Arsenal v Huddersfield
Wednesday 29 November, 19:45

Gunners' show of steel has caught the eye

One of the accusations levelled at Arsenal in recent seasons, with a fair degree of justification, is that they lack mental strength. However, on Sunday at Turf Moor they showed patience and determination to eke out a 1-0 win at Burnley. A contentious penalty for a push by James Tarkowski on Aaron Ramsey was the source of the winning goal, as Alexis Sanchez drove the ball into the bottom corner from 12 yards.
There aren't many teams that will get the better of Burnley in Lancashire, and Arsenal's success took them into the top four above Spurs and Liverpool. While nobody surely believes the Gunners can close the gap on the leaders Manchester City, they are doubtless in contention for a return to Champions League football next season.
The win at Burnley was only Arsenal's second away victory in the Premier League this season, and they have largely relied on strong home form so far. Arsenal have won every single league game at the Emirates thus far, and they have now won their last 11 Premier League home games. Seven of those victories have been by a margin of two goals or more. It's Arsenal's best run of home form in the league since 2005.

Travel-sick Terriers still in danger

While there was much to admire in the way Huddersfield Town competed against runaway league leaders Manchester City on Sunday, they ultimately lost 2-1 in Yorkshire. It says a lot that David Wagner's men completed just 37 passes in the second half, compared with a tally of 336 from the visitors. With the pressure interminable, Huddersfield cracked with six minutes left.
As well as Huddersfield have done to rack up 15 points from their first 13 games, there are still causes for concern. They have only scored nine goals so far, no-one in the squad has scored more than twice in the league, and their away form is really poor.
Opta tell us that the Terriers have failed to score in six consecutive away games for only the second time in their history, and you have to go back nine hours and 12 minutes for their last Premier League away goal. They have lost their last three away games in the league, including a sobering 4-0 hammering at Bournemouth.
Rajiv van La Parra is suspended after his red card against Manchester City, and given the effort Huddersfield put into trying to contain Manchester City, you have to wonder what they have left in the tank, so Wagner may make changes to his line-up.

Comfortable home win is the most likely scenario

Arsenal have been flawless at home, while Huddersfield are really struggling on the road and haven't scored away from home since the opening weekend of the season. I think Arsenal will win this with a fair bit to spare against tired and limited opposition, so I'll back them -1.5 & -2.0 on the Asian Handicap at 1.80. A two-goal Arsenal win gives us a half-win, and a bigger margin of victory gives us the full price.
Alternatively you could go for Arsenal to win to nil at 1.78. Arsenal have won to nil in four of their six Premier League home matches this season, and given Huddersfield's goalscoring struggles on the road, it has to be considered as an option for this game.

Goals market could reward a bold bet

With Huddersfield unlikely to contribute too much in attack, there is an argument to suggest that Under 2.5 Goals is overpriced at 2.74. After all, six of Arsenal's 13 Premier League games have featured fewer than three goals, as have seven of Huddersfield's 13.
I'll steer clear as I feel Arsenal will secure a resounding win, but there are arguments to support that Under 2.5 Goals bet.
Recommended Bet
Back Arsenal -1.5 & -2.0 on Asian Handicap at 1.80

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