It's been, hmm, 11-and-a-bit years since Arsenal were top dogs. Quite a lot has happened since then: we've had iPhones, Netflix, Twitter, and Manchester City are no longer pony. The world around Arsenal has changed - and changed quite dramatically - but there is a school of thought which believes that Mr Wenger, crucially, has not changed. There's a theory that the Gunners' struggles to reclaim their dominance in the top flight is linked to the Frenchman's refusal to utilise the transfer windows effectively. And by virtue of the fact that Wenger was the only manager in Europe's top five leagues not to sign an outfield player in the summer, such theories have legs.
So far, though, his reluctance has not cost Arsenal too much - not in the Premier League anyway, because they're in trouble as far as the Champions League goes. Before this round of fixtures, they were second and two points behind big-spending Manchester City, who spent somewhere in the region of £477m during the summer. Figures may not be accurate. Furthermore, they brushed aside Manchester United before the international break, winning 3-0 courtesy of a fast-and-furious opening 20 minutes at the Emirates.
Are they title contenders? Who knows, but what we do know is that would-be champions of England do NOT lose away to newly-promoted clubs. We'll talk about Watford a little later. First, we'll look at some team news. I tell a lie - first, take a mosey on down to
Sports Mole HQ and listen to what the lads have had to say on this one.
WATFORD XI: Gomes (GK); Nyom, Prödl, Cathcart, Ake; Capoue, Watson; Abdi, Deeney (c), Anya; Ighalo
ARSENAL XI: Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscelny, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla, Ozil, Alexis, Ramsey, Walcott
WATFORD SUBS: Gilmartin (GK), Britos, Paredes, Holebas, Behrami, Ibarbo, Berghuis
ARSENAL SUBS: Ospina, Gabriel, Gibbs, Arteta, Giroud, Oxlade-Chamberlain
Right, we'll start with the hosts and Mr
Quique Sanchez Flores makes no changes from the 1-1 draw at Bournemouth before the international break. Odion Ighalo, who has netted five Premier League goals this season, spearheads the attack, with the likes of Ikechi Anya, Troy Deeney and Almen Abdi in behind. In centre midfield, Ben Watson and Etienne Capoue sit in front of a defence of Allan Nyom, Sebastian Prodl, Craig Cathcart and Nathan Ake. Huerelho Gomes, who knows a thing or two about facing Arsenal due to his Spurs past, lines up between the sticks. Valon Behrami returns from a three-game ban to sit on the bench.
On to Arsenal now and Mr Wenger makes just the one change from that win over the Red Devils, with Gabriel dropping out of defence for Laurent Koscielny, who partners Per Mertesacker. We thought
Alexis Sanchez might've been rested, what with a must-win Champions League clash with Bayern Munich on the horizon, but the Chilean, who has six in his last three, starts. Theo Walcott is preferred to
Olivier Giroud up front again.
DID YOU KNOW? Here's something of interest before we look at the Hornets. Chew on this my friends: did you know that Arsenal's
Aaron Ramsey has ran more than any other Premier League player this season? Yep, but who's in second? Why it's only Watford's Ikechi Anya, who is 27 sprints behind the Welshman. There you go.
So, how has the Premier League treated Watford in their first top-flight campaign since the 2006-07 season? Quite well. They drew their first three games, before losing to Manchester City before the September international break. Did they bounce back? You know it. Flores's men beat Swansea 1-0, before winning 2-1 at Newcastle United for back-to-back wins.
A 1-0 home defeat by Palace, coupled with a 1-1 draw at fellow new boys Bournemouth, has removed the feel-good factor from those wins somewhat, though. Still, they're six points above the drop zone. Okay so they may still be six points clear by, say, 7.30 tonight, because Arsenal are strong at the moment, but it's been a promising first eight games for the Flores and co. Avoiding relegation is the goal, ladies and gents.
HEAD-2-HEAD: Ominously for Watford, and those of you who have backed anything but an Arsenal win, the Gunners have won all four of their meetings with Watford. Historically, it's a fixture that doesn't throw up many draws, with only one stalemate coming in the last 21 meetings! You're regretting that draw in the accumulator now, aren't you?
Incidentally, quite a few accumulators might've been won today. As far as I can tell, there's not been many shocks. Click
HERE to see what happened in the 3pms.
PREDICTION: Shall we? All this talk of accumulator has tickled our penchant for an incorrect prediction. Me? I'm on a 2-1 Arsenal win. The Gunners have more than enough quality, but Watford should raise their game and make it hard for the visitors. Still, with Alexis, Walcott and Ozil all in fine form, Wenger and co should be taking three points with them on the short trip back home.
Let's see what Twitter says about this one.
Probably a tad over zealous this, but who knows.
Shut down. On Twitter. Oh my.
Henry isn't subscribing to the view that Arsenal will win. He fancies an upset - and why not.
This gentleman W@ntz a 3-1 away win.
Lee needs to invest in a new full stop button.
KICKOFF: Let's go! Watford kick us off.
Dodgy start from Nathan Ake as a mistake allows Bellerin in, but his cross sails over the head of everybody. Arsenal on top - but only just. Still, there's a bit to go. Just a bit.
CHANCE! Should be 1-0 Arsenal. Simple as. It's an excellent run from Walcott, who squeezes between Prodl and Cathcart to reach Ramsey's wonderful cross, but his glancing header is well saved by Gomes.
Brilliant tackle from Coquelin here as he breaks up a Watford attack. Alexis Sanchez takes up the ball and makes a mug of Ben Watson. He's a bit special this Chilean fella, isn't he?
Troy Deeney shows Bellerin who's boss with a ferocious shoulder barge to shepherd the ball out of play here. That's a mismatch, and what's also quite one-sided is this match itself. It's all Arsenal in this first nine minutes or so.
SAVES! Alexis Sanchez has nine goals for club and country in the last two weeks, and he nearly has a 10th but his ferocious drive is well saved by Gomes. At the other end, Deeney's drive is saved by Cech in Watford's first attempt. Good game this.
Coquelin drives forward before playing in Walcott, who misses a one-on-one with Gomes, but thankfully for him he's offside.
I must say - Watford's defensive line is dangerously high when somebody as quick as Walcott is there. He's flagged offside again now, but it's very, very tight. Had he been given the benefit of the doubt, he had 20 yards of space in front of him to slot home.
Nathan Ake and Hector Bellerin promises to be a fascinating subplot this evening. Both full-backs are advancing into one another's territory at every given opportunity - and they're both lightning quick.
CHANCE! Arsenal hearts were in Arsenal mouths here as Anya lays it off to Deeney six yards out but, instead of shooting first time, the Watford hitman inexplicably takes a touch and the attack breaks down.
Hearts in mouths yet again as Koscielny cuts out Anya's cross, with Deeney just waiting to tap home had it reached him. Watford the better team. Make no mistake.
This one really could go either way if the first 22 minutes are anything to go by. It's an excellent start by both sides but, as we said, Watford in the driving seat.
Koscielny takes a whack in the jaw from Ighalo now, but he's alright. He's been superb this evening, the Frenchman, considering he's missed a few weeks through injury.
CHANCE! Brilliant clipped cross from Sanchez to Ramsey, who can't keep his first-time finish down and the ball flies over the bar from close range. Another big chance for Arsenal. They've been better in this last few minutes.
CHANCE! Terrible finish by Ighalo as he gallops through on goal with Cech, but it's a really poor execution and he misses by some distance. He's got five goals this season, but you wouldn't know it
Brilliant work from Capoue here as he forces Alexis Sanchez to go backwards, and backwards, and further backwards. Home fans love that.
Ten minutes to go until half time then and, somehow, it's still 0-0. We've had plenty of chances, at both ends, but nothing doing as of yet.
Superb defending from Allan Nyom here, after an excellent run from Bellerin saw him tee up Monreal at the back post, but Nyom slides in to clear in the nick of time. Top drawer.
Ramsey isn't the most popular player inside Vicarage Road at the minute. His every touch is being booed after he tried to win a free kick by holding his head. Was he genuinely hurt? Who knows. Watford fans don't think so.
Arsenal at sixes and sevens in defence as Cech ventures off his line to clear Capoue's long ball as Deeney put the pressure on Mertesacker. Home fans cry handball outside the box, but it's off his shoulder.
HALF TIME: Watford 0-0 Arsenal
Very, very decent first half then. Plenty of chances, at both ends, but it's still 0-0. Walcott and Ramsey have missed excellent opportunities for the visitors, while Ighalo could, and should, have done better in his one-on-one with Cech. It was an abysmal finish that one. That's the story of the first 45 minutes.
KICKOFF: We're back underway. Surely we won't see another goalless 45 minutes? Not possible. It could just as easily be 2-2.
BOOKING: Incidentally, Allan Nyom was booked a moment ago for delaying a throw-in. Stupid booking.
Looks like Olivier Giroud is being readied. Either that or he's just cold and that's why he's pulling his shirt on. It does seem a little early for a sub, no? Walcott has been increasingly ineffective, however.
Arsenal a lot better in the last few minutes. They're passing it quicker, getting much more space, but no way behind this yellow wall as of yet.
Huge block from Prodl here as he cuts out Ozil's cut back for Ramsey. Failure to do so and it was 1-0. Simple as.
Deeney hasn't been great in front of goal, but he's been brilliant everywhere else. He wins a corner here and Watford earn a reprieve. The corner comes to nothing, sadly for them.
BOOKING: Mertesacker goes into the book for a foul on Ighalo. Watford will whip this in.....and it comes to nothing. Cech takes with ease.
Deeney is such a handful for Arsenal tonight. As we said, he's not impressed when he's been in front of goal, but everywhere else and he's lethal.
GOAL! Watford 0-1 Arsenal (Alexis Sanchez)
Finally, the breakthrough, but it's rather controversial. Moments after Capoue went down in the Arsenal box and appealed for a penalty, Arsenal break at speed. Cazorla plays in Ozil, who is clearly fouled by Ake, but Sanchez was there to slot home the opener. Had Sanchez missed, it would've been a penalty. Surely.
SUB: Incidentally, Giroud has replaced the quiet Walcott.
GOAL! Watford 0-2 Arsenal (Olivier Giroud)
Giroud, who has only been on a matter of minutes, makes it second with an assured right-footed finish into the roof of the net after Ozil's cut back. There's been no response from Watford since the opener and now their task is twice as treacherous.
The third goal is key and, despite being 2-0 down, Watford will feel there's still a glimmer of hope. After all, there's 20 minutes to play. It only takes a second to score a goal, folks.
Sanchez is, believe it or not, human. He looks jaded, which is the first time I've seen him look tired in, say, 14 months. Wenger might take him off, with one eye on Tuesday.
GOAL! Watford 0-3 Arsenal (Aaron Ramsey)
Stick a fork in it, folks. Bellerin gets the better of Nathan Ake before playing in Ramsey, who bides his time before slotting past Gomes, via a deflection off Prodl I think. Watford have been abysmal since initally falling behind. They've collapsed.
DOUBLE ARSENAL SUB: Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces the excellent Sanchez, while Ozil is replaced by Arteta. Ten minutes to play.
SAVE! Excellent run from Giroud as he cannons a header against Gomes, who makes a very decent save. They're just toying with them now.
Three minutes to go and Arsenal look keen for a fourth, but they're not going to get it I don't think.
THREE MINUTES TO GO: Watford players will be disappointed with this, but there's only three minutes to go lads.
FULL TIME: Watford 0-3 Arsenal
Well, that's it. Second-half goals from Sanchez, Giroud and Ramsey sealed the victory in the end as Wenger and co slowly but surely put them to the sword. They had to work for it, but the result is just desserts for their improvement in this second half.
