Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez has to step up against Swansea for Arsenal to have any chance of winning the league this season Getty

Arsenal host Swansea in the Premier League on 2 March as the Gunners look to close the gap on Leicester City in the title race with a win. The north London club come into the fixture on the back of some woeful form and will be desperate to get into winning ways after a week that has put a massive dampener to their hopes of winning a trophy this season.

Where to watch

Kick-off is set for 7.45pm GMT. Highlights of the game will be available on BBC Match of the Day on BBC One from 10.45pm GMT.

Overview

Arsenal come into the game having lost 3-2 against a Manchester United side who are struggling with a series of injuries and had multiple first team players sitting out of the game. The Gunners failed to get into any sort of rhythm and were punished for their lack of concentration after Marcus Rashford scored two goals and assisted one to put the north London club into further misery. Danny Welbeck and Mesut Ozil scored to add some respectability to the scoreline but to no avail.

Arsene Wenger has been under pressure after this result with their title tilt under doubt given their run of fixtures in the next few games. This is a must-win game for the north London club. Should they win this, their next game could be a title decider, with the Gunners travelling to White Hart Lane to take on Tottenham, who are currently three points ahead of them.

Meanwhile, Swansea are only three points adrift of the drop zone and need a result against the Gunners to put some daylight between themselves and the teams near the relegation zone. Swansea have a good record at the Emirates in the last few games, unbeaten in their last three and taking three points from the last time these two met here last season.

The Swans come into the fixture having squandered a one goal lead against Tottenham and have to defend better if they have to avoid the same result against another north London club on Wednesday.

What managers say

Arsene Wenger: "What other English club has spent 20 years always in the top four? Can you give me one? No. Maybe the demands are harder, as people forget that we've always been at the top. We've just beaten Leicester, lost at Man United, OK, and you wonder sometimes about the excessive reactions. Do people think football is only winning, and never losing any more games? It [losing] is part of football. Football is a pleasure. We should not forget that. Football is fantastic because it's unpredictable and not mathematical. We have to accept that it's like that and that it is fantastic like that. Of course it [his job] is a pleasure. What's happening on the pitch is fantastic, in every single game. My job is a pleasure — do you think I would do it if it wasn't? I'm masochistic, but not too much. For me the job itself is as pleasurable as ever. I'm maybe lucky as I don't go on Twitter!"

Francesco Guidolin: "When I was at Udinese, we played against Arsenal in the play-offs in the Champions League. We lost at the Emirates Stadium 1-0 and at Udine we were 1-0 up at half-time, then they scored two goals. I remember two balanced, difficult matches for both teams — not only for us, but for Arsenal too. Now I hope to see my Swansea team play well against Arsenal. It's a difficult match because Arsenal are a good team with very important players like Alexis Sanchez — I am very happy for him. I hope to have the possibility to have his shirt after the game, but I hope also to have the points to help us in the table."

Betting odds (888Sport)

  • Arsenal win:3/8
  • Draw: 77/19
  • Swansea win: 9

Team news

Arsenal

Possible XI: Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Ramsey; Welbeck, Ozil, Sanchez; Giroud.

Swansea

Possible XI: Fabianski; Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor; Cork, Fer, Ki; Sigurdsson; Ayew, Paloschi.

Arsenal FC