Lukasz Fabianski is all set to face his old club as Arsenal visit Wales to take on Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday.
Fabianski, who spent seven years with the Gunners, had left the north London outfit - due to lack of game time - and joined Swansea last summer. The Poland international's last match for the north London outfit was the 2014 FA Cup final against Hull City, which Arsenal won 3-2 after coming back from 2-0 down, ending the club's nine-year title drought.
The 29-year-old, who is now set to make an emotional return against Arsene Wenger's men, is currently the first-choice stopper for the Swans, keeping five clean sheets from the 10 Premier League matches so far.
"When I get to the tunnel and see some of my former team-mates - my friends really - standing on the opposite side then it will be a funny experience for me," Fabianski pointed out. "[But] it's all about the game, it's all about three points."
"We play at home so hopefully we can take advantage of that and try to get the win. Every victory is massive and another three points would put us in a strong position going into the international break."
Swansea have enjoyed a good start to the season. And though they have lost some momentum in the last couple of months, the Welsh outfit still remains seventh on the league table, sandwiched by Manchester United and Liverpool, despite having played a match less.
Garry Monk's men have only won in one of their last seven league matches but are well aware that they can leapfrog Arsenal, and even move into the top four, with a win at home today.
The Gunners, on the other hand, has had a below par start to the season, compared to their impressive results in the opening half of the last campaign. Summer signing Alexis Sanchez's red hot form has been the only major positive for the club so far.
Arsene Wenger's side has been particularly disappointed by their disastrous slip in the Champions League in midweek, where they drew with Anderlecht 3-3, despite being 3-0 up by the hour-mark.
The Gunners will now be keen to bounce back against Swansea, and will be motivated by the knowledge that they can move in one point behind third-placed Manchester City, if they take home all three points from the Liberty today.
Wenger insists there is no pressure on him or his players, despite the heavy and widespread criticism they received after the Anderlecht game.
"The only pressure on them is to play well and win the game. My job is to give people a job and to trust them to do it," Wenger stressed.
"Resist pressure and criticism and make your ideas be dominant. You have to believe in what you do, that is all."
Team News
Swansea: Jonjo Shelvey is suspended, while Jordi Amat, Leon Britton, Jazz Richards (all knee), Dwight Tiendalli (groin) and Rory Donnelly (ankle) remain sidelined.
Arsenal: Mikel Arteta and Yaya Sanogo (both hamstring), Mathieu Debuchy (ankle), Abou Diaby (calf), Olivier Giroud (foot), Laurent Koscielny (Achilles), Mesut Ozil, Sege Gnabry (both knee) and David Ospina (thigh) will miss out, while Theo Walcott is fit to start.
Probable Lineups
Swansea: Fabianski; Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor; Ki, Carroll; Dyer, Sigurdsson, Routledge; Bony
Arsenal: Szczesny; Bellerin, Chambers, Mertesacker, Gibbs; Wilshere, Ramsey; Walcott, Sanchez, Cazorla; Welbeck
Where to Watch Live
The match is set for a 9.30pm IST (4pm GMT) start, with live coverage on Star Sports 2 and Star Sports HD2. The game can also be watched via live streaming online in India on Star Sports online.
Viewers in the UK can watch the match live on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 1HD, while they can also catch the action live HERE. The audience in the UK can also listen to the match live on BBC Radio 5 Live or on the website.
Catch the action in the US on TV on NBC Sports, while the game can also be live streamed online NBC Sports Live Extra.
Viewers in the Middle East and North Africa can watch the match on beIN Sports Arabia 1HD and beIN Sports Arabia 11HD, or via live streaming online courtesy beIN Sports Connect.South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa viewers can watch the match on SuperSport 3 Africa or SuperSport online.
