Arsenal paid huge price for dragging the FA Cup round of 16 tie vs. Hull to a replay after it saw three of their key players get injured. Despite winning the game 4-0, Gunners saw Per Mertesaacker, Gabriel and Aaron Ramsey leave the field due to injuries.
Arsenal face the most crucial point in their season with FA Cup quarter final vs. Watford followed by the close to impossible task against Barcelona in Champions League second leg. Then they travel to Goodison Park to continue their derailing title push.
Arsene Wenger would have ideally wanted all of his players to be fit but that plan went in ruins when his team were forced to a FA Cup Round of 16 replay vs. Hull earlier in the week.
There are no concrete reports on the injuries and it could be a scenario this weekend where Arsenal might have to go with a defense line of Callum Chambers and a half-fit Laurent Koscielny.
And if Koscielny’s injury is aggravated, then Arsenal could face humiliation at Camp Nou given the kind of form Barcelona’s MSN (Messi, Suarez and Neymar) have enjoyed this season.
While all the blame is being drawn towards the injuries, the real reason for Arsenal’s latest body blow must be directed towards their inefficient performance in the first leg vs. Hull. Throughout the season, Arsenal bluffed everyone to be in the title race when we knew their recent history of bottling under extreme pressure.
FA Cup may once again be their best chance of a trophy this season but seeing their recent injury crisis, Watford would fancy themselves to knock the holders out of this season’s FA Cup.
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