In form Arsenal welcome struggling Middlesborough to the Emirates, hoping for an 8th straight win.
Arsenal looked fantastic against Ludogrets – what was notable was the freedom of the front 4 to move, float and swap positions – if you think about what Klopp does with players like Firmino and Mane, this is something very similar and leads to scintillating attacking play.
Middlesborough themselves are struggling offensively and can’t back it up with solidity, with a single clean sheet so far this season. A 4-2-3-1 is played with a reasonable defence, but the double pivot in front of them is fairly average and fails to protect them. In attack, Traore and Downing have so far failed to make an impact on the wing, but if Downing gets in a few crossing positions he could cause the Arsenal defence problems. Meanwhile, Gaston Ramirez and Negredo appear to run hot and cold very frequently, and on their day can provide a real handful. However, with just 6 goals in 8 games, there is no real obvious threat up front.
Arsenal meanwhile, just need to stick with what works. I expect the same lineup to be played, with perhaps Oxlade-Chamberlain being rewarded for his fantastic game on Wednesday with another start.
One thing Arsenal need to watch for is the press- I don’t expect an Karanka side to sit back for a draw, so the Gunners’ array of ballers need to continue the slick, accurate passing we have seen the last couple of months.
