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Arsenal’s predicted XI vs West Ham… Mikel Arteta makes two big calls, £27m winger starts
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side face another big test when West Ham United arrive at the Emirates for a midweek affair tonight.
Declan Rice will face his old club once again and Arsenal will look to avenge a recent Carabao Cup exit at the hands of their London rivals.
That being said, Arsenal will have to assess the form and fitness of a few individuals given the festive schedule.
Arteta’s side have had a relatively light run, however, we are still expecting the Arsenal manager to give one man a rest when West Ham come to visit.
Kai Havertz is suspended for the game, and that could also present a big opportunity for Emile Smith Rowe.
The Hale End star has rarely started for Arsenal in the league in recent memory, and he does have a considerable shout tonight.
Alternatively, Rice could move into the number eight with Jorginho placed in the pivot.
But with Rice playing so well at the number six of late, we think Smith Rowe could be given the nod, or perhaps even Leandro Trossard could play centrally.
Of course, Arsenal fans may spot that Trossard has already earned a spot in this predicted XI.
Leandro Trossard deserves a place in Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side against West Ham
Trossard could take a spot in Arsenal’s team at the expense of Gabriel Martinelli tonight.
The Brazilian is enduring a tough season this time out, now often targeted by opposition sides in a similar fashion to Bukayo Saka.
And perhaps Arteta will deem it a good idea to give Martinelli a rest, a player who can then impact from the bench.
Trossard does deserve an opportunity to start, he rarely fails to make an impact when called upon.
And with an away trip to Fulham just around the corner too, fans may expect Trossard to start one of the two games.
Otherwise, we’re expecting Arteta’s Arsenal team to be unchanged against West Ham.
Perhaps Oleksandr Zinchenko would be dropped if Arsenal had stronger options available.
Jakub Kiwior might be a surprise starter, however, Arteta will probably consider the move an unwise one when expecting to dominate the possession at home.
That being said, it seems Arsenal may now be at slight risk of losing one of tonight’s starters when the January transfer window arrives.