Havertz start upfront, Martinelli on the left wing, Jurrien Timber back’: possible Arsenal XI vs WestHam tomorrow as Arteta set to retaliate their FA loss to WestHam
Who will start up top in Arsenal’s big-ticket Premier League clash against West Ham? How will the right side of Aston Villa’s formation look in their clash with Manchester United, Champions League on the line? And who starts for AC Milan and Napoli in their Serie A battle with key absences like Victor Osimhen and Fikayo Tomori on both sides?
Here are the predicted starting lineups for the three biggest fixtures on Sunday in European football.
West Ham vs. Arsenal
West Ham Predicted XI
GK Alphonse Areola
LB Emerson Palmieri
CB Nayef Aguerd
CB Kurt Zouma
RB Vladimír Coufal
DM Edson Álvarez
DM Tomáš Souček
AM James Ward-Prowse
LW Maxwel Cornet
RW Mohammed Kudus
ST Jarrod Bowen
Despite the injury crisis at West Ham, this attack looks pretty darn good and capable of giving Arsenal quite the headache at home.
Mohammed Kudus has been a real difference-maker since joining the Hammers, while James Ward-Prowse is also among the candidates for “signing of the season” in the Premier League.
Up top, Jarrod Bowen is the main man for the seventh-placed Hammers, scoring 11 goals in the 2023/24 season, as he has taken his game to new heights, buoyed by the additions of Kudus and Ward-Prowse to the XI.
Arsenal Predicted XI
GK David Raya
LB Jakub Kiwior
CB Gabriel Magalhães
CB William Saliba
RB Ben White
CM Declan Rice
DM Jorginho
CM Martin Ødegaard
LW Gabriel Martinelli
CF Kai Havertz
RW Bukayo Saka
No Oleksandr Zinchenko means more opportunities for Jakub Kiwior, who is a more defensive player at left back. Not having Zinchenko hurts Arsenal in the build-up, but starting Declan Rice on the left side of midfield should mitigate that issue.
Between Jorginho and Rice, Arsenal should have plenty of control over the pitch, but the key will be about Jorginho’s reading of the game in stifling counters.
Martin Ødegaard will have to be aggressive with drifting in and playing high up the pitch to manufacture chances against a West Ham defense that can be stingy and has frustrated Arsenal in the past.
This is a huge opportunity for Kai Havertz in a role he flopped at with rivals Chelsea. Gabriel Jesus’ injury status means it is Havertz who must step up, working with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka in a Karim Benzema-esque capacity.
