Key events
Arsenal fans let out a collective sigh of relief as Gabriel is named in the starting lineup for tonight’s game. There were doubts over his participation after he limped off against Sporting Lisbon earlier this week. In true Mikel Arteta style, the manager was incredibly cryptic about his availability during a pre-match press conference yesterday, but despite that – and this is not a complete surprise – he is in from the start.
Meanwhile, Julen Lopetegui named an unchanged line-up from Monday’s win over Newcastle.
Team news
West Ham starting XI: Lukasz Fabianski; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Claire Todibo, Max Kilman, Emerson Palmieri; Carlos Soler, Tomas Soucek; Jarrod Bowen (C), Lucas Paquetá, Crysencio Summerville; Michael Antonio. Substitutes: Alphonse Areola, Vladimir Koufal, Luis Guillerme, Danny Ings, Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez, Andy Irving, Oliver Scarles, Ezra Meyers.
Arsenal starting XI: David Raya; Jurien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalaes, Ricardo Calafiori; Jorginho, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard (C); Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz. Substitutes: Neto, Jakub Kivior, Alexander Zinchenko, Josh Nicholls, Gabriel Martinelli, Ethan Nwaneri, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus.
Team news will be out soon. Mohamed Quddus is out for West Ham as he serves the fifth of his five-match ban. Niklas Fülkrug is also sidelined with an Achilles injury.
Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain unavailable for Arsenalwith Gabriel Magalhães uncertainty.
Preamble
Hello, good evening and welcome to West Ham coverage Premier League clash with Arsenal. Julen Lopetegui earned himself a lifeline on Monday as his side produced a shock 2-0 win over Newcastle at St James’ Park. It was the club’s first win in just under a month, giving them some breathing room between the likes of Leicester and Everton.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are back in good form after the international break. Mikel Arteta and his players endured a difficult period between the end of October and the beginning of November, but Martin Odegaard’s return to full fitness provided a huge boost. The North London side cruised to a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend, followed by a 5-1 win against Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday, so they should exude confidence in this London derby.
We are certainly in for a treat! Kick-off is at 17:30 GMT – join me!