Arsenal will look to bounce back from the midweek loss to Bayern Munich when the team welcomes Sunderland to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Despite the loss on Wednesday and a troublesome few weeks, Arsene Wenger may have an easy job getting his players up for this match. The FA Cup win over Liverpool last week showed that the Gunners have a different mentality this season and the midweek loss was inevitable when Wojciech Szczęsny was sent off in the first half.
Giving the players the chance to bounce back this weekend will provide the manager with the perfect incentive, while the Premier League title race is still in full flow. A win against the Black Cats will keep Arsenal in the hunt and the team could even be top of the league again by Monday. However, despite a difficult season for Sunderland, the Northeastern club will pose a tough test.
The club is languishing in 18th place and fighting against relegation, but Gus Poyet has done a good job since coming into the club. However, Sunderland plays the Carling Cup Final next Sunday and the chance for the club to win silverware does not come around too often. Wenger will be hoping that the Sunderland players have one eye on Wembley, although some Black Cats players will be looking to book their place in the final starting 11.
In front of the Emirates crowd Arsenal will be clear favorites to win, and anything but three points would be hugely disappointing. Wenger could name the same 11 as Wednesday, but it is likely the Frenchman will bring Oliver Giroud back into the team, while Mesut Ozil is surely testing the manager´s patience and could be dropped for Lukas Podolski.