Arsenal vs Middlesbrough Predictions & Betting Tips, Match Previews

Arsenal are absolutely rampant at the moment. In midweek they looked to go top of their Champions League group with a home match against Ludogorets, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. They were up within 15 minutes as Alexis Sanchez bagged a goal, and Theo Walcott added one just before half-time. A second half rampage followed as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain got a goal and Mesut Ozil banged in a second half hat trick for a comprehensive 6-0 win.

This made it seven wins in a row for the Gunners and 11 games unbeaten. Their last defeat was on the opening day of the season against Liverpool, and with some of the other top four sides out of form Arsenal will feel that this is a great chance to get to the top of the table.

Despite Arsenal fans’ constant calls for a world class striker, Arsenal are doing just fine in the goals department. They have scored the joint most goals in the league with 19 in eight matches, and they have added a further 13 in their four Champions League and League Cup matches.

This isn’t thanks to a traditional out and out striker – Olivier Giroud has been injured for a significant portion of the season. Instead, it is a reinvented Walcott, Sanchez, and Ozil combination. Walcott has eight goals in all competitions, with Sanchez and Ozil both having three apiece. Seven of Walcott’s have come at the Emirates as well in six appearances, and he has scored six goals in his last five matches. He is the main man at the moment, and odds of 6/5 for him to score anytime are excellent value from bet365. Considering he has netted a brace in two of these five matches, backing him to score two of more at 6/1 looks a decent shout as well.

Arsenal should certainly get a lot of chances. The Gunners have averaged 15 shots per game in the league this season and have scored a huge 16 goals in their last five home games. Middlesbrough have conceded six in their last four on the road and have lost four of their last five Premier League games.

The visitors also tend to try playing the offside trap a lot, which could be a rod for their own backs against the pace of Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott, and the sheer cleverness of Mesut Ozil’s passing.

I can’t see this being a good afternoon for Middlesbrough. They looked completely devoid of any talent or desire in Sunday’s defeat to Watford, and they’re facing an Arsenal side in the form of their lives. The hosts have scored at least three goals in four of their six home games this season, and Middlesbrough conceded three away to Everton a month ago. Backing Arsenal Over 2.5 Team Goals at 11/10 looks very good value considering their form, and I’m going for a 4-0 correct score prediction at 12/1 as well.