Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for this afternoon's Premier League match between Arsenal and Watford. With the last international break of the season out of the way we are now into the home straight, and Arsenal in particular have a lot of ground to make up over the closing stages, starting today. Watford, though, have that recent FA Cup win here to draw on as they aim to improve their own league form. Let's start with a look at the two teams...

ARSENAL STARTING XI: Ospina; Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Elneny, Iwobi, Ozil, Sanchez; Welbeck

ARSENAL SUBS: Cech, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Chambers, Walcott, Giroud, Campbell

WATFORD STARTING XI: Gomes; Nyom, Prödl, Cathcart, Ake; Capoue, Watson, Suarez; Abdi, Deeney; Ighalo

WATFORD SUBS: Pantilimon, Britos, Guedioura, Anya, Berghuis, Jurado, Amrabat

What can we make of those two teams, then? Well the first thing to note as far as Arsenal are concerned is the continued absence of Petr Cech from the starting XI. He has missed the last five games with a calf injury and is once again left out today, although interestingly he is deemed fit enough for the bench. It is, of course, unlikely that he will be needed, but Wenger must feel that he is up to playing if Ospina should be injured or sent off, so it is strange that he hasn't thrown him in from the start.

Indeed, it is an unchanged side completely for Arsenal this afternoon as Wenger keeps faith with the team that beat Everton 2-0 before the international break. That means a number of notable inclusions and exclusions, one of which comes at the heart of the defence as Gabriel is once again preferred to Mertesacker alongside Koscielny. Bellerin and Monreal make up the back four for the Gunners this afternoon, with the former having been strongly linked with a summer move away from the club over the recent break.

Another interesting decision from Wenger is to play two combative holding midfielders in Coquelin and Elneny. It was understandable away to an Everton side who are capable of breaking with such pace, but he could have perhaps gone for a more attacking option at home to an out-of-form side like Watford. It seems as though he is not willing to take many risks, although the inclusion of Iwobi once again could fall into that category. This will be the third consecutive game that he has started in all competitions, and he marked his full Premier League debut last time out with a goal against Everton.

Sanchez and Ozil are two more familiar names in the trio behind the striker, although Ozil has gone off the boil a little in his quest to beat Thierry Henry's assist record in a single season. He is only two short, with 18 to his name at the moment, but only two of those have come in the last 10 games. With only eight more matches of the season remaining, he is in danger of missing out if he doesn't pick the rate back up. Danny Welbeck is the man chosen to lead the line once again after he also scored against Everton, which means that Giroud and Walcott have to settle for a place on the bench once more.

As for Watford, they had a few question marks over the fitness of some players, despite none picking up new injuries while on international duty. One of those players - Sebastian Prodl - has recovered from illness to replace Britos at the heart of the defence in one of three changes made by Quique Flores. He partners Cathcart in the middle, while Nyom and Ake make up the back four on the flanks.

The remaining two changes come in midfield, where Watson and Abdi come in for Behrami and Jurado for the Hornets this afternoon. Flores has naturally made a few more changes during his side's poor spell of form than he did when they were flying high in the table, and Watson was one of those who was a first-team regular earlier in the campaign. He was left out against Stoke, but returns this afternoon and Flores continues in search of an increasingly elusive Premier League victory.

The two midfielders to keep their places are Capoue and January signing Mario Suarez, the latter of whom seems to have worked his way into Flores's first-choice XI now. He was forced to settle for a place on the bench in the early stages of his Watford career as Flores allowed him to get to grips with a new country and a new league, but he will be hoping that he has now nailed down a starting role until the end of the campaign.

The stars for Watford this season have undoubtedly been the front two, though. Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo have scored no fewer than 23 of Watford's 30 league goals this season - a whopping 77%. While that was all well and good when both were firing on all cylinders, a large reason behind their recent slump in form is because they haven't had anyone to pick up the goalscoring slack with Ighalo in particular struggling. He has just one goal from 11 league appearances so far in 2016, which is a far cry from his form in the first half of the season.

He was on the scoresheet when Watford visited in the FA Cup just a few weeks ago, though, and Arsenal will know that his recent league drought won't make him any less dangerous should they give him a chance. Despite that cup result, though, Arsenal go into today's match as big favourites to pick up the victory. In many ways it is a must-win game for the Gunners considering their place in the title race, with plenty of ground to make up on leaders Leicester. The Foxes currently sit 11 points clear, while Arsenal's North London rivals Tottenham are six ahead themselves.

With Spurs not playing until later this afternoon and Leicester in action tomorrow, this is a really good chance for Arsenal to put pressure on the two teams above them. Both Leicester and Tottenham have dealt with the alien pressure of a title race well so far, but as the weeks go by that will continue to crank up and Arsenal simply have to keep winning if they are to take advantage of that. Any slip-ups from the Gunners, who already have an uphill battle to catch those two, will give Leicester and Spurs a massive release of pressure.

It may already be too late for Arsenal in truth. They need to win today to stand any chance to staying in the title race, but their recent form could well have put it beyond them anyway. They have only won three of their last 10 league outings, dropping 17 points from a possible 30 in that time, and have only won one of four since that last-gasp victory over Leicester - a result that really should have seen them kick on and take control of the title race.

In all competitions their form is no better either, with exits from both the FA Cup and the Champions League in recent weeks. Indeed, they have only won two of their last nine outings in all competitions, losing five, and have failed to win 11 of their last 16. The Champions League exit was predictable after they were drawn against Barcelona, but the FA Cup loss to Watford and, in particular, their Premier League form will be especially disappointing.

Arsenal do, of course, have a bit of history when it comes to bottling things in the closing months of the season, but this would arguably be the worst of the lot considering there are none of the other big boys around them in the table. The main positive that they can look at right now is their run-in, which on paper at least seems to be kinder than those of Leicester and in particular Tottenham. Six of Arsenal's last eight games come against teams in the bottom half of the table, which should give them plenty of chances to pick up valuable points.

Perhaps the most concerning thing from Arsenal's recent slump is their home form, which is usually so good. The Gunners had only lost one of their previous 15 home league games before their recent run of three defeats in a row, while they are now winless in four. That is their worst run since 2008, and the ongoing streak of three defeats is their worst at home since November 2002. They are today aiming to avoid falling to four consecutive home defeats in a row for the first time since December 1958.

Even the goals have dried up at the Emirates, where they have scored just six times in their last eight home games in all competitions, averaging 25 shots per goal compared to nine shots against per goal conceded. They have not lead at half time in any of their last 10 home games in all competitions, and in the Premier League their only home victory since their first match of 2016 was that late win against Leicester. They have, in fact, picked up more points away from home than they have at the Emirates in the league this season, which is a very rare statistic for Arsenal.

It is not quite a fortress at the moment, then, and Watford will know that first hand having dumped the holders out of the FA Cup here just three weeks ago. That was, in fact, Arsenal's most recent home game, and a similar result this afternoon would surely end their title hopes. For Watford, though, it would take them to that magic 40-point mark which should guarantee their survival once and for all, and have Quique Flores breathing a little easier.

In reality, though, I think we can safely say that Flores will go down as the first manager to keep Watford in the Premier League for a second season. His side are 11 points clear of the drop zone, and it is hard to see any of the teams below them in the table suddenly going on a late run that will see them eat up that gap. Even so, the slump in form since Christmas is something that Flores needs to address, with Watford having sunk to 14th in the standings.

A 3-0 home win over Liverpool in their final match before Christmas actually saw Watford climb up to within one point of the Champions League places, and reporters were at that stage asking whether a European push was realistic. However, they have since only won two of their last 13 outings, the last of which came back on February 13 when they beat another out-of-form team in the shape of Crystal Palace, who are in fact the only side to have amassed fewer Premier League points in 2016 than the Hornets.

Watford come into this match having lost their last three league games before the international break, and struggled for goals in the process. They have only scored one in their last four outings, and that came late on in a 2-1 home defeat to Stoke in their most recent outing. Their hopes of completing a comeback in the closing stages of that match were bleak considering that they have rescued a league-low two points from losing positions so far this season.

Things have taken a particular turn for the worse away from home, with Watford having lost four of their last five league games on their travels. That marks a major downturn from just two defeats in their opening nine away games of the campaign, and the main problem in recent weeks has been a lack of goals. In each of those four defeats they have failed to find the back of the net, with the only exception in that time being the victory over Crystal Palace.

Having said that, Watford do still boast a better goals-per-game ratio on the road than they do at home this season. They have picked up just 18 points from 14 outings on their travels compared to 19 from 16 at Vicarage Road, and despite playing two fewer away games, have also scored more away goals. That could give them a glimmer of hope considering Arsenal's ailing home form too, but it would still take a significant improvement from recent away performances.

Perhaps the main reason behind Watford's poor recent form is that their focus is elsewhere. The Premier League is no longer their priority this season with safety virtually secured. Instead their focus will turn to the FA Cup, where that quarter-final victory here at the Emirates has set up a Wembley showdown with Crystal Palace. That takes place on April 24, with Watford potentially just 90 minutes away from only their second ever FA Cup final. They reached the showpiece once before, in 1983-84, only to be beaten on that occasion.

PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at the Emirates, which means that it is time for a prediction! Arsenal are in a rather curious position today - the game is a must-win one, but many already consider them to be out of the title race so there is less pressure on them than you might expect. They tend to thrive when the pressure is off, and with Watford in their current form, everything points to a home win today. I'm going for 2-0 to the Gunners, with Sanchez and Welbeck on the scoresheet.

As I have mentioned a few times already in this build-up, these two sides met in the FA Cup quarter-finals just three weeks ago, with Arsenal favourites to continue their march towards a third consecutive FA Cup triumph - a feat not achieved since the 1880s. Watford kept it that way with a 2-1 win, however, as Ighalo and Guedioura scored before Welbeck pulled one back late on. The Hornets scored with their only two shots on target in that match.

That victory ended a run of six straight defeats at the hands of Arsenal, including all five of their previous meetings in the Premier League. They haven't beaten the Gunners in a league game since 1988, which was also the last year that they won two matches in the same season against Arsenal (all competitions. They have never won two away games against them in the same campaign, so they have the chance to make a little bit of history here.

The reverse fixture ended in a comfortable 3-0 victory for Arsenal back in October, although it wasn't as comfortable for the Gunners as the scoreline suggests. Watford held their own for much of the match, but ultimately succumbed to goals from Sanchez, Giroud and Ramsey at Vicarage Road. It is one of only three times that Watford have been beaten by more than one goal this season, and their biggest defeat of the campaign too.

Right, we're just about ready to go here! Before we start let me point you in the direction of the latest edition of our podcast 'The Dugout', with the main talking point this week being who Roy Hodgson should choose for the England starting XI in their first game at Euro 2016. Have a listen below!

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KICKOFF: Here we go then! Arsenal get us underway at the Emirates on a sunny day in North London as they look to close the gap on Leicester and Tottenham.

Arsenal have their first attack of the afternoon as Sanchez whips a cross into the box that is too high for Welbeck and cleared by Cathcart. The home fans like the early intent, though, and greet it with a round of applause.

What a start for Arsenal! They take the lead inside five minutes as Iwobi is gifted the ball inside the Watford half and floats a cross over to Sanchez at the back post. Ake perhaps should do more, but Sanchez is able to steer a header towards the bottom corner. Gomes saves the initial effort, but Sanchez is alive to the rebound and fires it in from close range.

Watford look for an immediate response as they come forward for the first time today, but having reached the byline down the left, there is no-one in the box to meet the cross.

CHANCE! Half a chance for Arsenal again as Sanchez dips and dives his way past Ake before standing a cross into the box. Monreal has got forward to meet it, but he can't get above the ball and heads it over the top.

Well, for a side who have only rescued two points from losing positions, this is not an ideal position for Watford to be in. Arsenal have started brightly and look sharp, and the way things are looking they may add to their lead sooner rather than later.

Ake in particular looks as though he could be in for a long afternoon. Sanchez looks very bright in the opening exchanges and has already scored a goal and created another chance.

Almost another chance for the Gunners, and it comes from Sanchez again. He has space to move into down the right before feeding a pass to Welbeck on the edge of the box. Nyom looks in trouble, but does just about enough to take the sting off Welbeck's shot as it trickles into the arms of Gomes.

SAVE! Arsenal really are knocking on the door here. The ball goes loose in midfield and Iwobi is quick to pounce on it before driving forward. He gives it to Welbeck before getting the ball back and curling one towards goal from a tight angle that Gomes has to turn over.

CLOSE! The hosts are so close to a second! It is more slick build-up play as this time the ball is worked inside to Welbeck, but his effort is deflected narrowly past the post, rippling the side-netting on the way wide.

Watford are playing this game like a pre-season friendly, if that. There is such a lack of urgency about them - they are not tracking their runs and their play on the ball is so lethargic. It has been dreadful from the Hornets so far.

CHANCE! The visitors have their first chance of the afternoon as Nyom throws a cross into the box from the right flank that Deeney rises high to meet. He gets a good, downward header to it, but he is too far out to truly trouble Ospina.

All of Arsenal's best play is coming down their right flank at the moment. They are putting a number of crosses into the middle, both in the air and on the ground, and Cathcart and Prodl in the middle and getting bombarded.

Up pipe the Watford fans reminding their opponents that they are off to Wembley in a few weeks, but they better hope they play better then than they are now. It seems like only a matter of time before Arsenal score again.

SAVE! Ozil wins a free kick for his side within shooting range, and Sanchez curls one over the wall and towards the bottom corner. Gomes is across in good time to push it behind for a corner, though.

Watford have been unable to get Ighalo in the game at all so far today. They have been on the back foot from the very first whistle and have been unable to create anything of real note so far.

Watford do manage to string a decent passing move together here as the ball is clipped over the top towards Ighalo, but Ospina is quick off his line to get there first. The linesman's flag was up anyway, although the replay shows that Ighalo was level with the last man.

We've had half an hour here and the only thing Watford can be really pleased with so far is that, at 1-0 down, they are still in this match. They have at least improved in the last 10 minutes or so, but there is still only really one team in this one.

Wenger will be pleased with the contribution of Iwobi so far. He has looked eager to attack whenever he is given the chance, has been alert to any loose balls or mistakes, and has also carried out what little defensive work he has had to. It's been an impressive start from the youngster.

Concern for Arsenal here after Gabriel got kicked by his own man Francis Coquelin, but it looks to be just an impact injury and I'd expect the Brazilian to continue.

Better from Watford as they begin to string a few passes together inside the Arsenal half, gaining some rare possession and territory. It comes to nothing, but it is an improvement.

There is Arsenal's second, and it is another for Alex Iwobi who now has two goals in two league starts! The passing from the hosts is good again as the cut Watford open down the right, and Sanchez is released in the channel. He cuts the ball back to Iwobi, who controls his finish well to sweep it past Gomes.

Quique Flores is not at all happy with what he has seen from his side in this match so far, and he is already contemplating changes. Watford just have not got going at all.

WATFORD SUB: Indeed, there is the change as Ikechi Anya replaces Capoue, whose cover for Ake down Watford's left has been non-existent.

I fear as though these Watford players may be in for the hairdryer treatment at the break. Flores has said that he doesn't want his side to feel as though their Premier League duties for the season are effectively over, but that is exactly how they have played in this first half.

There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this first half.

SAVE! Another save for Gomes to make at the end of the half as Iwobi lets fly, but it is a simple one for the former Tottenham keeper.

Anthony Taylor brings an end to the first half at the Emirates Stadium, and it is Arsenal who go into the break with a deserved 2-0 lead. It has pretty been one-way traffic from start to finish, with the Gunners first to every loose ball and cutting through a lethargic Watford almost at will. The visitors have played like this is a pre-season friendly, but Arsenal are playing with the urgency that is required for their title hopes.

The opening goal arrived after just five minutes when Watford gave the ball away inside their own half, which was a feature of the opening 45 minutes. Iwobi floated the ball to the back post where Sanchez was waiting, planting a downward header towards goal. Gomes made the save initially, but Sanchez was alert to the rebound and swept it home from close range.

It was the other way round for the second goal as Sanchez turned provider for Iwobi to make it two goals in as many Premier League starts. A slick passing move sent Sanchez through down the right channel, and he cut the ball back into the middle for Iwobi to run on to. He had space, but it wasn't the easiest of finishes of he did well to control his shot as he fired it past the keeper.

Arsenal's right has been a productive avenue for the hosts all day so far, to the extent that Quique Flores has already been forced into a change to bring Capoue off and give Ake more cover. Sanchez in particular has been enjoying himself down that side, setting up chances of Monreal and Welbeck. He has also seen a free kick of his own pushed away, while Gomes was called upon to deny Iwobi from a tight angle earlier in the half too.

Watford's attacking threat has been very limited so far, with a tame Deeney header the only shot on target that Ospina has had to deal with. They have been so lethargic and disappointing so far, and Flores will demand a significant improvement in this second half.

KICKOFF: Watford get us back underway for the second half, and the first thing to tell you is that they have made another change at the break, with Nordin Amrabat replacing Ighalo.

That is well and truly game over now. Arsenal start the second half even quicker than they did the first as Bellerin battles well down the right before poking a pass through to Sanchez. His cross is cleared by Nyom, but only as far as Bellerin again. He hits it first time, and it deflects off Watson and over a helpless Gomes.

OFF THE BAR! The Gunners are close to a fourth! Iwobi comes forward from deep and again is not picked up at all, before all the defenders back away from him inside the box. It is terrible defending from the hosts to give him space to shoot, and they are lucky to see the ball bounce back off the crossbar. It rebounds to Ozil, but the German can't steer the rebound home.

This could be anything if things carry on like this. Watford just aren't tracking runs off the ball, they aren't putting tackles in and they are just letting Arsenal play the game exactly how they want to play it. This must be the worst that the Hornets have played all season, by some distance.

SAVE! Another save for Gomes to make, and again the threat comes from Sanchez. His low strike is fairly comfortable for the keeper, but Arsenal come right back at them and Welbeck glances a header towards goal that needs another save.

Watford make a very rare foray into the Arsenal area, but with the angle against him, Amrabat looks up to see no-one in support. He drills one across the six-yard box, which is about all he can do, but it rolls harmlessly out of play.

OFF THE LINE! Finally a threat from Watford! A free kick is swung in deep to Deeney, who nods it back into the middle. Prodl meets the second ball with a decent header, but Monreal is in the right place to clear it off the line. Ake has a swipe at it moments later, but his effort bobbles wide.

Arsenal aren't done here. They are still knocking the ball about comfortably, with Watford doing little to stop them, and if the hosts want more goals then they are there for the taking.

Another lovely string of passes from Arsenal, this time down the left flank, which Watford just can't deal with. They end up conceding another corner, but you can almost feel the defence willing the final whistle to come 30 minutes early.

YELLOW CARD! Nyom becomes the first name in the book this afternoon for a frustrated swipe at Ozil. He can have no complaints with that decision!

These Watford players are growing increasingly frustrated with Arsenal's flicks and tricks, although they should be more frustrated with themselves. They have not done themselves justice at all today.

Risky place from Gomes as he lets the ball come all the way into his area instead of come to meet it with Welbeck bearing down on him. Welbeck almost gets there too, but Gomes just about does enough.

ARSENAL SUB: The hosts make their first change of the afternoon as Welbeck makes way to be replaced by Olivier Giroud.

WATFORD SUB: Watford, make their final change, meanwhile, as Adlene Guedioura comes on in place of Abdi.

SAVE! Ospina is forced into his first real piece of action today, and it is a really good save too. The ball is fed into the feet of Deeney, who turns well and curls one towards the far corner. Ospina reads it, though, and is at full stretch to make the stop.

ARSENAL SUB: Another change for the Gunners as Iwobi receives a standing ovation, and deservedly so. He is replaced by Theo Walcott.

Arsenal have just taken their foot off the pedal a little in the last 10-15 minutes, but this has been a very impressive performance. The frustration will be that it may have come too late in the title race.

As things stand, West Ham are dropping points at home to Crystal Palace, so this is not only a good day for Arsenal's title hopes so far, but also their Champions League ambitions.

ARSENAL SUB: Sanchez, who has been the best player of the park today, is given the ovation he deserves as he departs to be replaced by Joel Campbell.

Watford come forward in a promising position as Amrabat carries it a long way, but his attempted pass to Anya on the overlap is poor. They had the numbers to cause Arsenal problems there, but the passing let them down again.

Another opportunity for the hosts as Monreal comes forward, but they can't make the most of it. Both teams look as though they would be happy for the final whistle now.

YELLOW CARD! Elneny becomes the first Arsenal player in the book for tripping Amrabat to prevent an attack.

SHOT! The resulting free kick is teed up for Guedioura to have a go, but he can't replicate his FA Cup heroics as his powerful strike from range takes a nick on its way wide.

Guedioura has another shooting chance from the resulting corner and he again gets plenty of power behind his effort, but it flies a few yards wide.

Giroud is close to adding a fourth late on here as Ozil and Campbell exchange a number of passes on the edge of the box before the latter puts the ball into the box. It eventually ends up in the arms of Gomes, but Giroud was not far away from getting a toe on it.

Arsenal put the icing on the cake late on here as Walcott gets in on the act. It is a beauty of a pass from Ozil to spark the move as he pings it out for Campbell, who then stands Nyom up and beats him to the byline. From there is a simple cut-back into the middle for Walcott to finish from close range.

There will be three minutes of added time at the end of this match.

The referee brings an end to proceedings at the Emirates, then, and it is a comprehensive 4-0 victory for Arsenal as they close the gap on Leicester to eight points, and only Tottenham to just three. We will have to wait to see how those two respond, but this was a deserved rout for the Gunners, who dominated a lacklustre Watford side from start to finish.

It took just five minutes for the opening goal to arrive as Sanchez fired home a rebound after seeing his initial header saved, and the Chilean turned provider later in the half when his cross was tucked away by Iwobi. The hosts made an even quicker start to the second half, with Bellerin adding a third when his shot deflected over Gomes, and Walcott added icing to the cake late on to wrap up an impressive team display.

Right, that is all we have time for this afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's match as Arsenal keep their title hopes alive with a dominant victory over out-of-form Watford. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too. The evening Premier League kickoff today is a tasty one between Liverpool and Spurs, and our coverage of that is already underway here. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!