On Sunday, at 13:30, Cardiff City receives Arsenal’s home game in the 4th round of the Premier League, what the English specialists call the “most unbalanced” duel of the round. Arsenal comes with the attack on the newly-promoted field, as Cardiff has not scored yet in the new season and looks vulnerable in all areas of the field.
Arsenal has a very good victory, given that it comes on a field that should be dominated without any problems. With Aubameyang, Lacazette, Welbeck and Mkhitaryan in the offensive, Unai Emery’s band should confirm the victory in the previous round, 3-1 home with West Ham, in front of a powerless rival. Cardiff comes after a 0-0 brawl with Huddersfield. Cardiff gets hard to finish and Arsenal will probably be able to deal with them.
Even though the “guns” have shown weaknesses in defense lately, it is expected that London’s top quality will come out. It will not be a long move for the Londoners, and the odds for a handicap victory are very tempting! Emery is playing an offensive game, pleasing to the eye and based on quick vertigo, and Cardiff’s defensive crash will not be able to cope throughout the game. Moreover, there are three very important players from all the compartments, Gunnarsson, Mendez-Laing and Hoilett (injured).
Cardiff has not scored in 4 of the last 5 straight duels.
Arsenal has won 4 of the last 5 direct duels with Cardiff without scores, 2-0, 3-0, 4-0 and 2-1, and another match ended with 0-0. Guests need a conclusive success without a goal, to increase the trust of the Unai Emery batch. The Iberian knows how important the 3 points are to re-launch the “tuners” season, and he has thoroughly prepared the move from Cardiff, where he will use an ultra-offensive formula. The hosts did not show much in the first 3 stages: 0-2 with Bournemouth and 0-0 with Newcastle and Huddersfield. In the middle of the week, Cardiff also lost to the League Cup, 1-3 home with Norwich.
THE PROBABLE TEAMS
Cardiff: Etheridge – Ecuele-Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett – Arter, Camarasa, Ralls – J. Murphy, Zohore, Hoilett
Arsenal: Cech – Bellerin, Mustafi, Sokratis, Monreal – Guendouzi, Xhaka – Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Iwobi – Aubameyang
PREDICTION: Both teams to score / YES @ 1.80
