Arsenal vs Norwich - Team News, Match Preview & Likely Line-Ups

Match Preview

Emirates Arsenal's battle to finish in the top four in the Premier League will be handed a massive boost this weekend with the return of influential attackers Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott, who each return from respective ankle and pelvic injuries. The Gunners will also be hoping to make the most of their game in hand over London rivals Tottenham and a win here today would see them leapfrog Andre Villas-Boas' side into that much coveted fourth placed spot. Arsene Wenger's men have put together a stirring run of having won six of their last seven matches and if that streak can continue over the course of the next seven games, they will be in with a real shout of clinching what has become almost automatic Champions League qualification over the last decade. However, they will know better than to underestimate Norwich, who beat them 1-0 in this reverse fixture at Carrow Road, and at the time, Chris Hughton's men were in a rich vein of form and would follow up their shock win by going on a ten-match unbeaten run. Back then, relegation would have been the last thing on the Canaries minds but a run of just one win in fifteen matches have left them nervously peering over their shoulder with just 4 points separating them from 18th placed Wigan Athletic.

Predicted Scoreline

Arsenal 2-0 Norwich The Gunners will be too strong for Norwich today. The Canaries will be relying on third-choice goalkeeper Lee Camp to shut out the returning pair of Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere, who will be champing at the bit to hit the ground running following their frustrating layoffs. All statistics courtesy of the bbc.
Contributor
Contributor

Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.