football.londonreporters pick their Arsenal starting XIs for Sunday’s trip to West Ham
Arsenal are looking to keep their Premier League title dream on track this weekend when they face arguably their toughest remaining Premier League fixture at West Ham.
The Gunners head to the London Stadium in fine form on the back of reaching the Champions League final in midweek.
A win in this game puts Mikel Arteta’s men on the home straight with just two top-flight matches left to play.
There is even an extra incentive come kick-off as Manchester City play high-flying Brentford on Saturday.
football.london reporters Tom Canton and Ryan Taylor select their Arsenal line-ups for the contest in east London.
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Tom Canton – Chief Arsenal Reporter
Very difficult to even consider changes after your side has been on such a high following the success in the UEFA Champions League. However, there is one big tweak I would make: bring in Piero Hincapie to deal with Jarrod Bowen.
The Ecuadorian just offers that extra bit more defensive resilience compared to Riccardo Calafiori. Elsewhere, the team is very much the same, build up those connections and relationships in these final games before the final.
The danger for Arsenal could, ironically, come from set-pieces, with Dinos Mavropanos a particular threat. The Gunners defenders will need to be on it to stop the potential threats. Canton’s starting XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Eze; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard
Ryan Taylor
I think Arsenal need to tap into what’s happened over the past two games. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it? The team are in form, in the groove and the stakes are high.
There will be temptation to mix things up but ultimately, there has been enough time to rest since Tuesday’s triumph over Atletico Madrid.
Even after West Ham, there’s a long wait for Burnley, which will give the players the chance to recharge their batteries for the final push.
Myles Lewis-Skelly is a must-pick in my opinion because he’s added a real freshness to the team and given them a new sharp edge.
I’m backing Bukayo Saka to have a big say as Mikel Arteta has managed his minutes very impressively since his return.
Taylor’s starting XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Eze; Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres.
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