Arsenal visit Premier League strugglers Reading on Monday night looking to bounce back from their Capitol One Cup quarter-final defeat against fourth tier Bradford on Tuesday.

It was a lacklustre display from Arsene Wenger’s men and the Gunners fans were disappointed, not for the first time this season.

Fight

Arsenal are currently seventh in the Premier League, two points off fourth place Everton. The defeat at Bradford has put Gunners boss Arsene Wenger under immense pressure. Arsenal need to finish in the top four this season.

However, the North London side face a tough fight on their hands to finish in the Champions League spots. The likes of Everton and Tottenham offer a serious threat to the Gunners annual qualification for Europe’s elite competition.

Threat

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that he believes that the Royals can be a big threat to Arsenal on Monday night. The Royals are struggling, but have a decent record at the Madejski Stadium and are desperate for a victory to move closer to safety.

Recovery

Arsenal struggled for the first half of last season, before making a spectacular recovery in the second half of the season. The key to last season’s recovery was the goals of Dutch striker Robin Van Persie. Unfortunately the Gunners no longer have Van Persie to depend on for goals.

The other players at Arsenal now need to step up and be counted. There is quality within that Arsenal squad and its games like this that the Gunners really need to win.

Win

I really can’t see anything other than an Arsenal victory at the Madejski Stadium. However, as we saw on Tuesday night football is very unpredictable and Reading could cause a surprise. Nothing but a victory will be good enough for Arsene Wenger and his team.

Can Arsenal claim a victory at Reading?