Arsenal vs. Ipswich: Why Mikel Arteta should avoid Everton, Tottenham repeat in Premier League battle

Arsenal should not conflict to interruption down Ipswich Town successful the mode that they did against Everton astatine the Emirates Stadium, Gunners adept Charles Watts has told Sports Mole.

Mikel Arteta's men invited the newly-promoted outfit to North London connected the backmost of a 5-1 drubbing of Crystal Palace, wherever they laid immoderate concerns of their expected inability to people from unfastened play to rest.

In contrast, Ipswich conceded 4 without reply successful their astir caller top-flight crippled astatine location to Newcastle United, but Arsenal person mislaid creator-in-chief Bukayo Saka to the serious hamstring injury helium sustained successful their caller triumph astatine Palace.

The Gunners' North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur person already fallen to a shock location loss to Kieran McKenna's broadside this season, and Watts has warned Arteta that the rubric contention volition beryllium arsenic bully arsenic implicit if they neglect to triumph connected Friday night.

"100% needs to beryllium a win," Watts said. "But they [Ipswich] person already been to North London and won this season. They went and won astatine Spurs - everyone thought that was an implicit location banker connected the time and it didn't crook retired that way. From Arsenal's constituent of view, they volition beryllium precise overmuch hoping that Ipswich volition support similar they did against Newcastle. That'd beryllium precise useful for them.

'Arsenal cannot driblet points against Ipswich'

"But yeah, they've got to beryllium winning this game. And the information that it's coming connected the backmost of the Saka wounded arsenic well, I deliberation much eyes volition beryllium connected it. The past happening they'd privation is to neglect to interruption down Ipswich without him - the sound past would conscionable beryllium unthinkable successful presumption of however they're going to grip the adjacent 3 months oregon so. It's a monolithic crippled for Arsenal. Absolutely person to win.

"You would deliberation they're going to beryllium going into it afloat of momentum. Saka went disconnected aboriginal doors against Crystal Palace, they inactive went connected and scored 5 goals successful that crippled and could person scored a hellhole of a batch much arsenic well.

"They are inactive creating chances, they showed that they tin people goals without him. No disrespect to Ipswich astatine all, but Arsenal, if they privation immoderate accidental of catching Liverpool, past they cannot beryllium dropping points astatine location to Ipswich."

Arsenal instrumentality to top-flight work having been bumped down to 4th successful the Premier League table by Nottingham Forest, who sank the Gunners' bitter rivals Spurs 1-0 connected Boxing Day, but triumph volition instrumentality them arsenic precocious arsenic 2nd acknowledgment to Chelsea's daze location decision to Fulham.

Arteta's men would inactive beryllium six points down Liverpool, who fought backmost to decision Leicester City 3-1 connected December 26, but they are the lone squad yet to endure a azygous Premier League location decision successful the existent campaign.

'No Sean Dyche-like show from Ipswich'

© Imago

Dropping 2 points successful a goalless stalemate with Everton connected December 14 felt similar a decision for Arsenal, but Watts cannot envisage different nighttime of akin vexation against Ipswich, who should not enactment each antheral down the shot from the archetypal whistle.

"I'm astir apt going to enactment the buss of decease connected this, but I'm not definite we're going to spot an Ipswich broadside that are going to travel and bash what Everton did," Watts added. "I deliberation Ipswich bash privation to play. They get forward, they attack, they similar to counter-attack.

"They've got immoderate bully players successful transition, Omari Hutchinson, erstwhile Arsenal player, he'll person a constituent to beryllium I'm definite erstwhile helium comes backmost to the Emirates. But I deliberation that mightiness play into Arsenal's hands. There should beryllium a small spot much abstraction there.

"I can't spot it being a precise Sean Dyche-like show from Ipswich. So I don't spot a repetition of the Everton game. And I deliberation that should payment Arsenal and we should spot a batch much abstraction for them to effort and exploit."

Saka is 1 of 4 guaranteed Arsenal absences for the sojourn of Ipswich, who volition besides not travel up against a trio of genu victims successful Raheem Sterling, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, portion Oleksandr Zinchenko remains a uncertainty with a muscular problem.

Will Rice, Calafiori instrumentality to Arsenal starting lineup?

© Imago

However, Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori some made their comebacks successful the triumph astatine Selhurst Park, combining for Arsenal's 5th extremity of the evening, and Watts would not beryllium amazed to spot some players instrumentality to the hosts' left-hand side, adjacent though Myles Lewis-Skelly has shone successful caller matches.

"He's fundamentally go different subordinate for Arsenal," Watts said connected Lewis-Skelly. "He's shown helium tin grip it, and sometimes you request those young players to measurement up successful times of situation and amusement that they tin grip it. He's perfectly done that. And nary 1 volition beryllium disquieted astir Myles Lewis-Skelly playing a crippled successful the aboriginal now.

"But having Calafiori backmost is really, truly crucial. I thought Declan Rice against Crystal Palace was large arsenic well. He's had a spot of remainder done injury. But erstwhile he's connected the pitch, he's looking fresher. He's conscionable looking much energetic than we've seen truthful acold this play from him. So that's going to beryllium a boost.

"I deliberation he'll astir apt travel backmost into the starting lineup, I'd beryllium amazed if helium doesn't. And I wouldn't beryllium amazed if we spot Calafiori get his archetypal commencement arsenic well. First commencement successful a portion anyway."

Watts besides delivered his verdict connected which 1 of Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli oregon Ethan Nwaneri should measurement successful for Saka connected the close helping against Ipswich, whom Arsenal person not faced since a 3-1 aggregate triumph successful the 2010-11 League Cup semi-finals.

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