Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has a wildcard up his sleeve for the West Ham match.
Arsenal have the potential to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to 8 points, as they play a couple of days before Manchester City. Mikel Arteta’s men come up against London rivals West Ham United, a side the Gunners have an impressive recent history against.
There are concerns surrounding the Arsenal camp with their star striker Gabriel Jesus undergoing surgery. With the Brazil international out of contention, the question on everyone’s lip is – who will play as a striker for Arsenal?
Eddie Nketiah has been unconvincing. Granted, he is excellent from the bench but if you’re asking if he’s the man to mount a title challenge, the answer is no – not yet. Of course, the January transfer window is an option but under Arteta, Arsenal are not the club to panic buy so this will hopefully be a last resort.
For the short-term, they need someone to lead the line for their Boxing Day fixture. West Ham are not doing well this season but they are always, ALWAYS up for a London derby.
According to a new report from Hammers.News, Arsenal expert George Newman thinks Arteta is planning a potentially ‘terrifying’ experiment against West Ham United. Gabriel Martinelli is predicted to fill the strikers role, a position he is familiar with already but it is not where he plays consistently.
Martinelli is still young. It might not seem like it given the level he plays at on a consistent basis but he is. This means he is still very much malleable and his position can be altered with little effort.
Martinelli’s pace is frightening and frankly, the West Ham defence cannot deal with him out on the wing, let alone playing more centrally. It will be exciting and interesting to see how he fares in the striker role because, let’s not forget, Gabriel Jesus is more than able to play out wide too. It really is a fluid attack Mikel Arteta possesses.
What is your score prediction for this London derby?