Arsenal v Sunderland Betting Preview, 2016-01-09

Sunderland can frustrate Arsenal early on.

FA Cup & League Cup Tips

Saturday 9th January Kickoff: 1500hrs
Arsenal v Sunderland
Football – England – FA Cup

It’s the third round of the FA Cup this weekend, and the winners of the last two runnings of this competition, Arsenal, face off against Sunderland at the Emirates. Cup football is likely to be the least of the Black Cats worries considering their current league position, but they come into this game under no pressure or expectation whatsoever, which could be dangerous for the current holders.

The FA Cup has been very kind to Arsenal under Arsene Wenger as the Frenchman has led his team to six triumphs, making the club the record winners. On the flip side of that, however, the last couple of successes remain the only two trophies that Wenger and Arsenal have won in the last decade – something which the supporters and media have used as a criticism. This year could well be the year where they end their hoodoo and win something bigger as they currently sit top of the Premier League by two points. That will obviously be the main concern for the Gunners heading into the latter part of the season, but they will not want to relinquish their grip on this trophy as they bid to become the first team in the modern era to win three successive runnings of the competition.

Sam Allardyce will have been delighted it’s 2016 for a couple of reasons. Not only did his Sunderland players record what could prove to be a hugely significant win over bottom club Aston Villa in their first match of the New Year, bringing an end to five straight defeats, but it also means the transfer window is now open which will allow him to bring in some much-needed reinforcements – particularly in defence. The manager has been critical of how many goals his players have conceded since taking over and for somebody who prides himself on making his teams hard to beat, the manner of some of the goals will be hugely frustrating. The FA Cup – or cup competitions in general – have rarely been a priority for any of his recent clubs so under the current circumstances, it would be something of a surprise to see him field his strongest team on Saturday afternoon.

Arsenal will also likely shuffle their pack as they bid to give some of their key players a rest following a hectic festive period. The problem for Wenger is that he is still missing a numbers of his squad so will have to field more of his starters than he would possibly have liked. The manager will also hope that by freshening things up, it will rejuvenate what has looked a tired group following some lethargic performances. The surprise 4-0 defeat away to Southampton has been followed by two home wins over Bournemouth and Newcastle, but it’s fair to say that they have not hit the heights or level of performance they are capable of.

The fifth round is the furthest that Sunderland have reached in recent seasons in the FA Cup, and you would be a brave person to bet on them going beyond that stage this time around. It goes without saying how crucial Premier League survival is for the club, particularly this season with the new TV deal due to kick in, bringing with it substantial finance for the top twenty clubs in England. Allardyce was brought in with the that proviso, and whilst any result here would be good for morale and confidence, a draw would be very unwelcome on the manager’s behalf, you would think, as the last thing he wants is a further game to congest their fixture schedule.

Arsenal v Sunderland Betting Tips

This is one of five all-Premier League games that takes place in the third round this weekend, meaning at least a quarter of the top-flight teams will be knocked out at their first hurdle. For reasons explained above, however, that is unlikely to be too big a concern for the majority of the managers or owners of the clubs, which is another indication of how the FA Cup has been devalued. Nevertheless, I think there is a good betting angle to be had in this game.

As these teams met just over a month ago with Arsenal running out pretty comfortable winners at home, they will be well known to each other, but it should be noted that the starting eleven’s will be somewhat different. That may well disrupt the early part of the game, and with Sunderland likely to try and stifle their opponents in the early stage, the home team may have to wait until later in the game to assert their authority. The bet I like here is for the first goal to come after 21 minutes – this is a selection that would have won in each of Arsenal’s last eight home games, and whilst I think they will run out comfortable winners eventually, I don’t think they will try and force the issue.

1st goal after 21 minutes 5/6 @ Paddy Power