Arsenal will hope to secure all three points when they host struggling Watford in the Premier League at the Emirates on Tuesday night.
The Gunners know that they have to fully focus on their task, but with league leaders Chelsea away at Liverpool, they will surely be doubly determined to take advantage of any slip-ups from their title rivals.
Arsene Wenger will continue to watch from the stands as he serves his four-match touchline suspension, which gives Steve Bould another opportunity to marshal things from the bench.
It worked well at the weekend with Arsenal’s 5-0 rout of Southampton in the FA Cup, and the home faithful will certainly be hoping for a repeat performance.
However, it will be a significantly different line-up that appears at the Emirates in midweek with Wenger making several changes to the team that saw off the Saints.
Danny Welbeck doesn’t make the squad, which at this point can only come down to the fact that the club are easing him back in after such a long injury lay-off, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who impressed in midfield, Theo Walcott and Lucas Perez all drop to the bench.
That means returns for Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil to the starting XI, and with a trip to Stamford Bridge waiting on the weekend, Arsenal will be hoping that they don’t have any injury concerns after Tuesday’s game and three more points to show for their efforts.
As for the visitors, January loan signing M’Baye Niang gets a debut and will hope to get his time in England off with a bang.
Here it is – our starting lineup to face @WatfordFC in the @premierleague #AFCvWFC pic.twitter.com/7SAEadPSPK
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) January 31, 2017
#watfordfc line-up v @Arsenal: Gomes (GK); Cathcart, Kaboul, Prödl, Britos; Behrami; Janmaat, Cleverley, Capoue, Niang; Deeney (c).
— Watford FC (@WatfordFC) January 31, 2017