Watford vs Arsenal preview: Unai Emery's side looking to register away clean sheet

Arsenal take on FA Cup finalists Watford at Vicarage Road as they look to continue their pursuit of a top four finish on Monday Night Football.

Arsenal are yet to register a clean sheet in the Premier League away from home this season, a run which has stretched to 15 matches but Unai Emery insists there is no issue with the mentality of his players on the road.

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"We spoke a lot about that, to improve and create it," he said.

"We did sometimes show passion, and passion can create and improve this spirit but we can be happy because at home we are finding good performance.

"We can be criticising ourselves for our performance away. But also knowing, consistent in our mentality to create that and make our performance better away, I am sure we are going to find.

"Each match is a big chance for us to be competitive and get closer to the result."

Team news

Watford will be without Jose Holebas, Domingos Quina and Tom Cleverley.

Holebas suffered a hamstring injury during the FA Cup semi-final, Quina has a shoulder injury and Cleverley a calf problem.

Ben Foster returns in goal after Heurelho Gomes played in the Wembley win over Wolves.

Arsenal will be without the suspended Sokratis. The Greece international was shown a 10th booking of the campaign in the defeat to Everton last weekend and has picked up a two-game ban as a result.

The Gunners will be hopeful Granit Xhaka (groin) is fit enough to be involved, although long-term injury absentees Danny Welbeck (ankle), Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin (both knee) are still missing.

Opta stats

• Watford have lost four of their previous five home games against Arsenal in the Premier League, but did beat the Gunners in their most recent such encounter last season (2-1).
• Arsenal have not lost back-to-back away league games at Watford since a run of three straight defeats ending in November 1987.
• None of the 11 previous Premier League meetings between Watford and Arsenal have ended in a draw (nine wins for Arsenal, two for Watford); only four fixtures in the competition have been played more often without ever sharing the spoils (Manchester United v Wigan (16), Aston Villa v Derby (14), Derby v Leicester (12) and Manchester United v Watford (12)).
• Watford have only won two of their 15 Premier League games when playing on a Monday (D5 L8); a 4-2 win over Portsmouth in April 2007 and a 4-1 victory against Chelsea in February 2018.
• Arsenal have won seven of their last eight Premier League games on a Monday, losing only against Crystal Palace in April 2017 in that run.
• Watford are unbeaten in their last five Premier League home games, winning the last three in a row (D2). They last won four in a row at Vicarage Road within the same top-flight season back in December 1986.
• Arsenal are yet to keep a clean sheet away from home in the Premier League this season (15 games). They last had a longer run without a clean sheet on the road in the top-flight between April 1984-February 1985 (16 games).
• Just one of Arsenal's five Premier League away wins this season has come against a side starting the day higher than 16th place in the table, with the Gunners beating 8th placed Bournemouth 2-1 in November.
• Watford's Troy Deeney has scored nine Premier League goals this season, only netting more in the 2015-16 (13) and 2016-17 (10) campaigns. He could become just the third player to score 10+ goals in three different top-flight seasons for the Hornets after Luther Blissett (3) and John Barnes (4).
• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is Arsenal's highest Premier League goalscorer this season with 17 goals. However, he's not netted in any of his last five away from home since a goal at Brighton on Boxing Day.

Merson's predictions

You just don't know what you're going to get with Arsenal. You watched the way they played against Everton and you'd have thought they were in a relegation battle.

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That was poor for a team that was trying to consolidate their position in the top four. They'd have probably been there had they won that game. There's just nothing there.

They can win 10 games on the trot at home, but they haven't kept a clean sheet away from home in the league all season.

Watford usually bully them, and Arsenal will have their minds on the Napoli game at the same time. I fancy a home win, as I think Arsenal have bigger fish to fry.

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1