Arsenal vs Swansea Predictions & Betting Tips, Match Previews

Arsene Wenger was once again slated by Gunners fans in the build up to the new season. They lamented his refusal to shell out for a world class striker, and continued complaining when they signed relatively unknown forward Lucas Perez for £17 million.

This was largely driven by a very poor opening couple of weeks for Arsenal, with them losing 4-3 at home to Liverpool in the Premier League opener and then playing out a goalless draw against Leicester. However, since then they have shown that they could still be title contenders.

A 3-1 win against Watford set them on their way and was followed by a last gasp winner at home to Southampton. They managed to earn a draw at the Parc des Princes in their Champions League opener, and since then they have won against Hull, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Basel, and Burnley.

During this five match winning streak Arsenal have scored an impressive 14 goals and conceded just once, pushing them up to 3rd in the Premier League and just two points behind leaders Manchester City. It’s been a really good showing from a side who were written off at the start of the campaign, but they still need to avoid the almost inevitable slip in form.

Swansea have had a much more turbulent season. They sacked Garry Monk before Christmas last season as they saw their side slip towards the relegation zone. Francesco Guidolin saved the club, but just a couple of months into his first full season at Swansea and they have parted ways. Ryan Giggs was the favourite to take over, but the Swansea board decided instead to go with American coach Bob Bradley.

This has incensed the Swansea faithful who were already frustrated at their teams’ inability to win games. They managed to get a 1-0 win at Burnley in their Premier League opener, but since then they have lost five and drawn one of their six Premier League games.

This puts the Swans down in 17th position, just two points clear of bottom of the table Sunderland. They have conceded 12 goals in their last six games in all competitions as well, such is the importance of the loss of Ashley Williams at the back.

Bob Bradley hasn’t had a lot of time to work with his new team on the training ground, and they’re facing a very tough opponent in Arsenal. The hosts have scored at least three goals in five of their ten competitive matches this season, including three against both Liverpool and Chelsea. They should have a field day against a Swansea defence who are all at sea at the moment, and without a well drilled and organised back line I don’t think they’ll be able to cope with the attacking play of Arsenal.

Considering the unsettled nature of the Swans’ centre-back line up, and Fernandez not likely to be at full fitness if he does start, Alexis Sanchez to score at anytime at 4/5 looks excellent odds. Amat has generally struggled at this level, while right back Rangel gave away the decisive penalty against Liverpool last time out. The star quality of Sanchez can shine through against this average back 4 and he’s likely to be the main focus of the Arsenal attack,given Giroud’s recent injury and Perez having little Premier League experience. He’s scored 4 goals in his last 5 games in the Premier League including one in their last home game against Chelsea, and he plays at least 80 minutes in the vast majority of matches, giving him plenty of opportunities.

Backing Arsenal Over 2.5 Team Goals at 10/11 offers good value, especially considering Swansea have conceded seven in their last three with all matches being at home. I’m going for a 3-0 correct score prediction at 8/1 as well due to the Gunners recent defensive solidity.