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It’s been a promising start to the Premier League season for Arsenal. Seven points from a possible 12 having already played two of the top six is a decent return for Unai Emery.
Before the international break, Arsenal came back from 2-0 down to earn a hard-fought draw with fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur. That match showed the best and the worst of the Gunners across 90 minutes.
On the other hand, their next opponents Watford have been on a horrific run, losing three out of their four opening games. This run ended in Javi Gracia losing his job, opening the door for former manager Quique Sanchez Flores to return to Vicarage Road.
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The Hornets are firmly rooted to the bottom of the table and will be hoping the visit of Arsenal could kickstart their season.
Team News
This International break hasn’t been particularly kind to the Gunners. Both Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira limped off in their respective matches last week. It is reported that Xhaka has damaged his achilles, while the severity of Torreira’s knock remains a mystery.
Xhaka himself admitted to playing with a damaged achilles for weeks now but believes he should be fine for the weekend. As for Torreira, he wasn’t risked by Oscar Tabárez in Uruguay’s 1-1 draw with the USA yesterday. It’s still unsure as to whether either will be deemed fit enough for Sunday.
On a more precautionary note, Nicolas Pepe pulled out of his country’s training set-up, returning to London to focus on his fitness. Joe Willock also withdrew from the England U21 squad due to an inflammation of his calf, with both club and the FA agreeing he should rest during the international break.
Alexandre Lacazette limped off in the North London derby, but it’s reported that the player was just struggling with cramp and not a hamstring problem as first suspected. The Frenchman should be available for selection this Sunday.
In even better news, Rob Holding, Hector Bellerín, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Kieran Tierney are all expected to return to first-team football this month, with Holding likely to be named on the bench against Watford.
Suspensions: None
Injuries/Absentees: Hector Bellerín (knee), Konstantinos Mavropanos (Groin), Lucas Torreira (Doubt), Kieran Tierney (Hip) & Granit Xhaka (Doubt).
Predicted Lineup:
Arsenal: Bernd Leno, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Sokratis (c), Rob Holding, Sead Kolašinac, Matteo Guendouzi, Joe Willock, Dani Ceballos, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe, Alexandre Lacazette.
