Arsenal host Cardiff City on Tuesday night at the Emirates. Unai Emery’s Gunners are three points off of fourth place and have a big week of matches concluding with Sunday’s trip to the Etihad to play Manchester City. Before they can face off against Pep Guardiola’s team, they must get by Neil Warnock’s Bluebirds.
Cardiff sit in the relegation zone going into the midweek match at the Emirates. They are three points behind Newcastle in the race for Premier League survival.
Cardiff have not beaten Arsenal in their last six tries. The Gunners have won five matches while drawing one against Cardiff during that six-match run. Their previous meeting this season ended with a 3-2 Arsenal away win. It was their closest finish since a 2009 FA Cup meeting ended nil-nil. In the six most recent meetings between the club, a time span that runs from 2006 to the present day in all competitions, Arsenal have outscored Cardiff 12-3.
Although Arsenal lost at the weekend to Manchester United in the FA Cup at the Emirates, they have won 14 of their last 17 home matches in the Premier League. The Gunners have the third best home points total with 29 of 44 points tallied in north London. Cardiff, on the other hand, have been diabolical on the road.
Just five points have been earned on their travels. Meanwhile they have tallied 14 points at home. Warnock’s team lacks any kind of backbone on the road. Cardiff have tallied the lowest away goals scored total while posting a –15-goal difference. Their inability to score on the road will once again prevent them from winning on Tuesday night.
Arsenal are going into the game with injury problems in defence. Hector Bellerin is out for the remainder of the season due to an ACL injury. Centre-back Laurent Koscielny left the teams FA Cup lose early due to a kick to the face. His involvement Tuesday night will be a game time decision. Centre-back Sokratis is out long-term with an ankle injury. He won’t be back to training until late-February. Midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is also struggling with an injury.
Emery will have a thing squad to face Cardiff, but that shouldn’t prevent them from gaining all three points. Cardiff have only won once in their last six away games. Four of those fixtures ended in losses. Despite Arsenal’s defensive crisis, they will roll to victory over Cardiff at home. The Bluebirds’ relegation troubles will increase as the Gunners inch closer to the top four.