With the race for a top 4 finish really starting to heat up, Arsenal will be well aware that time is of the essence. As Emery's team faces off against Cardiff City at the Emirates on Tuesday night, Manchester United will be watching on with a keen eye in the hope that they can leapfrog the Gunners this week.
Current Form
Arsenal
Arsenal have had a mediocre season so far which would have come as somewhat of a shock to supporters who thought that Wenger stepping down would give birth to a new era of Arsenal glory. Whether it is teething issues or a more serious problem remains to be seen, but Champions League qualification is the least that Arsenal would have been hoping for this season. As things stand, Arsenal are in 5th place in the league table with 44 points, 3 points behind 4th placed Chelsea and ahead of Manchester United on goal difference alone. In their previous 5 games, Arsenal have won 2, lost 2, and drawn 1.
Statistically, Arsenal's attack has been relatively impressive so far this season. They've scored 48 times, an average of 2.09 goals per game. However, the defence has been letting the team down and have conceded 32 times, an average of 1.39 goals per game. This is something that the team will need to rectify if they are to beat Chelsea and Manchester United for a 4th placed finish.
Cardiff
Cardiff are struggling this season and are currently in the relegation zone in 18th place on just 19 points. They are still within touching distance of safety but will need a big upturn in form over the next couple of months if they are to escape the drop. In their previous 5 games, Cardiff have won 1, lost 2, and drawn 2.
Statistically, Cardiff have had a poor season at both ends of the pitch. They've scored just 19 times, an average of 0.83 goals per game. However, they have also conceded 44 times, a whopping average of 1.91 goals per game.
Head to Head
Over the previous 10 meetings between the clubs, Arsenal won 8 and there were 2 draws. Notably, Cardiff haven't recorded a victory in this fixture since February 1961, although it's worth noting that the clubs have only faced off against each other 5 times in the last decade.
Analysis
Arsenal
For all of Arsenal's struggles over the last couple of months, this is a game that really should have 3 points written all over it. Cardiff's defence is nothing short of disastrous at times and, although Arsenal have been poor defensively too, their attack should be far too strong over the course of 90 minutes. Whether or not Arsenal can cope with the pressure of being in a serious battle for top 4 or not remains to be seen but they cannot afford to drop points here as Manchester United are looking very strong at the moment. If Arsenal go behind in this game then they are likely to experience a pretty grim atmosphere courtesy of their own supporters who appear to be somewhat frustrated with Emery and his team.
The strategy for Arsenal in this game is pretty simple. They need to dominate possession, which shouldn't be too much of an issue, and then play quick passes in the attacking third to release Aubameyang and Lacazette through on goal. If they are able to do this then they should take 3 points with relative ease.
Cardiff
As we approach the business end of the Premier League season, Cardiff are quickly running out of time to dig themselves out of the relegation battle they currently find themselves in. They won't be expected to take any points from this game so anything they do manage to get would be seen as a massive bonus to their campaign. The issue they have is that their defence has been so poor all season that it's difficult to see Arsenal failing to score throughout the 90 minutes.
The strategy for Cardiff here should be to keep themselves in the game for as long as possible. Conceding a goal early on in the game would be a nightmare scenario and likely open up the floodgates. However, if they can frustrate Arsenal then they have a good chance of getting the home crowd on the backs of their own players. Set pieces could be significant here and, as good as Arsenal have been in attack, they are certainly vulnerable at the back at times. Significantly, Cardiff must not just sit back and try to defend a 0-0 result. That is likely to allow Arsenal to put too much pressure on the defensive line, which will almost certainly crack over time.
Predictions
Although Arsenal have had their troubles recently, Cardiff have been so poor this season that it's difficult to foresee any other result than an Arsenal win. Although the home team are also poor at the back, they make up for it against lower opposition with top class attacking players like Aubameyang and Lacazette.
Prediction: Arsenal win
Score Prediction: Arsenal 3 - 0 Cardiff
Betting Picks
I have taken some positions on the over 2.5 and 3 goal markets as I believe Arsenal's attack will be strong enough to score a few in this fixture. I have also opted for a small stake on the correct score market at 3-0 with odds of 9.80.
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