Arsenal will move to within five points of Premier League leaders Liverpool if they beat West Ham United on Saturday afternoon. The Reds have left the door open for the Gunners to make this a proper title race, with two draws from their previous three outings ensuring Arne Slot's side is yet to pull away. Arsenal has dealt with plenty of adversity this season and is currently functioning with very few options in attack. Mikel Arteta turned to midfielder-cum-centre-forward Mikel Merino to secure all three points at Leicester last weekend. The victory saw the Gunners extend their unbeaten run in this competition to 15 games.
West Ham, on the contrary, is struggling at the bottom of the table. Graham Potter is yet to oversee a notable resurgence following the departure of Julen Lopetgui last month. The Hammers are winless in four league outings and currently reside in 16th place. They could do with some points over the coming weeks to alleviate fears of slipping more closely toward relegation.
Here is 90min's guide to Saturday's Premier League clash.
What time does Arsenal vs West Ham kick-off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Emirates Stadium
- Date: Saturday 22 February
- Kick-off: 15:00 GMT / 12:00 ET / 07:00 PT
- Referee: Craig Pawson
- VAR: Peter Bankes
Arsenal vs West Ham head-to-head record (last five games)
- Arsenal: 2 wins
- West Ham: 2 wins
- Draws: 1
Current form (all competitions)
How to watch
- United Kingdom: Not televised; live radio commentary via BBC Radio 5 Live
- United States: Peacock
- Canada: fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 7 Canada
Arsenal team news
There hasn't been any change on the injury front since last week's win at Leicester, though we learnt Takehiro Tomiyasu underwent season-ending knee surgery. The Japanese international played just six minutes this term as a result of the issue. Ben White was back in the matchday squad at King Power but didn't feature off the bench. He'll be hoping for his first minutes since November on Saturday. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are due back next month, but Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are out for the long haul. Arteta may also decide to utilise makeshift centre-forward Mikel Merino from the outset against West Ham, showing faith after his success off the bench last Saturday.
West Ham team news
The visitors were dealt a blow this week as Lucas Paqueta sustained an ankle injury, which Potter has confirmed will keep him out of Saturday's game. Paqueta joins Crysencio Summerville and Vladimir Coufal on the sidelines. Niclas Fullkrug and Michail Antonio also remain out, resulting possibly in the first start for January signing Evan Ferguson, who performed brightly off the bench last weekend.
Prediction
Who knows how long Arsenal can survive with the Merino gimmick up top, but the Spaniard's height and ability to operate in the opposition's box could come in handy this weekend. The Gunners will be able to control this contest, limiting the visitors' threat which will mainly come down the right via Bowen, especially considering Mohammed Kudus' recent struggles. Although Potter's side could trouble the hosts from set pieces, their avenues for securing positive results look slim. Arsenal should find a way again. Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 West Ham.