Arsenal will look to stretch their recent unbeaten run to 10 games in all competitions when they host Watford this weekend.
Mikel Arteta’s in-form Gunners haven’t tasted defeat since a 5-0 loss to Manchester City at the end of August that had them in the relegation zone.
A run of five wins in seven in the Premier League since then has rocketed Arsenal up to sixth in the table – just three points behind West Ham in fourth.
Claudio Ranieri, meanwhile, has suffered an inconsistent start to life at Watford; the Hornets have lost two and won once since the Italian took over.
The Premier League contest is set to take place on Sunday, November 7.
It will take place at the Emirates with a kick-off time of 2pm.
Watford have lost six of their seven away Premier League games against Arsenal – with their only win coming in a 2-1 victory in January 2017.
Arsenal vs Watford: Team news
Mikel Arteta is hoping Kieran Tierney could return having been struggling with an ankle injury that saw him miss the club’s last three games.
“Kieran has been training the last two days, he is feeling much better so hopefully he will be available,” said Arteta.
“Let’s see in the next two training sessions how he’s feeling.
He has done bits with the team but he’s not fully trained yet, so in the next two days we will see how he is and where his fitness is.”
Other than that, Arsenal are only missing Granit Xhaka with the midfielder out until next year with an ankle issue.
Watford meanwhile will be without Ken Sema, Christian Kabasele, and Peter Etebo for the short trip across London.
Kiko Femenia and Francisco Sierralta could be available however after the Hornets pair missed the 1-0 home defeat to Southampton last weekend.
Read Also: Man United v Man City: Match Facts & Team News.
Arsenal vs Watford: Match facts
- Arsenal have won 11 of their 14 Premier League meetings with Watford (D1 L2), scoring at least once every single time they’ve faced the Hornets in the competition.
- Watford have lost six of their seven away Premier League games against Arsenal, with the exception being a 2-1 victory in January 2017.
- Since losing against both West Brom and Newcastle in 2010-11, Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 31 Premier League home games against promoted sides (W26 D5). The Gunners have only failed to score in one of those matches, a goalless draw with Middlesbrough in October 2016.
- Arsenal lost their first three Premier League matches but are unbeaten in their seven games since then (W5 D2), last having a longer unbeaten league run between January and March 2020 (eight games). The Gunners are the first Premier League side to lose their first three games and then none of their next seven since Wimbledon in 1996-97 (lost first three, won next seven).
- Watford beat Everton 5-2 in their last away Premier League match and are looking for consecutive away wins in the competition for the first time since September 2017 under Marco Silva. The Hornets’ last five away wins in the Premier League have come under different managers: Javier Gracia, Quique Flores, Nigel Pearson, Xisco and Claudio Ranieri.
- Arsenal have scored the highest proportion of their Premier League goals in the first half of games this season (75% – 9/12), while Watford have conceded a league-high 10 goals before half-time so far this term.
- Claudio Ranieri has never beaten Arsenal in the Premier League in 11 attempts (D4 L7), losing his last five away league games against the Gunners. Arsenal are the only side Ranieri has faced at least five times in his top-flight managerial career and never beaten.
- Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored six goals in his five Premier League appearances against Watford, netting a brace in both games against the Hornets in the 2019-20 campaign.
- No player has been directly involved in more Premier League goals for Arsenal this season than Emile Smith Rowe (5 – 3 goals, 2 assists). The 21-year-old has scored in his last two Premier League games – only three players aged 21 or younger have ever scored in three consecutive Premier League appearances for the Gunners (Nicolas Anelka, José Antonio Reyes and Cesc Fàbregas).
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – who has scored in his last four Premier League appearances at the Emirates – has scored in each of his last six home Premier League matches against newly promoted sides for Arsenal, netting nine goals. He is averaging a goal or assist every 73 minutes against promoted sides in the Premier League (17 goals, 4 assists in 18 games).
