The Gunners welcome Graham Potter’s struggling West Ham to N7 in hopes of closing the gap between league leaders Liverpool after their 2-2 draw vs Aston Villa midweek.
Snatching all three points against Leicester City thanks to an unexpected Merino brace upfront, Mikel Arteta will be hoping to grab his 6th League victory this calendar year and put the pressure on Arne Slot’s Liverpool once again.
The Hammers, on the other hand, will be looking to put their last game behind them after falling to the hands of defeat against Brentford in a 1-0 loss at a lethargic London Stadium.
Surprising many last season, the Irons shocked the Gunners at home, winning 2-0 thanks to a controversial goal from Tomas Soucek and a sublime header from Konstantinos Mavropanos again his former employers.
Former Hammers captain Declan Rice will also be hungry to replicate his fine performance against his old club in the reverse fixture last season - a match in which the Gunners trampled the Irons 6-0 with Rice contributing with a ‘worldie’ goal and 2 assists.
Team news
Arsenal
Plagued with injures as of late, the Gunners will continue to be without key forwards in Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Jesus, and Kai Havertz.
Unfortunately for Mikel Arteta, the medical room is only going to get more and more crowded, as it was confirmed by the gaffer this week that Takehiro Tomiyasu is set to miss out on the action for the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery.
On the flip side, Arsenal fans will be thrilled regarding the recent news around Ben White as whom was pictured training with the rest of the squad at the Sobha Reality Training Centre pre-matchday.
West Ham
Also handicapped by injuries so far this season, Brazilian magnifico Lucas Paqueta shall be another name added to the Hammers injury list - rolling his ankle in training this week, sidelining the no.10 for about 3-4 weeks.
The Irons will also be without Crysencio Summerville, who continues to recover from a hamstring injury sustained whilst in training a fortnight ago.
German striker Niclas Fullkrug will also be absent from the action as he returned from a short recovery trip in Dubai earlier this week - aiming to return to the pitch for the Hammers trip to Goodison Park in late March.
Czech full-back Vladimir Coufal is also in contention to return to the action after missing out on the match against Brentford last weekend, but could be absent yet again.
Irons striker Michail Antonio will obviously also not be travelling to N7, preparing to start his rehabilitation in London this week after his road accident in early December.
Likely Line-Ups
Arsenal
Raya; Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber; Rice, Partey, Odegaard; Trossard, Merino, Nwaneri
West Ham
Areola; Cresswell, Kilman, Todibo; Scarles, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Wan-Bissaka; Soler, Kudus; Bowen
Key players
Arsenal: Ethan Nwaneri
Stepping up to occasion against Leicester last weekend - assisting Merino for his first and winning the player of the match award - the 17-year-old has gone from days at school to ‘schooling’ defenders as of late.
Electrifying the Gunners attack in place of injured starboy’ Bukayo Saka’, ex-Chelsea and West Ham player Joe Cole compared the teen to the infamous ‘Lionel Messi’ - as heard on TNT Sport last Saturday.
Yet to keep a clean sheet this calendar year, Potters damage defence could be under severe pressure in attempt to keep the flourishing youngster quiet.
This match up definitely ‘smells like teen spirit’.
West Ham: Jarrod Bowen
Scoring against the Gunners at least once in the last 4 seasons consecutively, the Hammers skipper will be hoping to continue his fine form against Mikel Arteta’s men.
Punished by Potter’s ‘formation blunder’ against Brentford, which saw the Hammer’s no.20 pushed back to the halfway line as a makeshift wing-back, the Hereford Hammer will be looking to net his 7th Premier League goal this season.
Possibly having to play the false 9 role in absence of the injured Lucas Paqueta, Bowen will play an integral role in Potter’s counter-attack play - similarly to the style of play which caught out Maresca’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge a few weeks ago, a game in which Bowen scored the Irons’ only goal.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The match will take place at The Emirates Stadium - The home of The Arsenal.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off will take place at 15:00 GMT on Saturday, 22nd February 2025
Where can I watch?
Unfortunately this match has not been selected for broadcasting, however, you can watch the highlights on the SkySports YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
Alternatively, written coverage will be available both pre-match and post-match here at VAVEL UK.
