Swansea vs. Arsenal: Key Issues and Decisions That Will Shape EPL Game
Arsenal desperately need a win after completely humiliating themselves by blowing a three-goal lead against Anderlecht.
Their rebound opponent will be Swansea: never an easy team to push out of the way, especially on the road. The Swans are sixth in the league this season, only two points behind the Gunners.
Arsenal will have to get a few breaks to win. Let's look at some key factors that could shape the game.
Will Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey Find Their Best?
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Both Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey have dragged Arsenal down in recent games with their obvious lack of sharpness and form.
The former balloons every shot he gets into Row Z and doesn't contribute much else going forward, while Ramsey is trying far too much to add flair that he subtracts from the team's potency.
It is uncertain whether Arsene Wenger will even start one or both of these two. If he does, though, he must be confident they are on the verge of breaking out of their rough patches.
Will Mathieu Flamini Replace Mikel Arteta?
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Mikel Arteta went down during the second half of the Anderlecht match with a hamstring injury. Arsene Wenger confirmed he will be absent for the Swansea match, meaning Mathieu Flamini will have to pick up the slack.
The problem, though, is that the Frenchman was calamitous when asked to do the relatively easy job of defending a giant lead at home. He looked completely overwhelmed by the situation and never really looked comfortable.
That's pretty remarkably bad from an experienced veteran. Arsenal's makeshift defense will continue to have problems if he cannot adequately shield the back four.
Will the Defense Glue Together?
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Arsenal's defense is obviously in a bad way right now. Most of the problems are in its center, where Per Mertesacker appears a half-step slower than his usual tortoise-like self and Nacho Monreal is clearly out of his comfort zone.
The German was previously the Gunners' defensive rock, staying back as a last resort to snuff out attacks and acting as the prime distributor of the ball when Arsenal built moves from the back. His poor performances have not been helped by Monreal, who lacks a center back's comfort and technique because he is not one.
Either Arsene Wenger has to switch things up or this pair are going to have to get used to one another quickly, before Laurent Koscielny comes back and steadies things a bit.
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