Arsenal may only be a single Premier League point better off than our opponents today, but you would normally expect a team like Watford to approach a game against us or any of the big hitters with some degree of caution, even though the Hornets are at home today.
That is not what their manager has been saying in the build up this evening’s clash with the Gunners though, with Marco Silva insisting that he will send his team out with the same sort of attacking intent that has seen them scoring plenty of goals so far during this campaign.
If that is to be the case then I reckon it is good news for Arsenal, although we cannot ignore their threat, especially with Arsene Wenger having to reshuffle his defence to cope with the injury to Mustafi. In the fit again Francis Coquelin, however, we have a player who offers the Arsenal defence a lot more protection than either Elneny and Xhaka.
Put the combative Frenchman alongside Jack Wilshere and you have energy in the middle but also a great balance of defensive ability and discipline and creative flair and the ability to pick a pass or beat a player and turn defence into attack.
Would you like to see these two start in the centre for Arsenal today?
Bob.