Norwich City vs Arsenal. Premier League.
Carrow RoadAttendance27,091.
Sunday 29 November 2015 16:42, UK
Arsene Wenger is ready to play Alexis Sanchez despite a minor hamstring complaint when Arsenal visit Norwich on Super Sunday.
Last weekend's 2-1 defeat by West Brom ended a six-match unbeaten league run for the Gunners, although they returned to winning ways in midweek with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.
Sanchez scored twice and played 90 minutes at the Emirates Stadium, but suffered a tight hamstring late on that initially put his availability to play this weekend in question.
Alex Neil's Norwich have just one win in their last eight in all competitions, and hover precariously three points above the relegation zone.
The visit of Arsenal marks the start of a tough run for the Canaries, as they face Everton at Carrow Road and trips to Old Trafford, White Hart Lane and Vicarage Road before New Year's Day.
Team news
Sanchez is expected to feature, while Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have both overcome their own hamstring problems and could play.
But Jack Wilshere (leg), Mikel Arteta and Theo Walcott (both calf), Francis Coquelin, Danny Welbeck and Tomas Rosicky (all knee) are missing.
Norwich will be without midfielder Alex Tettey (groin) but captain Russell Martin is back in contention having been a late withdrawal from the squad at Chelsea due to personal reasons.
Kyle Lafferty has shaken off a minor groin problem picked up playing for the U21 side in midweek, but winger Matt Jarvis, on loan from West Ham, remains sidelined with a knee injury.
Opta stats
Norwich have won just one of the last 13 league meetings with Arsenal (D5 L7) and have lost seven of the last nine.
Ramsey has scored in each of his last two league appearances against the Canaries.
Mesut Ozil has provided an assist in seven consecutive league appearances, a longer consecutive run than any other player in the history of the competition.
Arsenal have won 10 and lost just two of their last 13 top flight away games, while their opponents have won just one of their last eight at home (D2 L5).
Neil's side have managed just one clean sheet in the Premier League this season, a joint-low total (along with Bournemouth).
Merson's prediction
Arsenal have to win this. I said that last week and they lost, but this is a similar game. They will miss Coquelin. For all the talent they have in the team they couldn't afford to lose him.
Every year with Arsenal, it's the injuries. It's not just once, this is all the time. I know Wenger doesn't run them into the ground in training sessions. Wenger is very good with sport science, he isn't one of those managers who will tire them.
Are they unlucky? Are the pitches too hard? Coquelin's was unlucky, but look at Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain's muscle injuries, I don't think they were unlucky. That's just not good preparation. That's not unlucky, you shouldn't be pulling muscles.
But if Arsenal get going I think they'll have too much for Norwich.
PAUL PREDICTS: 0-3 (11/1 with Sky Bet)
Betting
Norwich are 9/2 with Sky Bet to inflict a second successive league defeat on Arsenal (4/7) with the draw a 16/5 shot. All four of Arsenal's wins against teams in the bottom half of the table have been to nil and it's 2/1 for that run to continue.
Last season Arsenal won this fixture 2-0 at Carrow Road and a repeat of that scoreline is available at 7/1. Olivier Giroud is the 7/2 favourite in the first goalscorer betting while Dieumerci Mbokani is considered the visitors' biggest threat at 9/1 to break the deadlock.
Check out the Sky Bet tips from pundits Jamie Redknapp, Charlie Nicholas, Matt Le Tissier and Phil Thompson here.
