Arsenal v Swansea City preview: Gunners going for second

Arsenal will remain on course for their highest Premier League finish in 10 years if they can beat Swansea at the Emirates on Monday Night Football.

 

Arsene Wenger has not led his team to a top two finish since the 2004/05 season but victories in their remaining games against Swansea, Manchester United, Sunderland and West Brom would put that right.

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The Gunners have won seven of their last eight league games and will be confident of remaining unbeaten for the rest of the season and pipping Manchester City to the runners up spot.

Swansea have already recorded their best ever Premier League points tally and could still finish seventh, ahead of Southampton. That would mean Europa League qualification should Arsenal beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup final.

Team news

Jamie Redknapp looks ahead to the game between Arsenal and Swansea.

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey is a major doubt for Monday's Premier League visit of Swansea after a blow to the leg sustained at Hull.

Danny Welbeck (knee) is almost certainly out but could return the following week against former club Manchester United.

Mikel Arteta (ankle), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (groin) and Mathieu Debuchy (hamstring) remain absent, along with Abou Diaby (knee).

                   

Bafetimbi Gomis: Scored the winner for Swansea at the Liberty Stadium

Swansea striker Bafetimbi Gomis is set to be thrust back into action with loan signing Nelson Oliveira unlikely to play again this season.

Gomis has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury but has been back in training this week and his return could not be more timely with Oliveira having picked up an ankle injury against Stoke last weekend.

Spanish defender Jordi Amat (broken metatarsal) has joined Oliveira, Kyle Naughton, Tom Carroll and Wayne Routledge on the sidelines but full-backs Jazz Richards and Dwight Tiendalli are available following respective loan spells at Fulham and Middlesbrough.

                                                                        

Swansea manager Garry Monk reveals Bafetimbi Gomis will be fit for their final three games of the season

 

Danny Welbeck has scored three goals in four Barclays Premier League games against Swansea City.
21 of the last 22 goals in this fixture in all competitions have been scored in the second half of the match.

The two sides have met seven times in the Premier League with three wins apiece and one draw. Swansea have had to come from behind to get seven of the 10 points they have earned against the Gunners.
Arsenal have lost just one of their last 34 Premier League matches at Emirates Stadium (W24 D9 L1).

The Gunners have conceded just two goals in their last seven Premier League games at the Emirates.
Ahead of this matchday, no player has assisted as many Premier League goals as Santi Cazorla (28) since he made his PL debut in August 2012.

                                                                        

Arsene Wenger says his target is to keep Carl Jenkinson at Arsenal

Arsenal named the same XI for the fourth time in a row in the Premier League last time out – the last time they did this was in March-April 1996.

The Gunners have not named the same team in five successive matches in the Premier League since January 1994.

Aaron Ramsey has had a hand in seven goals (three goals, four assists) in his last six Premier League appearances.

After scoring a combined total of three goals in his first two PL campaigns combined, Ki Sung-yueng has scored eight times in 2014-15.

Merson's prediction
I cannot see anything other than an Arsenal win here, and I am going to go 3-0 as I think they are playing very, very well at the moment - very, very well - and it happens every year, but you would like to think that next season might be the season… might be!