Arsenal vs Middlesbrough Preview & Prediction

Arsenal vs Middlesbrough Preview & Prediction

Strangely enough Arsenal do not have a stellar recent record against Middlesbrough as the Gunners have only won 1 of their last 6 games against the Teesiders. This record is not as bad as it first looks however, as Arsenal have managed four draws with only one loss against their one win.

Middlesbrough have to go back a long way to recall their last league victory away to Arsenal and it came all the way back in April of 2001 when Boro won 3-0. The last occasion which saw these two sides play was in the 2014/15 season. On that day it was the round of 16 in the FA Cup, and French striker Olivier Giroud was the star of the show scoring twice, as Arsenal moved through to the quarter finals. Fans will remember of course that 2014/15 FA Cup run which ended with the Gunners lifting the famous trophy.


Arsene Wenger will be celebrating his 67th birthday on game day but he will have to do without the services of the suspended Granit Xhaka while Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud are almost ready to return to action from injury. Perhaps more of a concern to the boss is the fact that Santi Cazorla limped off in the Champions League against Ludogorets. As the Standard reported Wenger had this to say about the injury to his influential Spanish midfielder,

“He got a kick on the back of his Achilles tendon and I took him off as quick as possible”.

Cazorla has been a key figure for Arsenal so far this season and it can be no surprise that while he has been a mainstay in the team their form has been consistently good. Hopefully the injury turns out to be minor.

So, despite the injuries Arsenal look to be in imperious form at the moment and we think there is more to come from the suddenly “hot” Theo Walcott and we look to him along with Ozil and the irrepressible Sanchez to lead the Gunners to a 3-1 victory.