If Arsenal could have chosen an away fixture for this weekend, it would surely have been at Sunderland.
What better place could there be to go for a team playing well? I’ve been on both sides of the coin and it is enjoyable to face a struggling side, whose fans are on their backs.
You know they will come at you in the early stages so you look to get your passing game going as soon as possible. Over-play a bit, if you can. The more you pass, the more frustrated your opponents get and the more they foul you.
Even if Sunderland start well and are right at it, they may fly forward.
Arsenal 2 Reading 0: Player Analysis
That leaves you plenty of space behind their defence in which to hurt them. It’s a fun position to be in — and perfect for Arsenal.
If he is fit, Santi Cazorla can get on the ball, feed Mesut Ozil, who can play it around the corner for Theo Walcott to get one-on-one with the full-back.
It’s a nice feeling, too, if you can win that Saturday lunchtime game then sit back and watch your rivals later that day or on Sunday.
If Arsenal don’t win, though, you can be sure it will lift the teams around them.
