Arsenal vs. Watford: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Once again, the FA Cup represents Arsenal’s best chance of silverware. With their hopes almost eradicated in the UEFA Champions League and the prospect of a title win looking further away by the game, a return to Wembley may represent Arsene Wenger’s only chance of ending the season with silverware.
If the Gunners can go all the way, they’ll become only the third club in history to win the competition in three consecutive years. The last team to achieve that feat, Blackburn Rovers, did so in 1886—the year Arsenal were founded.
They come up against a Watford side who, with Premier League survival all but certain, are starting to dream of a Wembley appearance. Their season is threatening to fade somewhat—they have failed to score in their last three games—but an FA Cup semi-final would bring the tail end of an excellent campaign to life.
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Date: Sunday, March 13
Time: 1:30 p.m. GMT/9:30 a.m. ET
Location: Emirates Stadium, London
Television coverage: BT Sport 2/BT Sport 2 HD (U.K. only), Fox Sports 1 (U.S. only)
Streaming: BT Sport app (U.K. only), Fox Soccer 2Go (U.S. only)
Form
Arsenal
L (0-2) vs. Barcelona
L (3-2) vs. Manchester United
L (1-2) vs. Swansea City
D (2-2) vs. Tottenham Hotspur
W (0-4) vs. Hull City
Watford
W (1-2) vs. Crystal Palace
W (1-0) vs. Leeds
D (0-0) vs. Bournemouth
L (1-0) vs. Manchester United
L (0-1) vs. Leicester
The omens are with Arsenal in this game, who have won four of their previous five FA Cup meetings with Watford. In fact, since the Premier League era began, the Hornets have yet to beat the Gunners.
This is the competition where Arsenal are most effective. The Gunners have lifted the cup a record 12 times and have now won 15 consecutive FA Cup rounds. They are only one game from matching their own post-war record, which they set between 2002 and 2004.
The Managers
Ahead of a week with matches in three competitions that could define Arsenal’s season, Wenger insists the FA Cup is just as important a competition as any other. He told Arsenal's official website:
"We have always taken the FA Cup seriously and if you look at the record we have over the years, we try to do well. Everyone does.
This story of the FA Cup not being taken seriously is not right - everyone wants to do well.
[...]
I haven’t given up on the Premier League at all and I’ve said that many times, nor the Champions League. We have to take care of the next minute and the next minute is an FA Cup game.
Is it the best chance to win a trophy? It’s still far away. We must win the next game and prove that we can show consistency again. I don’t believe anyone in my side thinks about Barcelona at the moment, or Everton, they are completely focused on Watford.
"
Watford will be ready. Quique Sanchez Flores may be much newer to English football than Wenger, but he does seem to have an understanding of the importance of the cup.
Speaking to James Riach of the Guardian after Watford’s victory in the last round against Leeds, the Spanish manager said:
"I would love to go to Wembley, I have never been there. I have only seen it on TV. But at the moment we don’t have the opportunity, we are just at the quarter-final.
I remember the final in 1984. In Spain, only three or four weeks ago, there was a programme about this match, talking about Watford. I saw the goals, I saw the fans and the team in yellow and red. It’s always a party for the fans, there’s amazing feelings. But if we are to talk about the FA Cup now, we need to talk about the quarter-final.
It’s not necessary to explain to the players that they have to win one match to go to something very special in the history of the club. They understand perfectly and I understand because I’ve been a player as well. My luck [in cup competitions] is not too bad. I have played in six finals and won five, so it’s not too bad.
"
Before Sanchez Flores can think too much about the final, he must first overcome the significant hurdle of a tie against the holders.
Team News
Arsenal
Wenger is boosted by the fitness of both Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista, who both went off during Tuesday night's win over Hull City. However, Aaron Ramsey, who was also withdrawn in that game, has suffered a thigh injury and will be out for some time, via the Daily Mail.
Wenger is likely to make a couple of changes to the side that played at the KC Stadium, with Francis Coquelin one of those likely to step in. However, with big games against Barcelona and Everton to follow next week, the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez may still be rested.
After scoring a brace each in midweek, Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott will be optimistic of keeping their places in attack.
Predicted Arsenal XI (4-2-3-1): David Ospina; Hector Bellerin, Per Mertesacker, Gabriel Paulista, Kieran Gibbs; Francis Coquelin, Mohamed Elneny; Joel Campbell, Alex Iwobi, Theo Walcott; Olivier Giroud
Watford
Defender Craig Cathcart, who has missed the last two games with injury, faces a late fitness test before this game. However, Joel Ekstrand and Jose Manuel Juardo are definitely out with hamstring and calf problems respectively.
With Watford almost certain to be in next season's Premier League, they can afford to name their strongest possible team at the Emirates Stadium.
Predicted Watford XI (4-4-2): Heurelho Gomes; Allan Nyom, Sebastian Prodl, Craig Cathcart, Nathan Ake; Nordin Amrabat, Mario Suarez, Ben Watson, Etienne Capoue; Odion Ighalo, Troy Deeney
Players to Watch
Arsenal: Mohamed Elneny
In the past couple of weeks, January signing Elneny has begun to carve a niche for himself in the Arsenal midfield. His energetic style is a good complement to the more disciplined Coquelin, and he helps to provide an effective screen in front of the Gunners back four.
With Ramsey now injured, Elneny becomes all the more important. It's vital for Arsenal that he continues to go from strength to strength as he acclimatises to the English game.
Watford: Odion Ighalo
Ighalo's form has made him one of the surprise stars of the 2015/16 season. He's been so impressive that he's even been linked with a move away to a top club of Arsenal's ilk, but a relaxed Sanchez Flores has told James Benge of the Evening Standard:
"He is one of the best strikers in the division so [speculation] is very normal. It's good. I love speculation for all the players in the squad.
It means the performance of the team is good, every teams want players of Watford so we are doing something well and it's good news for our team.
"
Rumours about Ighalo's future will only increase if he can produce another goalscoring display away at Arsenal.
James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.
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