Mikel Arteta confirms 5 first-team players are set to miss Arsenal's PL fixture against West Ham
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that his side will be without several key players for their upcoming match against West Ham United on Thursday, December 28. The Gunners are aiming to return to the summit of the Premier League after Liverpool leapfrogged them in the standings on Christmas Eve.
West Ham United are set to visit Arsenal for another London derby in the Premier League following their convincing win over Manchester United at the weekend. The Hammers will be keen to spoil the Gunners' party and claim another scalp. It would will see them finish the first half of the campaign in a European spot.
Mikel Arteta spoke to the media ahead of the match, revealing that he will be without five players for the visit of David Moyes' side on Thursday. The Spanish manager revealed that four players will miss out through injury, while Kai Havertz is suspended.
He said via Football.London:
"No nothing has changed yet. We’re not going to have those two [Partey and Tomiyasu], then we have the suspension of Kai [Havertz], so I think we’re gonna have five out, but we have lots of other players willing to play."
Midfielders Thomas Partey and Fabio Vieira will miss out through injury, having been out for weeks already. The full-back duo of Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also set to miss out on the game through injury.
Summer signing Kai Havertz has been ruled out through a suspension for picking up five yellow cards this season. His absence further deepens the mini-crisis facing the Gunners as they prepare to take on the high-flying Hammers.
Arteta's side have fallen two points behind Liverpool following the Reds' 2-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor on December 24. With a game in hand, Arsenal can regain top spot if they beat the Hammers.
Declan Rice set for first West Ham meeting as Arsenal player
Arsenal reportedly spent a club-record £105 million to bring Declan Rice to the Emirates in the summer, beating Manchester City to the midfielder's signature. The England international joined after captaining West Ham to a first-ever piece of European silverware.
Rice led the Hammers to the UEFA Europa Conference League win last season. Having come through West Ham's academy, he made 245 senior appearances for them, scoring 15 goals and contributing 13 assists.
Rice has now settled well into life in North London, quickly becoming a key player for Arsenal. The 24-year-old is one of the first names on the team sheet at his new club and has played 25 times across competitions this season.
Meanwhile, West Ham look like a changed side with some key additions, such as Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez, and they will look to claim a huge scalp. After wins over Chelsea and Manchester United this season, Moyes' side will definitely give it a go at the Emirates.