Arsenal prepare for a crucial Premier League game against West Ham United, and an unchanged lineup could take the field on Saturday.
Arsenal have found themselves in a challenging position due to some key attacking injuries as they take on West Ham United in a crucial fixture in their Premier League campaign. The Gunners will be angling for a win in this one, and Mikel Arteta might name an unchanged lineup from their win over Leicester City last weekend.
During his pre-match press conference, Arteta was asked about subjects like Mikel Merino in the striker role, as well as Raheem Sterling, and whether the attacker was suffering from confidence issues. The Gunners boss also stated that Ben White might play at the weekend following his return to fitness.
Starting with the fitness of his current players, Arteta said he expected the same set of players from last weekend to be available. He was also asked about Ben White and whether he is ready to start after being an unused substitute against Leicester City.
On Ben White, Arteta said, “He is ready to play. Whether to start or not is a decision we will make tomorrow, but he’s certainly available now to be a part of the group.”
Meanwhile, the big talking point from last weekend was Merino’s stunning cameo off the bench, where he took up the No.9 role and scored twice to secure the points. Arteta was asked whether the idea was an experiment that paid off.
Arteta said, “If something that we haven’t done or he hasn’t done in his career to try is called an experiment, that’s it. In the end, it’s trying to fit the qualities that we have within the squad, within the players. We want to deliver and what the game requires and what the opposition requires, I would take it more into that aspect than the other one, but after it has to work. If not, it’s not the right call.”
Meanwhile, Sterling had a terrible outing last weekend and looked short on confidence whenever he was on the ball. Arteta was asked whether that was the issue, and the Gunners boss insisted he still wanted the best for the on-loan attacker.
Arteta continued, “Hopefully not because we try to give him as much as possible. That’s a question for him but we are all behind him, we all want the best for him. He’s going to be really important so we need him at his best. We only need players with that mindset; to be here and impact the team.”
In terms of the team selection, no changes are expected to the lineup against West Ham, as Arteta will name the same team from last weekend. It may come as a surprise for some, as fans would have expected Merino to start in the attacking three in place of Sterling.
Merino is not a striker, and there are no guarantees he will deliver the same result as the Leicester City game. Hence, the Spaniard might once again feature off the bench in a bid to impact the game differently, which could see Sterling keep his place on the left wing.
Ethan Nwaneri was named the man of the match against Leicester City, and rightly so, as the teenager put in an electric performance. He has certainly stepped up in the absence of key stars like Bukayo Saka, as he will have another chance to impress from the right-hand side of the attacking three.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Nwaneri, Trossard, Sterling
