- Arsenal are 7-1-2 across their last 10 matches in all competitions (W7, D1, L2), with two wins, one draw and two defeats from their last five.
- Coventry City are flying high with four wins and one draw from their last five fixtures, a streak which includes a two-game winning run.
- The Sky Blues have conceded just one goal across their four competitive away games this season (all competitions).
Arsenal are still a work in progress
On paper, Arsenal should win on Friday when Coventry City travel to the Emirates Stadium to do battle. However, the Sky Blues have hit a fine vein of form and could make this an interesting cup style fixture for the hosts.
Mikel Arteta's men are a work in progress in terms of their tactical identity, but they remain the dominant force in English football and they still play the classic control game, with their 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 hybrids built around possession dominance, high pressing and rotational structure.
The Gunners have won four of their six home games to date (D1, L1), but they are conceding 2.33 goals per-game at home across all competitions. Their form line of 7-1-2 looks good, but two defeats in their last three casts a shadow.
City can certainly get involved
The last three were a 1-3 home loss to Real Betis, a 2-3 home defeat on penalties to Borussia Dortmund, while they drew 1-1 with Calcio Como before a penalty shootout win.
Coventry City are a very different proposition to Arsenal, with their style being more transition-heavy and Frank Lampard's team mixes organised pressing with quick vertical breaks, rather than build in possession.
Ellis Simms is their main goal threat, with five goals across his last five appearances contributing to a 12 goal haul in total this term. City are on a five-match unbeaten run and have kept it tight in away games, conceding just once across four competitive fixtures.
Back the underdog to make a game of it
The odds on this clash reflect the relative strength of the two sides, with the Gunners favourites at 17/100 and Coventry available at 28/5, and that's the way we're going to go with our main selection.
Arsenal should have enough quality to secure the win, but Coventry have a great momentum right now after six wins and four draws from their last 10 in all competitions. They are a live underdog option here and could put up a real fight in this contest.
It could be a cagey clash, with Arsenal looking to strangle the game and Coventry packing pace to counter and exploit any gaps in behind, so we're backing Under 2.5 Goals at 27/20 and Both Teams To Score - No at 1/2 for the main selection.
