at GR88.com.
