Arsenal vs Swansea City. Premier League.
Emirates StadiumAttendance60,007.
Saturday 15 October 2016 13:58, UK
Arsenal will still be without striker Olivier Giroud when Swansea are the visitors to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The France international is yet to make a start for the Gunners this season and Arsene Wenger has confirmed the 30-year-old is still short of match fitness after struggling with a toe injury.
Arsenal will be looking to improve their recent record when Swansea, who are led by new boss Bob Bradley for the first time, make the trip to north London.
Wenger's men have enjoyed just one win in their last five Premier League meetings with Swansea, losing three and drawing one.
On the other hand, Swansea will look to continue a four match unbeaten run at the Emirates, winning three, including a 2-1 victory last season, and drawing one.
As well as Giroud, Arsenal will also be without Aaron Ramsey for the visit of Swansea. The Welshman is still short of match fitness after suffering a hamstring injury on the opening day of the season.
Francis Coquelin is fit, as is Mesut Ozil, but the game comes too early for Carl Jenkinson (knee) to be involved, with Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck (both knee) further away from a return.
Swansea are set to start the Bob Bradley era at Arsenal without Fernando Llorente and Jefferson Montero.
Spain striker Llorente missed Francesco Guidolin's final game against Liverpool two weeks ago with rib and knee injuries, while Ecuador winger Montero has been troubled by a calf problem.
Neither player has taken a full part in training this week, but new boss Bradley has Federico Fernandez available for his Premier League bow with the Argentina central defender fit again after a groin injury.
Arsenal have averaged just 0.8 points per game at home to Swansea in the Premier League, their worst return on home soil against any side.
Conversely, the Swans' average of 2.0 points per game away to Arsenal in the Premier League is the best return for any visiting side at the Emirates.
In each of Swansea's last four league visits to the Emirates, the Welsh side have either won or drawn the game courtesy of goals scored in the 74th minute or later.
Bob Bradley is the first American manager to oversee a Premier League game.
Arsene Wenger has won six of his eight games against managers overseeing their first Premier League game (incl. caretakers), losing the last (v Slaven Bilic's West Ham in August 2015) and the first (v Stuart Pearce's Nottingham Forest in December 1996).
Leroy Fer has scored four goals in his seven Premier League appearances this season, as many as in his previous 26 in the competition.
Arsenal have been trailing for just 52 minutes in the top-flight this season, fewer than any other side.
The Gunners have now kept four clean sheets in a row in all competitions; they last enjoyed a longer run without conceding in February 2009 (six consecutive shutouts).
Mesut Ozil has provided just one assist in his last 16 top-flight games, after registering 11 in the 16 before that.
If I was Bob Bradley, I would probably have waited until Monday before taking charge! This is a tough first game.
Swansea have a great recent record at the Emirates and Arsenal were lucky against Burnley, but I see a Gunners victory here.
What has impressed me with Arsenal is they weren't great against Southampton and Burnley, but they won both matches. In previous years they would have probably dropped points.
It's always dangerous coming off an international break and star players like Alexis Sanchez will have done a lot of travelling, but the way Arsenal are playing at the moment means Swansea will do well to get near them.
PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0 (Sky Bet odds 7/1)
Arsenal are bidding for a sixth straight win in all competitions and are unsurprisingly no bigger than 2/7 to do so against 9/1 outsiders Swansea, with the draw a 9/2 chance.
Arsenal's last four wins have all been 'to nil', with another such outcome a shade of odds-against at 11/10.
Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez head the first goalscorer betting, both at 3/1, but in-form Theo Walcott is sure to have his supporters at 4/1. Fernando Llorente is rated the likeliest threat for the visitors at 11/1.
Get all the latest Sky Bet odds here.
Arsenal v Swansea is included in this week's Soccer Saturday Super 6 line-up. Enter your predictions here for the chance to win £250,000.
