Mikel Arteta’s resurgent Arsenal head to Carrow Road to take on Norwich City this Christmas time. The Gunners are one of the most in-form teams in the entire country at the current moment. They have won four games on the bounce, with an impressive aggregate of 14-2.
Arsenal also boasts a very impressive record against the Canaries. After taking a while to get their first Premier League victory over Norwich, they have since lost just one of their last fourteen fixtures against the Norfolk side.
Despite their change in management, Norwich remains rooted to the bottom of the table with just ten points. Only three sides have avoided relegation after being bottom of the table on Boxing Day in the Premier League era.
The Canaries’ paltry return of just eight goals is the fewest scored by Christmas in the entire history of the top-flight.
Norwich City vs Arsenal FC FYIs:
Kick-off time: 3 PM GMT, 26th December 2021
Arsenal Starting XI Prediction: go here
Premier League Preview Podcast: go here
Form Guide (All Competitions): Norwich City (DDLLL) Arsenal FC (LWWWW)
As far as team news goes, the first thing to report is that Callum Chambers has joined Albert Sambi-Lokonga and Pablo Mari on the COVID list. The timing is horrible for the England center-half as not only will he be out for the next 14 days, at least, but he missed out on an almost certain starting assignment in the League Cup quarter-final against Sunderland.
Ashley Maitland Niles is out because of illness as well, but the club was quick to confirm that he does not have COVID, however.
Right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu sat out the League Cup victory after coming off injured against Leeds United. They list him as a 50/50 chance to play here. He will probably undergo a late fitness test in order to make the team for this match.
Finally, there is the saga surrounding former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese striker has missed their last four games and the word coming out of the club is that he will not play again before he leaves for the African Cup of Nations in early January.
Potentially he will never play for the Gunners again. However, Mikel Arteta did soften his hard-line stance in his last press conference, ever so slightly, leaving the door ajar for a sensational return.
The Gunners could run up a cricket score here.
Norwich fans, don’t ruin your Christmas. Give this one a wide berth.