West Ham vs Arsenal: Mikel Arteta has final say on key player, it’s not good

Arsenal come up against West Ham United in the Premier League tomorrow, with every point they now fight for proving absolutely crucial to their fight for the title. There is a lot of respect between Mikel Arteta and David Moyes as, in many ways, Moyes shaped Arteta’s love for football having managed the Spaniard during his playing time at Everton. Still, there’ll be no love lost on the touchline as Arteta has one priority only – Arsenal.

The Gunners have the leeway to field their strongest eleven, something which can’t be said for West Ham since this fixture is sandwiched between critical European fixtures. In a tough fixture against Gent which ended at a stalemate, crucial players such as Declan Rice were forced to play longer than Moyes would’ve liked. Truth is, this fixture could end either way.

Although, there’s been a big injury blow for Arsenal. It was always a race against time for defender William Saliba, who has been critical to many key wins and performances this season. According to the official club website, Mikel Arteta has confirmed that William Saliba will not feature against West Ham since he’s not trained. On the other hand, Eddie Nketiah is fit for contention.

Fans could see it coming but now it’s confirmed. Saliba will not start in this match, meaning it’s likely to be a centre back pairing of Rob Holding and Gabriel. This is the pairing of choice with Saliba out of contention and it’s worked well at times but not so well against Liverpool last weekend.

Still, it’s good to see Nketiah back and ready to contend for his place in the starting eleven. He’s not likely to start with Gabriel Jesus in fine form but the more options Arteta has for the final Premier League run-in, the better.

For the full Arsenal predicted lineup, click here.

What’s your score prediction for West Ham vs Arsenal?