crucial Premier League clash with Sunderland, live on Sky
Sports.
The Chile forward took a kick to the thigh in Saturday’s 4-1
win at Stoke and faces a fitness test ahead of kick-off,
despite boss Arsene Wenger admitting he is “so keen” to
play.
Wenger’s resurgent side have have won six of their last
seven games – including an extra-time victory over
Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final – and must see
off the relegated Black Cats if they are to take their late bid
to finish in the top four to the final day.
Team News
Arsenal will monitor top scorer Alexis Sanchez, who
suffered a kick to the thigh at Stoke.
Laurent Koscielny could miss out after suffering a
recurrence of a calf problem, while Alex Oxlade-
Chamberlain remains out with a hamstring injury.
Sunderland pair Jason Denayer and Victor Anichebe are
doubts with respective thigh and hamstring problems.
George Honeyman is also struggling to shake off a back
injury.
Match Facts
Arsenal have never lost a home Premier League match
against Sunderland (W10 D5 L0).
Sunderland have won just one of their last 26 Premier
League fixtures against the Gunners, this coming in a
1-0 win back in November 2009 (W1 D9 L16).
Olivier Giroud has scored four times in his last four
games in all competitions against Sunderland, including
twice from the bench with his first two touches in the
reverse fixture.
If Giroud scores, he’ll be the third player to hit 50 goals
at the Emirates Stadium in all competitions (after Robin
van Persie and Theo Walcott), while the Frenchman is
also just two goals short of becoming the 19th player to
score 100 goals in all competitions for Arsenal
(currently 98).
David Moyes has lost 15 times to Wenger in the Premier
League, his most defeats against a single manager in
the competition.
Indeed, if the Gunners win it will be Wenger’s 20th
victory in all competitions against Moyes – more than
any other manager he’s faced with Arsenal.
Arsenal have lost just one of their last 16 Premier
League matches at the Emirates Stadium (W12 D3 L1),
this coming against Watford (1-2) in January.
The Gunners haven’t conceded a single goal in their
last three Premier League games at home – they
haven’t kept four clean sheets in a row at the Emirates
Stadium in the competition since February 2014 (five in
a row).
Sunderland have failed to score in 10 of their last 15
Premier League away matches.
The Black Cats have now failed to score in 19 Premier
League games overall this season, more than any other
side – they last failed to score in more in a league
season in 2002/03 (20 games).
PREDICTED LINE UP
Arsenal FC: Cech,Mustafi,Koscienly,
Holding,Monreal,Xhaka, Ramsey, Bellerin,Ozil, Welbeck,
Sanchez.
Sunderland: Pickford; Jones, Kone, O’Shea, Manquillo;
Larsson, Ndong, Gibson; Borini, Defoe, Khazri.
Match Details
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Date: 16th May, 2017
Time: 21:45 GMT+1
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