Gunners aim for top slot

21 October 2016 - 10:22 By Mark Gleeson

An expected home victory for Arsenal tomorrow over Middlesbrough will put them top of the Premier League, even if only for 24 hours before Manchester City play on Sunday. Pep Guardiola's team have a slender lead on goal difference at the head of the standings over the Gunners, who are celebrating 20 years of Arsene Wenger with a strong start to the season. Six wins in their opening eight matches mark Arsenal out for a decent tilt at the title after playing an also-ran role for the past decade.After a 6-0 win in the Champions League in midweek, and despite just edging past Swansea last weekend, Wenger believes his current crop of players are better equipped to deal with tricky spells in the Premier League and Champions League than those he had in previous years."In this game a lot is linked with confidence. I feel that at the moment, because we win game after game, our confidence is high and maybe we get over these dodgy periods with less psychological damage," said the Arsenal manager, who will be hoping his players provide him with a fitting 67th birthday present.Promoted Middlesbrough have a single victory so far, but have taken more points away than at home this season. Middlesbrough's last league victory away to Arsenal came in April 2001, when they won 3-0 thanks to own goals by Edu and Sylvinho and a strike by Hamilton Ricard.Since that loss, Arsenal have won six of their last eight home games against Boro in the Premier League and that should continue tomorrow.The match kicks off our featured Soccer 6 pool tomorrow.OTHER FIXTURESM2 Burnley v Everton:Burnley have lost three of their four Premier League games against the Toffees, but did win the first clash 1-0 in August 2009 courtesy of Wade Elliott's winner.M3 Hull City v Stoke City: These sides have already met in the League Cup this season with Hull winning 2-1. The last four Premier League games between these two have seen just four goals scored.M4 Leicester City v Crystal Palace:Palace have won two of their last three league games against the reigning Premier League champions, winning 2-1 against Manchester City in April 2015 and 2-1 versus Chelsea in August 2015. Leicester are undefeated in their last 19 home Premier League games, the longest unbeaten run on home soil in the top flight since Chelsea's 21-game streak, which ended in August 2015.M5 Swansea City v Watford: Swansea are without a win in their last five league home games. Watford have won only once in their previous six league games against Swansea.M6 West Ham United v Sunderland:West Ham are unbeaten in six league fixtures against Sunderland, who have won just one of their last 11 away Premier League games against the Hammers, losing eight times...

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