Have Arsenal Found Enough Form For Another Trip To Wembley?

Match Preview:  Arsenal vs. Watford - FA Cup Sixth Round 13.03.2016

After a frustrating season of inconsistent football, Arsenal may have finally found its footing by smashing Hull City in a fifth round replay. For the first time since September, we scored more than three goals against an opponent with both Giroud and Walcott, themselves suffering from poor form of late, bagging braces. The sting of seeing Mertesacker, Gabriel, and Ramsey leave through injury still lingers, though, and we'll have to regroup quickly before Sunday's clash.

There'll be no rest for the wicked as Watford arrive at the Emirates hot on the heels of having faced Leicester, Tottenham, Man U, and Chelsea in recent weeks. They've struggled to score, having managed just three goals against full-strength sides in their eight outings. This has been a season-long struggle to be honest, and it testifies to the strength of their defense (30 goals conceded, joint-fourth with none other than Arsenal) that they're hovering midtable. They're not quite safe from relegation, not just yet, and one has to wonder whether they'll be focusing on securing their Prem position over advancing in the FA Cup. After all, we're down to some heavy hitters, with only Premier League clubs still in contention. Still, we should have determination and quality than to need to assess our opponent's position on the table.

When the two sides first met, we eventually found a 0-3 victory through three goals in twelve minutes midway through the second half. We will likely struggle to get that many against Sánchez Flores's side a second time; they'll set up to defend deep and in numbers and dare us to carve out any chances. It's a strategy that worked to very good effect against Leicester for almost an hour, suggesting that it should frustrate us in equal measures. However, Leicester were facing a mirror-image of themselves in a squad that sits back and hits on counters. We're more practised at trying to pick apart those parked buses, and recent breakthroughs from Walcott, Giroud, and Alexis suggest that at least one of them has broken the seal and is ready to unleash a torrent of goals.

By this point in the competition, managers are naming full-strength sides, and I'd expect Arsène to do the same even with a second-leg Champions League trip to the Camp Nou on Wednesday. Progress there is far less likely than in the FA Cup, and we are after all the cup-holders. It may be too late to do a double in this season; then again, maybe not. We can and should at least do what's necessary to defend the title we do own...

LAST 3 meetings

• Watford 0-3 Arsenal (17.10.2016)
• Watford 1-2 Arsenal (26.12.2007)
• Arsenal 3-0 Watford (14.10.2006)

FACTFILE

• The two clubs first met on 27 November 1982, a 2-4 win to Watford.
• Arsenal have scored at least two goals in the last five meetings between the two.
• Arsenal have not lost an FA Cup match in 16 outings.

INJURIES

Ramsey, Čech, Koscielny, Cazorla, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain,  and Rosický have all been ruled out. Coquelin returns from a one-match suspension from the Tottenham match.

POSSIBLE STARTING XI

Ospina; Monreal, Gabriel, Mertesacker, Bellerín; Coquelin, Elneny; Alexis, Özil, Campbell; Giroud.

Arsenal look to have found some form, passion, and intent after weeks of lethargy, and Watford will not have enough to counter.

GOONERSPHERE's PREDICTION

Arsenal 2-0 Watford

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