They
have lifted the trophy more often than any other side (12), including each of
the last two years, and are bidding for a historic treble this season
Arsenal vs. Burnley
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Kick off: 4pm
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Kick off: 4pm
Arsenal’s
bid for a third straight FA Cup will continue on Saturday (today) as they host
Championship side Burnley at the Emirates Stadium in the fourth round.
The Gunners will be confident of taking a step closer on Saturday when third in the Premier League takes on third in the Championship.
The FA Cup won’t be top of Arsenal’s priority list this season, but it is certainly a competition with which they have a great affinity.
They have lifted the trophy more often than any other side (12), including each of the last two years, and are bidding for a historic treble this season.
Six of those 12 triumphs have come in the Arsene Wenger era, with the Frenchman’s tally of winner’s medals being matched in managerial terms by only Aston Villa’s George Ramsay.
The fact that this was also the trophy that ended Arsenal’s nine-year drought must also endear it further to Wenger, whose qualities as boss were severely questioned during that bleak spell.
Many fans will not be entirely satisfied until they end their wait for a league title, however, which is why, despite the history Arsenal have with the FA Cup, it must play second fiddle once again this term.
Questions over the mentality of the Arsenal squad have resurfaced in recent weeks following a three-match winless streak that continued on Sunday with defeat to London rivals, Chelsea.
For the second time this season, Chelsea were aided by a red card against the Gunners when Per Mertesacker was sent off after just 18 minutes, and Diego Costa’s strike five minutes later proved to be the difference at the Emirates.
It was only Arsenal’s second defeat in 13 matches, but saw them lose ground in the title race, dropping below Manchester City and three points adrift of Leicester City.
Their home form in all competitions has been highly impressive too – the defeat to Chelsea was their first at the Emirates Stadium in their last 11 outings there and only the second time that they had failed to pick up maximum points in that run.
Burnley could also be forgiven for having their minds elsewhere heading into this tie as they are embroiled in a similar top-of-the-table tussle to their opponents.
While the Premier League title is on the Gunners’ agenda, it is promotion back to the top flight that Burnley are chasing, and the recent signs are looking promising.
Four points is still the gap to the automatic promotion places, but Burnley are unbeaten since Boxing Day and have won their last four outings in all competitions.
The formula that won promotion for the Clarets last time has since been altered, though.
They had the best defence in the league and scored 12 fewer goals than the highest scorers in 2013-14, but this time around they boast the league’s best attack, while five teams have conceded either fewer or the same number as Burnley.
It is the attacking aspect that has come to the fore in recent weeks, with their six-match unbeaten streak seeing them score 16 goals, including 12 in their last three outings. Perhaps the biggest statement of intent so far came on Monday night when fellow promotion hopefuls, Derby County, came to Turf Moor, only to be sent packing on the wrong end of a 4-1 defeat.
Things have improved away from home too, with Burnley having won their last three matches on the road in all competitions – the same number of victories that they had managed in their opening 13 away games of the season.
The Gunners will be confident of taking a step closer on Saturday when third in the Premier League takes on third in the Championship.
The FA Cup won’t be top of Arsenal’s priority list this season, but it is certainly a competition with which they have a great affinity.
They have lifted the trophy more often than any other side (12), including each of the last two years, and are bidding for a historic treble this season.
Six of those 12 triumphs have come in the Arsene Wenger era, with the Frenchman’s tally of winner’s medals being matched in managerial terms by only Aston Villa’s George Ramsay.
The fact that this was also the trophy that ended Arsenal’s nine-year drought must also endear it further to Wenger, whose qualities as boss were severely questioned during that bleak spell.
Many fans will not be entirely satisfied until they end their wait for a league title, however, which is why, despite the history Arsenal have with the FA Cup, it must play second fiddle once again this term.
Questions over the mentality of the Arsenal squad have resurfaced in recent weeks following a three-match winless streak that continued on Sunday with defeat to London rivals, Chelsea.
For the second time this season, Chelsea were aided by a red card against the Gunners when Per Mertesacker was sent off after just 18 minutes, and Diego Costa’s strike five minutes later proved to be the difference at the Emirates.
It was only Arsenal’s second defeat in 13 matches, but saw them lose ground in the title race, dropping below Manchester City and three points adrift of Leicester City.
Their home form in all competitions has been highly impressive too – the defeat to Chelsea was their first at the Emirates Stadium in their last 11 outings there and only the second time that they had failed to pick up maximum points in that run.
Burnley could also be forgiven for having their minds elsewhere heading into this tie as they are embroiled in a similar top-of-the-table tussle to their opponents.
While the Premier League title is on the Gunners’ agenda, it is promotion back to the top flight that Burnley are chasing, and the recent signs are looking promising.
Four points is still the gap to the automatic promotion places, but Burnley are unbeaten since Boxing Day and have won their last four outings in all competitions.
The formula that won promotion for the Clarets last time has since been altered, though.
They had the best defence in the league and scored 12 fewer goals than the highest scorers in 2013-14, but this time around they boast the league’s best attack, while five teams have conceded either fewer or the same number as Burnley.
It is the attacking aspect that has come to the fore in recent weeks, with their six-match unbeaten streak seeing them score 16 goals, including 12 in their last three outings. Perhaps the biggest statement of intent so far came on Monday night when fellow promotion hopefuls, Derby County, came to Turf Moor, only to be sent packing on the wrong end of a 4-1 defeat.
Things have improved away from home too, with Burnley having won their last three matches on the road in all competitions – the same number of victories that they had managed in their opening 13 away games of the season.
Arsenal
possible starting lineup: Ospina, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Gibbs, Elneny,
Chambers, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez, Campbell, Walcott.
Burnley possible starting lineup: Heaton, Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward, Boyd, Jones, Barton, Arfield, Vokes, Gray.
Burnley possible starting lineup: Heaton, Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward, Boyd, Jones, Barton, Arfield, Vokes, Gray.
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