Game Week 19 Predictions: Arsenal to beat Norwich at Carrow Road

Gate closed! Gabriel and Ben White shut out Teemu Pukki in Arsenal's 1-0 win over Norwich City at the Emirates in the reverse fixture. (Photo credit: Premierleague.com)

Norwich City vs Arsenal
Carrow Road
4:00pm

The Canaries are down and under and if there’s a time for them to turn things around and alter the course of things, the time is now with the visit of Arsenal to Carrow Road.

Arsenal beat Sunderland silly in midweek with a much changed side as Eddy Nketiah scored a hatrick in a 5-1 win to help Arsenal to the semifinals of the Carabao Cup where they will play Liverpool over two legs in January.

Arsenal are fourth on the log and are not going to be bothered about the outstanding games others have as long as they keep their own end of the bargain. It’s the first time since 2017 that the Gunners are in the top four at this stage of the league season.

Norwich City would look at the league table and sense some hope, yes they only have 10 points on the log after 17 games but they’re only three points off safety and two back to back wins can get them out of the drop zone.

The run of games for the Canaries after the visit of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal offer some reprieve; they travel to Palace and Leicester two days after playing Arsenal and then on New Year’s day respectively before entertaining Charlton in the FA Cup when football returns a week later.

Speaking of the FA Cup, it’s a conundrum for teams like Norwich, do they throw the tournament and face the league survival battle or use it to gain match fitness and momentum? They host Everton afterwards in the league and then travel to Watford, they must pick points in those games.

Arsenal are still without Pierre Emerick Aubameyang whose absence hasn’t really been felt; Gabriel Martinelli has matured into a grown man and although the Gunners must sign reinforcements in January, the team looks to be close to what Arteta wants.

Arsenal’s last outing in the league was a 4-1 success over Leeds United, a result that ensured they spent Christmas in the top four and should they maintain the same energy against Norwich on Sunday, they would be entering the new year in champions league places.

Mikel Arteta’s first game in the stands as Arsenal manager was against the Canaries, Freddie Ljuimberg was the man in the dugout as Aubameyang twice cancelled out Teemu Pukki and Todd Cantwell’s goals in an entertaining 2-2 draw, it would be fun to watch how this plays out.