Arsenal return to Premier League action against London rivals West Ham United on Boxing Day following the World Cup. So, HITC Football has predicted who makes Mikel Arteta’s XI.
The Gunners entered the break in top-flight action leading the division by five points from the defending champions, Manchester City. Arsenal plus third-place Newcastle United are also the only teams to lose just one game this season and have the best defensive records.
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Arteta and Eddie Howe’s squads have allowed just 11 goals through their 14 and 15 games to open the campaign. While Arsenal have further registered the second-best attack to the Citizens’ 40 goals with 33. Captain Martin Odegaard is the Gunners’ top scorer on six goals.
Gabriel Jesus has also scored five goals and six assists in 14 Premier League games since his £45m transfer from Manchester City to Arsenal in July. But Arteta will now be without the Brazilian for the first time. He suffered a knee injury whilst featuring at the 2022 World Cup.
Arsenal sent Jesus for surgery to sort his medial ligament damage and are yet to define his return date. Arteta has also confirmed they will be without Reiss Nelson against West Ham on Boxing Day. While Emile Smith Rowe is unlikely to play after recently resuming training.
William Saliba could also miss the Hammers’ visit to Emirates Stadium after helping France reach the World Cup final. The 22-year-old only featured once for 27 minutes in Qatar. But he was a part of the squad which lost the final on penalties to Argentina on December 18.
Mikel Arteta makes two changes in our predicted Arsenal XI vs West Ham
Jesus’ injury and the potential absence of Saliba will force Arteta into changes from his last Arsenal XI that played a Premier League fixture when West Ham travel from east to north London. The Gunners were last in top-flight action on November 12 in a 2-0 win at Wolves.
Arteta will hope the XI he names against the Irons resumes Arsenal’s campaign on the right track. The Emirates Stadium natives entered the break for the World Cup on the back of an eight-league-match unbeaten run. They also won seven times since losing on September 4.
So, with that in mind, who makes HITC Football’s predicted Arsenal XI to meet West Ham? Well, we expect Arteta to make just two changes from his line-up that won at Molineux to replace Jesus and Saliba. It is too soon for Saliba to start as his team lost a World Cup final.
Otherwise, Aaron Ramsdale will remain in goal for the Gunners targeting his eighth league clean sheet this term. While left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko starts with Gabriel Magalhaes, eager to show why Brazil were wrong to overlook the centre-half for their World Cup side.
But while Ben White retains his starting role, Saliba’s absence should see Arteta move the England ace to centre-half. He has flourished as a right-back this term and grown into the role tremendously. But Arteta will need his defensive ability in his France star’s absence.
So, a spot at right-back has opened up. But it is likely to be Takehiro Tomiyasu who starts ahead of Cedric Soares, who Fulham are targeting for January. The Japan star appears to have avoided another injury after concerns over his hamstring emerged at the World Cup.
Eddie Nketiah must now step up to fill Gabriel Jesus’s injury-hit boots
HITC Football has not predicted any changes to the Arsenal midfield to face West Ham on Boxing Day. Odegaard, Granit Xhaka and crucially Thomas Partey are all expected to be fit for the festive fixture. As are their vital attacking duo, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
But Jesus’ injury means Eddie Nketiah has huge boots to fill plugging the Brazilian’s gap in between Saka and Martinelli. Arteta has only fielded the striker from the bench so far this season for 140 minutes. The 23-year-old is also yet to score a league goal after 12 games.
HITC Football’s predicted Arsenal XI vs West Ham: Ramsdale (GK); Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli
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