The Premier League’s top dogs will be looking to assert their authority at the summit when they take on West Ham on Thursday night.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal could have relinquished top spot by the time this London derby rolls around, but their draw at Anfield meant they were top at Christmas for the second year running. Arteta will now be hoping for a more prosperous second half to the season compared to 2022/23.
Thursday will be a tricky test, however, and Kai Havertz is suspended after he picked up his fifth booking of the campaign at Liverpool.
Here’s how Arsenal could line up against West Ham.
GK: David Raya – Raya has been pretty assured since his disaster at Luton, and he’ll keep his place in the team on Thursday.
RB: Ben White – Having endured a dip in form at the start of December, White produced a more stable showing at Anfield. The surging runs of Emerson and guile of Lucas Paqueta will be a test for the right-back.
CB: William Saliba – The imperious Frenchman is a shoo-in.
CB: Gabriel – Gabriel’s early goal at Anfield didn’t culminate in three points, but he did continue his pretty impressive scoring record for the club. The Brazilian has been superb this season.
LB: Jakub Kiwior – Oleksandr Zinchenko’s woes last time out should convince Arteta to make a change. Kiwior is the Ukrainian’s alternative and will match up against the red-hot Mohammed Kudus.
DM: Declan Rice – Havertz’s suspension could return Jorginho to the fold, but Rice has been outstanding at the base of midfield and should continue in that role against his former club.
CM: Martin Odegaard – The skipper has taken on a new role in recent weeks, dropping into a deeper position. He’ll likely be stationed higher in a bid to unlock a stubborn West Ham block on Thursday.
CM: Emile Smith Rowe – With Havertz out, there’s a chance for Smith Rowe to make just his second Premier League start of the season. Time is running out for the Englishman at the Emirates, and he needs to start impressing again.
RW: Bukayo Saka – The England international was off at Anfield on Saturday, but it doesn’t take a lot for him to turn it back on again.
ST: Gabriel Jesus – West Ham’s imposing centre-back pairing will make life tough for Jesus, but the Brazilian will aim to outwit the duo with his craftiness in and around the box.
LW: Leandro Trossard – Martinelli was woeful at Anfield and should come out of the side. Trossard is a natural replacement.
