Watford vs Arsenal : Where to Watch & What to look forward to

Watford vs Arsenal, Saturday 28th August 2016 at 7:30 pm IST

Where to Watch

The Arsenal Kerala Supporters Club has organized official match screenings at

• The Q Company, Malappuram
• CopaMocha, East Fort Thrissur
• ChaiCofi , Kaloor, Kochi

For more information regarding the screenings, fans in and around these districts can contact organizers at

• Malappuram 9562 154 144 / 8089 291 685
• Thrissur 9995 203 321 / 9846 404 768
• Kochi  9895 827 074 / 9037 950 567

 

What to look forward to

The Gunners are dealing with the usual off-field politics surrounding manager Arsene Wenger and the board’s seemingly tight-fisted approach to the transfer market, but are still being tipped as heavy favourites.

With Arsenal already five points behind in the title race after only two games, Arsène Wenger needs a victory at Vicarage Road. Not that Walter Mazzarri’s Watford are without their own concerns after losing their past two matches.

Arsenal have endured two rather disparaging matches so far. It was an open, and ultimately unsuccessful opening day hosting of a Liverpool side bristling with pace and movement. Their dynamic and fluid attacking trio were far too much for a young and inexperienced Arsenal side to handle. So much so, that in an explosive 20-minute spell after half-time, the Gunners were blown off the park, unable to maintain possession under Liverpool’s high press and then unable to recover and maintain shape once without it.

It was a worrying sign and one that Arsene Wenger clearly highlighted in the week following. Dropping Mohamed Elneny, who was utterly overwhelmed against Liverpool, neither here nor there, never getting tight to players, never able to harras the opposition, intercept passes or simply win the ball back, for Granit Xhaka, Wenger deployed his latest addition alongside Francis Coquelin as the two deep-lying holding midfielders to provide some much needed discipline and structure to what was a team devoid of any defensive intelligence the week before.

Such substitutions were successful. Arsenal were far more effective without the ball, and while going forward, their creativity lacked the same precision and sharpness that we are used to watching under Arsene Wenger, it was the defensive improvements that were the priority entering the match.

This weekend, however, Arsenal will face a much different test. Rather than play a side like Leicester or Liverpool who have as dangerous players going forward as Arsenal do, in travelling to Watford, the threat comes from a side who will sit deep, stay compact and look to counter with two threatening forwards – something that is very unusual in modern day football.

Twin Threats: Ighalo and Deeney

Watford’s main attacking threat, which is never to be underestimated, will come from Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo. The two were fantastic last season, combining for 29 goals and 15 assists, an outstanding rate that few in the league were able to match. Deployed as a central duo, it is a throwback to the old fashioned 4-4-2 days where sides would consistently employ two strikers who could link up to great effect.

The key aspect of the game where they create goals is from wide areas. In the 3-5-2 system that new manager Walter Mazzarri utilises, the width must come from of the three central midfielders drifting wide or one of the wing backs pushing forward. What is crucial, though, is that while every other team has only one striker in the box with perhaps an advanced midfielder pushing forwards, Watford have two men who both have a nose for goals, running across centre-halves, drifting to the back post and getting on the end of crosses.

Ighalo and Deeney may not have yet scored while Capoue has scored two, but both have been vital to the creation of chances and the goals that have been scored.

Capoue opened the scoring against Southampton, but the key to the goal is two pieces of movement from Deeney and Ighalo. As Amrabat cuts inside and looks to stand up a cross, both Deeney and Ighalo stood behind their respective markers, side on to the goal, facing the cross. They are attentive, alive and sharp as they look to create space in the box.

As the ball floats to the back post, Deeney drifts beyond the full-back and looks to head the ball back across goal. He cushions it down for the onrushing Capoue who then smashes it home. It’s a lovely cross, header and finish, but the key is Ighalo’s movement.

As soon as he sees Deeney will win the header, Ighalo immediately spins towards goal, looking for a header into the six-yard box. This run pulls both centre-halves back towards goal as they track Ighalo’s movement, providing ample space for Capoue to run onto Deeney’s header back and finish.

Don’t think that that was an anomaly, however. The last week against Chelsea, a similar type tactic achieved success once again.

Once again, as the ball comes down the right flank through Gueidoura, both Deeney and Ighalo are splitting the defenders, side on to goal waiting for the incoming cross. Ighalo, before the cross comes in, makes a dart to the front post, behind the back of John Terry, forcing Gary Cahill, the covering centre-half, in this case, to step across and cover his run.

As soon as Cahill makes that movement, Ivanovic at right back, who has tucked in also expecting a cross into the box, then has to commit to the ball with Deeney drifting towards the back post, tracking the flight of the ball. Neither win the header and the ball squeezes through to Capoue at the far post, who then smashes home with Cahill making a vain attempt to block the shot.

The cross in this time is nothing special. It’s not a bad ball in, but it certainly is not a dangerous one. But the movement of Deeney and Ighalo, their physical presence and the problems that they cause, commits three defenders to stopping two players, providing Capoue with ample space once again.

In both games, Watford attempted 15 and 13 crosses respectively. Not a particularly great number. And yet, they scored both of their goals so far this season from such tactics and have created a host of other opportunities from wide balls into the box. Arsenal, as we all know, are notoriously poor at defending crosses. Against Liverpool alone, two of the goals scored came from crosses into the box out of only 11. Admittedly a small sample size, but it is a fact that everyone already knew: Arsenal are not good at defending against sides who employ wide attacks.

Watford is such a side, so how do Arsenal prevent what they have struggled with for years? It will come down to the pressure on the ball. Both goals above had a common theme; no pressure on the ball. There was time to pick a pass and then deliver a ball into the box without much of an effort to block it. With the abilities of Deeney and Ighalo in the penalty area, Arsenal will have to shut down the supply on Saturday afternoon if they want to keep Watford at bay.

 

Finding Salvation through Alexis and Walcott

Now lets look at what we can do from the other end of the pitch. In the 3-5-2 system that Mazzarri employs, there is only one player on either flank. Such a formation is often used to crowd the middle of the park, with three centre-halves, three central midfielders and two strikers all playing within the middle stretch of the pitch.

The drawback comes in wide areas, and it has definitely shown so far this season. Watford have conceded a lot of crosses. Southampton attempted 31 crosses on the opening day of the season, while Chelsea attempted 25. That is a vast amount of balls into the box, but Watford can deal with such volume because of the three central defenders they have in the box, of which they are only usually marking one striker. Southampton completed only three of their 31 crosses, while Chelsea only completed three of theirs, one of which was a corner. That is an excellent ratio from a defensive standpoint and stands to question the quality, not the quantity of the balls in.

Arsenal have been willing to cross the ball more than in the past, and with Olivier Giroud set to come back into the starting line-up, crosses may well once again feature heavily on Saturday. The key, then, is in the quality of these balls in from wide areas, not just the quantity. Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott, the two likely wingers will, therefore, have to deliver precise and dangerous crosses. Being able to to take advantage of the space in wide areas that both will enjoy on Saturday will be crucial to determining Arsenal’s attacking success.

Clearly then, Watford are both dangerous and vulnerable from wide areas. With Deeney and Ighalo they have two strikers who enjoy being fed from crosses, rather than having to run in behind or receive the ball to feet. Meanwhile, with the system that Mazzarri employs, there is a soft underbelly to this side from out wide. Exploiting this, through the pace and most importantly, quality, of Walcott and Sanchez will be crucial. Arsenal should win this game, but if they are not vigilant down either flank, then trouble could come their way.

Team News

Mazzarri has been busy in the transfer window but the new signings Roberto Pereyra, Younès Kaboul and Daryl Janmaat are unlikely to start.

But manager Walter Mazzarri is not expected to make many changes to the team that last week lost 2-1 to Chelsea.
He rotated his squad for Tuesday’s 2-1 EFL Cup defeat by Gillingham, but the Italian spoke of those selected against Chelsea deserving another chance.

Mesut Ozil could be set for his first start of the season as Arsenal make the short trip to face Watford in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Germany international came off the bench in last weekend’s draw at Leicester, but Arsene Wenger, who has eased his players back following their Euro 2016 exertions, has said he could play from the start at Vicarage Road, although Olivier Giroud is unlikely to be recalled.

Venue Vicarage Road

Last season Watford 0 Arsenal 3

Referee Kevin Friend

Odds H 9-2 A 8-11 D 14-5
Watford

Subs from Nyom, Zuñiga, Paredes, Hoban, Doucouré, Sinclair, Vydra, Anya, Pantilimon, Janmaat, Prodl, Behrami, Watson, Success

Doubtful Success (face)

Injured Dja Djedje (foot, 10 Sep)

Suspended None

Form DL

Discipline Y6 R1

Leading scorer Capoue 2
Arsenal

Subs from Ospina, Martínez, Debuchy, Gibbs, Elneny, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Reine-Adélaïde, Akpom, Campbell, Cazorla

Doubtful None

Injured Iwobi (thigh, 10 Sep), Ramsey (hamstring, 10 Sep), Gabriel (ankle, 15 Oct), Jenkinson (Nov), Mertesacker (Jan), Welbeck (all knee, Feb)

Suspended None

Form LD

Discipline Y5 R0

Leading scorers Chambers, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott 1

 

Match History

Head-to-head

• Arsenal have won their last six league games against Watford, scoring a total of 16 goals.
• But the Hornets claimed their first win against the Gunners for 28 years when they knocked them out of the FA Cup in March.

Rick Holden got the only goal the last time Watford beat Arsenal in the league in April 1988.

Watford

• Watford have won only two of their 10 Premier League home games in 2016 – with those victories coming against now relegated Newcastle and Aston Villa.
• The Hornets have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 13 league games.
•  Watford have had the fewest shots on target (3), fewest total shots (11) and lowest number of touches in the opposition box (20) so far in the 2016-17 Premier League.
•  The average age of Watford’s starting line-up in each of their two league games this season has been over 30.
• No other club has picked a team with an average age of over 30.

Etienne Capoue could become the first Watford player to score in each of the Hornets’ opening three top-flight matches.

Arsenal

• The Gunners could equal their club record of five consecutive away league draws, set in 1948.
• The Gunners have lost just one Premier League away game in 2016 (W2, D7)) – fewer than any other side (excluding this season’s three promoted clubs).
• Arsenal’s tally of one point from their opening two league games is their lowest tally at this stage since 2011-12 (when they also had one point).
• Alexis Sanchez has scored two and assisted one more in his two previous Premier League appearances against Watford.
• Arsenal are three short of becoming the second team, after Manchester United, to score 700 Premier League away goals.

 

The Build-up

Watford head coach Walter Mazzarri on record signing Roberto Pereyra:

“Pereyra is an eclectic player, he can play in many different positions. He can play on the wing, as a striker and is a more offensive player…He can play in lots of different roles in the different formations: 3-5-2, 4-3-3.”

“He is a runner with good dribbling abilities and in my opinion we needed him. He was the missing point in our squad. He has got different characteristics to other players.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on the transfer market in general:

“It was a strange transfer market. I expected it to be easier than ever but it was more difficult than ever. Not a lot has happened.

“It looks like when you meet other clubs and you have an English passport, you hit these prices which are very difficult to understand compared to the quality of the players. It looks like it will be frenetic for me in the last three days.

“Everybody has sat on their pounds until now. We know they will all splash out now. I expect the next three days to be very, very busy, so be on alert!”

BBC Sports Commentator Simon Brotherton on Arsenal’s spending :

“Maybe the chants from Arsenal fans about spending some money will die down a little now that both defender Shkodran Mustafi and striker Lucas Perez are set to arrive, but it appears neither player will be involved in this weekend’s fixture at Vicarage Road.”

 

Lets all look forward to a fantastic match ahead. #COYG #AKSC !