FA Cup Preview: Sunderland @ Emirates

With Arsenal traveling to Anfield mid-week this is one fixture Wenger would have specially loved to avoid.

Arsenal are clear by a couple of points at the top of the premier league, FA Cup means more of an avenue to rest your stars for the grueling schedule which is coming up.

Ozil, Mertesacker, Bellerin, Giroud,  and Walcott got no break during the Christmas and New Year fixtures that you can assume they would be playing no part at Emirates on Saturday.

The fixture because it is at home makes it competitive as Wenger will look to win.
Hearing Wenger's press conference yesterday ahead of the game it is clear Sanchez, Rosicky are not ready. I think even if Sanchez was ready he would not have been involved for obvious reasons. It is an FA CUP. Arteta will start and will captain the Gunners.

For Wenger, the Capital One Cup and the FA Cup has always never been a priority. He always has been quoted before as considering TOP-4 as a bigger trophy.

He LOST the capital one cup at Hillsborough but it came at a cost. Walcott and AOC both hobbled off with hamstring injuries. Wenger will not make the same mistake again. 

The team would obviously feature Ospina, Arteta, Joel Campbell, Gibbs, Chambers, and Debuchy. Debuchy is rumoured to be looking to make a move this transfer window to Italy.

The players to watch out for on Saturday:
1. Krystian Bielik
2. Alex Iwobi

The two of the brightest young players who will be seriously knocking the doors of the first team in the coming years. 

It would have been great if Arsenal had finalized the work-permit of our new signing Elneny. A FA Cup home fixture would have been an ideal  debut game.

Sunderland on the other hand would be in a positive and a buoyant mood after their first win in 6 matches against a beleaguered Aston Villa. Looking forward to seeing their first January Window signing Jan Kirchhoff. A towering defender, the German arrives from Bayern Munich for an undisclosed fee.

I predict a narrow Arsenal win because Sam Allardyce does not want a prolonged stay in the FA Cup which will end up ruining their Premier League stay. Ask Wigan and Birmingham. It is a fixture which will allow him to make necessary changes and give opportunities to his squad players. The last thing Sam wants now is injuries to his key players.

Both teams do not want a replay for this one.