Arsenal are away to Brentford on Wednesday as they start the new year chasing Liverpool and hoping to stay in the Premier League race, so let’s take a look at the latest team news.
The Gunners continued their winning ways by beating Ipswich Town, but the Bees will be much tougher to beat. They are one of the best teams in the league when it comes to home form, so the visitors are going to have to dig deep to emerge victorious.
As for the team news, the big absentee for the foreseeable future is star man Bukayo Saka. The winger who had a hamstring tear has to have surgery and is set out to be out for a few months. Raheem Sterling is still out with a knee problem. The other major injury issues are to do with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
During the festive period, it will be tough for the manager to rotate his squad as there are so many games to be played. There could be some who are rested for this game as there is an important FA Cup match against Manchester United coming up in a few days.
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Brentford have been in great form at home which will make it much harder for the Gunners to get the three points. They have played who are lethal in front of goal so the visiting defence must look to limit any opportunities.
The only issue with that is the team can retreat into their shell and not focus on creating their own chances. The absence of Saka is a huge blow for the team as they have been relying a lot on the Englishman to tide them through.
How he is able to deal with this situation will give us a good idea of what kind of manager Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard has dealt well with adversity in the past and the fans would be hoping that the boss can steer the team without sinking until the winger returns.
Arsenal know that they have a mountain to climb if they are to stand any chance of reaching Liverpool. There is no room for error from until the end of the season and that is almost impossible given the quality of teams such as Brentford.
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