"There may be a bit of ring rust" - Jeff Stelling predicts scoreline for West Ham vs Arsenal clash

English television presenter Jeff Stelling has predicted Arsenal to beat West Ham on Boxing Day when the Premier League resumes after over six weeks of hiatus.

With the 2022 FIFA World Cup now over, club football is slowly returning, with many English teams being in action this week in the Carabao Cup. The first top-flight games in England post the Qatar showpiece are scheduled for Monday (December 26), with Arsenal taking on West Ham at the Emirates later that day.

With 12 wins and 37 points from 14 games, the Gunners have made their best start to a Premier League campaign as they look to end a 19-year wait for the league title.

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Much of their title ambitions depend on whether the north London outfit is able to maintain their blistering form in the second half of the campaign. The Hammers could certainly offer them a baptism of fire.

Stelling, in his prediction, though, foresees Mikel Arteta's side bagging all three points. On his Sky Sports Super 6 prediction, he said (via West Ham Zone):

“Arsenal will be without their star striker Gabriel Jesus due to injury, but they were Christmas number one for a reason and are continuing to show great signs. There may be a bit of ring rust, but that will be the same for both sides, so I expect Arsenal’s quality to prevail in this one.”

Stelling predicts a 2-1 win for the Gunners, who have lost only one game in the league this season, a 3-1 defeat at Manchester United on matchday six. Meanwhile, their last loss against West Ham came almost four years ago, in January 2019.

Arsenal could struggle to hit the ground running

After a lengthy break, it's common to see big teams struggle to hit the ground running, and the Gunners could experience the same on Monday.

Without Gabriel Jesus, who has been ruled out till March with a knee injury, the Gunners will have their task cut out.

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The Brazilian was the chief driving force for Arteta's side in the first half of the Premier League season, bagging five goals and six assists. His absence will be a huge blow, so the rest of the squad will have to step up or risk losing the momentum they've built from a prolific run early on.