Arsenal vs Middlesbrough. Premier League.
Emirates StadiumAttendance59,982.
Saturday 22 October 2016 14:04, UK
Arsenal will be bidding to make it eight wins on the bounce in all competitions when struggling Middlesbrough visit the Emirates on Saturday.
Momentum seems to be building for Arsene Wenger's men, as shown by their 6-0 victory over Ludogorets in the Champions League on Wednesday.
This comes after picking up just one point in their opening two Premier League games. Since their 0-0 draw with Leicester, the Gunners have scored 16 goals in their six straight league wins, keeping five clean sheets along the way.
Boro will be attempting to arrest their slide down the table after a return of just two points from the last 18 on offer.
Arsenal are missing the suspended Granit Xhaka, who was sent off against Swansea.
Santi Cazorla is a doubt after taking a kick against Ludogorets, but the Gunners otherwise have no fresh injury concerns.
Olivier Giroud (toe), Aaron Ramsey (hamstring), Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck (both knee) are still missing.
Meanwhile, Boro skipper Grant Leadbitter is close to a return.
The midfielder is yet to feature this season after undergoing hernia surgery during the summer, but is back in training and working his way towards full match fitness, although a starting berth against Arsenal is likely to come too soon for him.
Head coach Aitor Karanka otherwise has no fresh injury concerns.
Arsenal have won just one of their last six Premier League fixtures against Middlesbrough, though four of these were draws (L1).
Middlesbrough's last league victory away to Arsenal came in April 2001, winning 3-0 thanks to own goals from Edu, Sylvinho and a strike from Hamilton Ricard.
Since that loss, Arsenal have won six of their last eight home games against Boro in the Premier League (D2).
The last time these two sides met was in the 2014/15 FA Cup, with Olivier Giroud scoring twice to send Arsenal to the quarter finals. They went on to lift the trophy that year.
This game is on the same day as Arsene Wenger's 67th birthday. He has won his two previous Premier League games on his birthday, 1-0 v Man City in 2005 and 4-0 v Reading in 2006.
The Gunners have scored 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7 goals in Premier League matches against Middlesbrough - one of four clubs to do so against another in Premier League history (also Chelsea vs Sunderland, Everton vs Sunderland and Man City vs Norwich).
Mesut Özil has been directly involved in 51 goals in 90 league games for Arsenal (18 goals, 33 assists), the same total he had after 90 La Liga games for Real Madrid (14 goals, 37 assists).
Middlesbrough's only Premier League win this season has come against bottom club Sunderland (D3 L4).
Five of Middlesbrough's seven Premier League goals have come in the first half this season (71 per cent), a league-high proportion.
Arsenal are irresistible at the moment. Swansea could count themselves a little unlucky last weekend, but the way the Gunners played in the Champions League showed that confidence is high at the Emirates.
Middlesbrough are struggling, they've got little pace in the team and up front, and I'm going 4-0 Arsenal. They're going to suffocate them, and I just don't see how Boro will get out of their half.
I really hope Arsene Wenger doesn't start changing the team, because that's dangerous, they're on a right good run at the moment, and you'd like to think he'll keep the same team.
PAUL PREDICTS: 4-0 (11/1 with Sky Bet)
Arsenal are the massive odds-on favourites at 2/7 with Sky Bet to claim their eighth victory in a row when they host Middlesbrough at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Struggling Boro are big 10/1 outsiders with the online bookmaker to get the three points and the draw can be supported at 17/4. A repeat of Arsenal's 6-0 win over Ludogorets in midweek can be backed at 50/1 and any victory for the Gunners by three or more goals is on offer at 7/4.
Arsenal v Middlesbrough is included in this week's Soccer Saturday Super 6 line-up. Enter your predictions here for the chance to win £250,000.
