After a forgettable 3-0 away defeat against Crystal Palace last Monday, Arsenal will be looking to atone for their errors in another away fixture – against Steve Agnew’s inconsistent Middlesbrough side.
Boro are yet to register a Premier League win in 2017 and Aitor Karanka’s dismissal last month could foreshadow a swift return to Championship football for the Teeside club. You can get the truth about the best odds available for this match and others at sites like critical-reviews.com.
1. Press conference
Arsène Wenger gave team updates in his pre-match presser ahead of an intriguing away clash on TV this evening.
He confirmed that Laurent Koscielny would be joining in training on Friday, whilst first-choice goalkeeper Petr Cech also had a chance to return after sustaining a hamstring injury against West Brom.
“If their tests are positive, they will come back into the squad for Monday’s game.”
However, he also revealed that Lucas Perez (thigh) and David Ospina (back) both remain sidelined. When questioned about the chances of both Cech and Koscielny making a return to the starting eleven he said, “Eighty percent. At the moment it’s pretty good, but sometimes the 20 percent can play a villain’s part in the final preparation.”