Europa League football returns to the Emirates this evening with Arsenal facing off against Belgium outfit Standard Liege
Arsenal are now on a six-game unbeaten run in all competitions and while there have been some disappointing performances in that run it is still a confidence booster for the players.
Winning becomes as much as a habit as losing does and Arsenal will be looking to continue their momentum.
Some fans were disappointed by the draw at Old Trafford but the players appear happy with the result. For three of the last four games at least there have been no huge errors by any individual player. That is an improvement as well.
There is now competition for most places and that is another added bonus, players can not expect to retain their position if they continue to make mistakes.
On the face of it, Arsenal is in very good shape for the visit of Standard Liege this evening.
Standard will not be walkovers, they are unbeaten in their last five competitive games with four wins in those games. They beat Portuguese side Vitoria 2-0 in their opening Europa League group game and will no doubt pose problems this evening.
But there is a significant gap between the top teams in Belgium and the top-six in England and if Arsenal plays to their true abilities then they will win. Of course, that depends on whether Arsenal does, in fact, play to their level.
A lot will also depend on what sort of team that Unai Emery puts out, if he goes with the silly diamond formation then expect Standard to take advantage down the flanks. If Emery focusses on his wing-backs as a form of attack and at the very least starts Kieran Tierney, then we will see a very different game.
I do expect Emery to be attack-minded in this game, no three DM’s and some decent width is what I anticipate seeing this evening and a very strong Arsenal performance.
Predicted Score
Arsenal 3-1 Standard Liege