Considering the external noise surrounding the end to this transfer window, it will be something of a welcome distraction to get back to the business of actually playing football at Swansea on Tuesday night.
Arsene Wenger has long made no attempt to disguise his opposition to the January window, and this one has been particularly challenging for a number of reasons. But one positive from it has been the addition of Henrikh Mkhitaryan to the Arsenal squad, and the Armenian could make his debut at Library Stadium.
The boss was almost purring in his assessment of Mkhitaryan's early showings in training, and it is certainly an enticing prospect to think of him alongside Mesut Ozil in attack. But, having beaten Crystal Palace and Chelsea so convincingly, it remains to be seen whether Wenger will shake up a winning team to draft in his new signing.
Read on for a comprehensive pre-match briefing. We’ve got classic goals against Swansea, team news, an exclusive chat with the manager, match facts, graphics and a chance to have your say.
NACHO MAN
Wenger on Nacho Monreal being involved in four goals in two games...
“Yes, he has that quality. I think for a long time we kept him out of the box on set-pieces, but he has that thing to know where to be and when to be there, that you cannot give to people. You have that or you haven’t got it, that timing of runs, and that makes him very dangerous."
TEAM NEWS
ARSENAL: Cazorla (calf), Welbeck (hip - doubt)
SWANSEA: Sanches (hamstring)
THE OPPOSITION
Tactical expert Michael Cox:
“Carvalhal will want his side to defend in numbers, with the wing backs Martin Olsson and Kyle Naughton dropping in to form a five-man defence. When they push forward, however, Arsenal might get opportunities to break in behind down the flanks, and if Swansea's centre backs are pulled out into wider zones, Arsenal will cause problems."
THE LAST WORD
Wenger on Swansea beating Liverpool at Liberty Stadium…
“They showed a resolute, dynamic performance, where they defended a lot but defended well. You could see at the end of the game that they could win against Liverpool, who are very dangerous going forward, without conceding. That is a good warning sign for us. We know what is at stake for us. In the Premier League, we cannot waste points if we want to come back into the top four. We have to prepare for every single game with the utmost concentration and focus to win the game. We have to prepare for a battle and I’m confident that we will be ready for it."
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