Arsenal face Premier League side Watford in Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final, and Arsène Wenger has been very impressed by the Hornets this season.

It is Watford’s first season in the top flight since an absence of almost 10 years. Not only that but manager Quique Sanchez Flores only took over in the summer and didn’t have long to work with his side.

Nonetheless, despite all of the Premier League inexperience in the squad, they’ve had a great season and sit 13th in England’s top flight.

“They’ve done extremely well,” Arsène Wenger said on Friday afternoon. The boss has clearly been impressed by Sunday’s opponents.

“It looks like the Championship teams who come up now deal very well with the Premier League regime. Bournemouth, Watford are doing extremely well.”

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Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores has done well so far this season. (OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images)

Much like Leicester City, Watford look to sit deep and compact in a 4-4-2 shape before looking dangerous at set-pieces and launching devastating attacks on the break. That tactic has relied on the form of Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney, who gave Arsenal a few problems when the sides met in October.

“They’re well prepared,” Wenger insisted. “They have two strikers who are extremely efficient in Deeney and Ighalo. We have, of course, to work very hard to control the game.”

Maintaining control will be key to the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium this weekend, as we have to stay calm and create opportunities before keeping Watford out when they look to hit us on the counter.

We’re in for a cagey FA Cup quarter-final but, with some quality and a little luck, we will come through it. At least we know the boss is aware of the threat Watford possess.