Although Arsenal will still have one more game after the clash with Sunderland tomorrow, Arsene Wenger will be keen to get the single point needed for us to assure that Man United cannot catch us up. I am pretty sure, actually, that the Frenchman will be very keen to get another win on the board and keep the confidence high ahead of the FA cup final against Aston Villa.
And although the boss has now picked the same starting line up for six BPL games in a row, I think he might just make a change or two for the game at the Emirates stadium tomorrow. One of those, for me, would have to be to bring in our England international Kieran Gibbs in for his Spanish team mate Nacho Monreal.
The Spaniard has been the first choice left back for some time now but Wenger has said that a few niggling fitness injury problems have been part of the reason for this. And while Monreal is generally the better defender he will be on the same flank as the workaholic Chilean Alexis Sanchez. Gibbs is better going forward and you would expect us to dominate the Black Cats even though they have won three and drawn two of their last six games.
They only need a point to avoid relegation and so will be set up to defend and make it hard for Arsenal to break them down. The fact Monreal has made almost the same mistake which has led to a goal in the last two matches as well must surely mean that Gibbs deserves a go and he will be very keen to impress with a trip to Wembley and a couple of England international games coming up. Is there any reason why Gibbs should not start?