Arsenal are in must-win territory in the context of their title challenge as the Gunners host London rivals West Ham United at the Emirates.
Arsenal have an important weekend ahead of them as their home clash with West Ham United has already been deemed a must-win. The Gunners were given hope in their small chance to challenge for the title, as Liverpool dropped points away at Aston Villa, which does leave them eight points ahead, but with an extra game played.
Arsenal have a chance to close that gap to five points and will hope Manchester City pick up form when they meet Liverpool later on Sunday. While the Gunners are no longer seen as the favourites to chase down the Merseysiders to win the title due to their ongoing attacking injuries, the circumstances have given them hope to once again enter the title race in a big way.
The biggest issue for Mikel Arteta is having a strong attacking setup due to the absence of most of his key starters in the front three. However, he did find a genius solution last weekend when he brought on Mikel Merino to lead the line; the move paid off when the Spaniard scored two goals to secure three points away at Leicester City.
Meanwhile, West Ham United are on the opposite end of the spectrum compared to Arsenal, as Graham Potter continues to find a way to bring some momentum into the team. The Hammers have won one in their last eight games across all competitions, as last weekend’s loss saw them slip down to 16th place in the standings.
The Hammers still boast a ten-point advantage over 18th-placed Ipswich Town; Potter must get results flowing to ensure they are absolutely safe from the threat of relegation. West Ham fans will remember the 2-0 reverse win at the Emirates last season, which might have contributed in a way to prevent Arsenal from winning the Premier League title last season, and will want to see more of the same.
Arsenal have momentum on their side despite the many attacking injuries, as Potter will want his team to reduce their chance of creation at the Emirates. The English manager will want to give the Gunners a tough test in North London, although there are doubts whether they have what it takes to get a win away from home.
Team News & Tactics
Arsenal
There are no fresh issues expected in this Arsenal side, as they came unscathed from their win away at Leicester City. Takehiro Tomiyasu confirmed during the week that he had undergone surgery to resolve a knee problem with the club later stating that the Japanese defender is only expected to return at the end of the year.
Another report suggested that key wingers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are expected to be back in action after the international break. Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are out for the remainder of the season. However, Ben White was an unused substitute on the bench for the trip to Leicester City, which increases his chances of being featured in the Emirates on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta is not expected to make any changes to the lineup from the one that won at the King Power. There will be a temptation to try and use match-winner Mikel Merino from the start, although for now, he might rely on Raheem Sterling once again despite an abject performance from the on-loan winger.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Nwaneri, Trossard, Sterling
West Ham United
The big news coming out of the West Ham United camp ahead of their trip to Arsenal is the ankle injury suffered by Lucas Paqueta in training. The Brazilian international is set to miss the clash on Saturday, which could allow Potter to give Evan Ferguson his full debut for the Hammers.
Graham Potter has also confirmed Vladimir Coufal will be absent from the trip to Arsenal as he continues to recover from a hamstring problem that also saw him miss the Brentford loss. Crysencio Summerville is also out of contention with the winger and is only expected to return after the international break.
Beyond that, only the other long-term absentees, like Niclas Fullkrug and Michail Antonio, are out of contention for the foreseeable future, although the former is still expected to return before the season ends. Potter will have to make some tweaks to his attacking setup, as he might go with a similar shape as last weekend, with Ferguson replacing Paqueta. The others will keep their place in the lineup, as Carlos Soler plays on the left.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Soucek, Alvarez; Bowen, Kudus, Soler; Ferguson
Key Stats
- Arsenal are unbeaten in 15 Premier League games.
- Arsenal have scored at least two goals in eight of their last ten matches against West Ham in all competitions.
- West Ham United have one win in their last seven Premier League games.
- West Ham United have conceded 11 goals in their last two games against Arsenal.
- Graham Potter has won three of his four games against Arsenal at the Emirates. Only Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have won more at the stadium as a visiting manager.
Player to Watch
Ethan Nwaneri
The teenager has certainly taken the Premier League by storm following his exceptional breakthrough into the first team this season. Last Saturday, he was Arsenal’s best player on the pitch against Leicester City despite Mikel Merino’s heroics in front of goal, and Mikel Arteta might rely on Nwaneri heavily between now and the return of some injured attacking stars.
Nwaneri has certainly shown his class on the pitch, and there is no doubt he deserves a spot in the lineup even when the other attackers return. With Arsenal’s attacking line depleted, he will once again have the spotlight to showcase what else he can do for the club, as the teenager has a unique chance to be a massive presence in the club’s title challenge.
Prediction
Arsenal 3-0 West Ham United
West Ham are in an abject run of form coming to the Emirates, having recorded just a single victory in their last seven Premier League games. Since beating the Gunners at this venue last season, the Hammers have conceded 11 goals in the next two games against Arsenal, as they are likely to lose out once again.
Arsenal might not be in the best place when it comes to attacking at the moment, but they have found solutions time and again, and this will be another big test in the context of the title race. The Gunners are expected to win on home soil against West Ham as they will continue to stay relevant in the title race and keep their unbeaten run at home in the Premier League going.
