Arsenal switching to FA Cup mode

The Gunners meet third-tier side Oxford United in the 4th round of the FA Cup. The leaders of the English Premier League want to confirm their good performances in the league in the FA Cup.
The Premier League will probably be the top priority for the Gunners this year, after all they are on the verge of winning the championship there. In the FA Cup game against Oxford United, coach Mikel Arteta will certainly rotate and give some players a break. Although the visitors certainly don't have the widest squad in England, they are certainly capable of a win against Oxford. After all, the hosts only operate in the 3rd highest league, League One, and are only in 14th place there. For the team, the game against Arsenal will probably be the biggest highlight of the year. They have also managed to get through two FA Cup rounds this year.

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Oxford analysis

The hosts have been playing in League One in England since the 2016/17 season. After 2 years of adjustment in the league, the team has always been one of the promotion candidates. In the past 3 years they reached a one-digit place in the table. They even made it into the playoffs where they failed twice. This year it's not enough for a single-digit place in the table, because after 24 matchdays they only have a negative balance and are in 14th place.

One reason for Oxford United's rather weak season is their home games. The team simply didn't get enough points at home this year. This is also the reason why they are only in 18th place in the home table. Only 6 teams have been less successful at home than Oxford. The record is even negative with 4 wins, 3 draws and 5 defeats. The goal ratio is a bit better, at 16-13 goals. Defensively in particular, they are clearly one of the better teams in the league. They have not conceded a goal in two home games so far.In addition, they only conceded more than one goal in 3 of 12 home games. The last time this happened was on October 22 against Peterborough (1-2).

The last home game so far was also lost 0:1 against Exeter City. However, it was the first home defeat after previously managing to remain unbeaten for 4 home games in a row. Overall, the club is not in good shape. They could only win one of their last 6 league games, 3 times. In this period a game ended in a draw. In 3 of those last 6 games, Oxford have missed to score. There were therefore less than 2.5 goals in 4 of the 6 games. 

Arsenal analysis

The Gunners haven't made it to the UEFA Champions League for 6 years. The last championship title is now almost 20 years ago and happened in 2004 . This year, the club is making its fans dream of the title again, as the Gunners are enjoying their best season since winning the league. After 17 matchdays, they are leading the Premier League table in a commanding manner. With 44 points under their belt, they are already 8 points ahead of Manchester City. They even have a 15 point lead from the 5th place, the first that doesn’t give a Champions League ticket.

Arsenal have lost just one Premier League game so far this season and it was away to Manchester United on Matchday 6. Overall, they had to admit defeat for the third time this year. In the Europa League they lost to PSV Eindhoven and in the EFL Cup they lost to Brighton. Nevertheless, the youngest team in the Premier League seems extremely stable this year. After 5 wins in a row in the league, the last competitive game ended with a 0:0 against Newcastle. Overall, they are now again on a 4 games no-defeat streak. They even managed to keep a clean sheet in 5 of the last 8 games.

It is almost certain that Arsenal will not come up with a full band. After the team has played 3 games in the past week, coach Mikel Arteta will give some top performers a break. The team should be broad enough to survive against Oxford United with a B-team. Important players like Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka or Granit Xhaka could get a break. Players from the 2nd row like Fabio Vieira, Mohamed Elneny or Marquinhos should be given a chance. In addition, Gabriel Jesus is still missing due to an injury. 

Oxford - Arsenal: What to expect? 

The guests from London are of course the clear favorites in this game. The Gunners are leaders in the Premier League and even have the best defense away from home in England. We therefore consider a bet on Team 2 wins to zero. Coach Mikel Arteta will probably change his team a bit, which is why we believe that not everything will go smoothly, especially offensively. A tip Under 4.5 goals could therefore be worthwhile.

• Arsenal to win to nil at odds of 1.86 
• Under 4.5 at odds of 1.3

* All odds and markets are correct at time of publication and subject to change.