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Arsenal guaranteed to be without three players vs West Ham as Gabriel decision ‘confirmed’

Arsenal will be hoping to make it three wins in a row in all competitions when they face West Ham United on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta knows that a win will propel his side into second in the Premier League, with Liverpool and Manchester City set to play against each other on Sunday. West Ham will be no easy task, however, and Arteta knows his side must be near-perfect to catch Liverpool, who are nine points ahead of the Gunners.

“If they continue that way that’s for sure. The results they are producing, the amount of games they are winning. But the focus is just on us,” Arteta said on Friday.

With Arteta describing West Ham as “dangerous” ahead of the fixture, the Spaniard may not be able to call upon Gabriel for the game at London Stadium. The centre-back limped off against Sporting CP in the Champions League in midweek and faces a late fitness test.

“Wait and see,” Arteta said when asked about the Brazilian. Asked if he can provide anymore information, the Arsenal boss added: “No because I can’t. It’s not that I don’t want to.”

Three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Las Palmas | La Liga GW15

Barcelona hammered three goals past Brest this midweek in the UEFA Champions League and now continue their run at Montjuic with a La Liga game against Las Palmas on Saturday.

With the team’s next three games being tricky away fixtures against Mallorca, Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund, tomorrow will be Barcelona’s final home game until mid-December and the team will look to keep their good form going.

Their opponents on the day, Las Palmas, have not been going strong this season and currently languish in 17th place in La Liga. They are just two points out of the relegation zone and a defeat could well see them in the bottom three.

Barcelona will thus enter the game as favourites a day after their 125th anniversary celebrations and there will be no better gift to the institution than a win from the first-division men’s team.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Las Palmas.

The X-factor returns

Barcelona stopped the bleeding with a win over Brest midweek after dropping points in two consecutive games and did away with the notion that they cannot win without Lamine Yamal.

Barcelona handed another injury boost on eve of Las Palmas meeting

La Liga table-toppers Barcelona have on Friday been afforded some altogether positive news on the personnel front.

This comes amid confirmation that Iñigo Martínez trained as normal alongside the rest of Hansi Flick’s squad this morning.

The name of defender Iñigo of course emerged as a prominent one in the media in Catalunya’s capital over the course of the last 24 hours.

As much came after it was revealed that the 33-year-old was suffering with a bout of muscular discomfort, throwing his participation against Las Palmas on Saturday up in the air.

As alluded to above, though, if the latest word to have surfaced on Friday afternoon is anything to go by, then the Barcelona faithful need not fret.

‘Iñigo Martínez has also been seen working at a good pace’ at The Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.

Gavi, Lamine start in a 4-2-3-1 – How Barcelona can line up against Las Palmas

FC Barcelona will be eager to get back to winning ways in La Liga when they play hosts to UD Las Palmas on Saturday afternoon in Montjuic.

Barcelona go into the game boosted by the return of star forward Lamine Yamal, who has recovered from his injury. Ferran Torres is also back in training and could be back in the squad for tomorrow’s match.

However, the hosts will be without Marc Casado due to suspension while Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, and Ansu Fati are absent through injuries.

Here’s how Hansi Flick could set his team up tomorrow as Barcelona look to bag all three points against Las Palmas at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

Defence

Inaki Pena has given no reason for the manager to change things up in the Barcelona goal and as such, he will start again while Wojciech Szczesny will continue to wait for his debut.

As for the defence, there were concerns about Inigo Martinez as reports emerged that he was dealing with muscle discomfort. But the veteran defender trained normally today and should start alongside his usual partner Pau Cubarsi.

Jules Kounde is the obvious starter in the right-back position for Barça while Alejandro Balde will reclaim his starting spot on the left side from Gerard Martin.

Midfield

Pedri, who turned in another masterclass against Brest in midweek, is a certainty to feature in the midfield for the Blaugrana.

But with Marc Casado unavailable, Flick has to choose a replacement for the youngster, with his options being Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, and Eric Garcia.

As things stand, Gavi, who has made one start since returning from injury, appears likely to get the nod as Pedri’s partner in the Barcelona midfield tomorrow.

Summer signing Dani Olmo, who scored a goal in midweek against Brest, ought to continue as the attacking midfielder against Las Palmas.

Attack

As mentioned earlier, Lamine Yamal is fully fit again after missing the last three matches through injury and the 17-year-old sensation is likely to start on the right wing tomorrow.

It should lead to Raphinha moving back to his usual spot on the left flank while Fermin Lopez drops out to the bench.

Robert Lewandowski, the early frontrunner for the Pichichi Trophy, will be leading the line for Barcelona and hoping to score his first La Liga goal against Las Palmas.

The likes of Ferran Torres, Pablo Torre and Pau Victor could receive some minutes off the bench in the latter stages of the match.

Arsenal have one very big Premier League title advantage over Liverpool and Man City this Christmas

If the Premier League title is to end up in Arsenal’s trophy cabinet for the first time since 2004 this season, the Gunners are going to have to produce something of a miraculous comeback.

Twelve games into the Premier League season and with the busy festive fixture schedule upon us, Arsenal are fourth in the table. They are, however, nine points off the top, with Liverpool, under new head coach Arne Slot, enjoying an impressive start to the campaign.

Arsenal writers decide how Mikel Arteta should line his Gunners side up for their Premier League clash with West Ham United at the London Stadium

After a rough period, things are starting to look better for Arsenal. In their two games since the international break they’ve managed more goals than they did in their seven matches prior. They cannot afford to let this form slip.

Liverpool are simply not giving any ground up as it stands in the title race. With the Reds taking on Manchester City this weekend though, this could be a chance for the Gunners to make up some points.

As a result it’s crucial that Mikel Arteta gets his team selection spot on for this weekend’s clash with West Ham at the London Stadium.

If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. It really is as simple as that and when Mikel Arteta has, for what feels like the first time in an eternity, almost the majority of his squad available to him, tweaks are not necessary. Yes, there is the worry of Manchester United on the horizon and in a midweek clash, yet the Gunners have just come back from an international break, well rested and it shows.

The team I have gone for therefore stays exactly the same as it was when it put five past an impressive Sporting CP side who many would rank above the likes of West Ham based on the season’s showing. Hopefully the opportunity to make changes during the game and save players for the visit of Ruben Amorim’s team on Wednesday can see Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and perhaps Gabriel Magalhaes retreat from play.

Gabriel is the only concern and should he be forced to the bench then I would be tempted to move Riccardo Calafiori across and start Myles Lewis-Skelly – although both Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney are now options too, the latter of whom needs game time. Elsewhere, Jorginho proved against Nottingham Forest to be a great option in midfield should Arteta wish to move some players around.

Arsenal have been handed a significant boost in the Premier League title race ahead of this weekend’s fixtures

Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes have been given a significant boost following news that Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté is set to miss several games due to injury. The setback comes just days before Liverpool’s top-of-the-table clash against Manchester City on Sunday.

The Gunners, currently nine points behind league leaders Liverpool, are looking to make up ground after a challenging start to the season. Any disruption to their rivals’ form could prove pivotal as Mikel Arteta’s side seeks to close the gap.

Konaté sustained the injury during Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League match against Real Madrid, a game the Reds won 2-0 thanks to goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo. Despite the victory, the night was overshadowed by injuries to both Konaté and Conor Bradley.

Viktor Gyokeres has been in sensational form for Sporting Lisbon this season and has been linked with a move to the Premier League with Manchester United and Arsenal

Both Rio Ferdinand and Martin Keown have shared their thoughts on the potential next move for Viktor Gyokeres, amid speculation linking him with Arsenal and Manchester United.

Since making an impact at Sporting following his switch from Coventry City in 2023, Gyokeres has been in red-hot form, bagging an impressive tally of 24 goals in all competitions this campaign, adding to last season’s haul of 43.

The striker’s contributions haven’t gone unnoticed as they’ve been instrumental in Ruben Amorim’s successful tenure, a factor that played a part in Man United appointing the Portuguese tactician to take over from Erik ten Hag earlier this month. The new managerial shift at Old Trafford has further fueled rumours that Gyokeres could reunite with Amorim, potentially in Manchester.

At 26, Gyokeres has also caught the eye of Arsenal, who are currently struggling up front amidst their title race skirmish with heavyweights Manchester City and Liverpool. However, Man United icon Rio Ferdinand seems convinced that the Swede’s rapport with Amorim during their Sporting days could see him don the red of United.

“Transitioning into a new league, going in with someone who knows your game and will be able to get the best out of you and you’re going to go somewhere he’s rebuilding and you could be the star of that process… he’ll be licking his lips.”

Arsenal have two ideal Gabriel replacements if Mikel Arteta can’t select defender vs West Ham

Gabriel Magalhaes limped off during Arsenal’s Champions League win against Sporting CP on Tuesday and there are now question marks surrounding the Brazilian’s fitness ahead of the weekend’s round of fixtures.

The Gunners travel to London Stadium on Saturday evening to face West Ham, who go into the clash on the back of an impressive 2-0 win over Newcastle. A win for Mikel Arteta’s side could take them into second, and with Man City and Liverpool playing one another on Sunday it would be a crucial three points for the north Londoners.

They may have to beat the Hammers without Gabriel, however, after the commanding centre-back was forced off through injury against Sporting. “We don’t know. We had to make the change because he was feeling some discomfort.

The 26-year-old has featured in every Premier League game for Arsenal so far this season, with his partnership with William Saliba at the heart of defence perhaps the best in the league. So, who can Arsenal call upon should the Brazilian not make the trip to West Ham.

Since joining the Gunners from Spezia in January 2023 in a deal worth around £20million, Jakub Kiwior has struggled to nail down a place in the starting XI. Making appearances at centre-back and left-back, the Polish international has done alright when called upon and has proven to be a decent squad player.

Kiwior replaced Gabriel with just over five minutes to go at the Estádio José Alvalade and would be a trustworthy replacement for the game at West Ham. The 24-year-old has made nine appearances for the Gunners this term, although the majority of those in the league have come off the bench.

Arsenal move into ‘pole position’ for Florian Wirtz transfer as ‘dream’ January deal emerges

The January transfer window opens in just over a month and Arsenal could be set for a busy first month of 2025. The Gunners have never been a side to spend big in January but that could change this time.

Mikel Arteta’s men are competing for the Premier League title but a poor run of form throughout October and November means they are chasing Liverpool.

When the window does open, fans will be hoping to see some movement to ensure they have the best chance at becoming champions of England. A new striker has been tipped to be the priority for Arteta but they come at a premium meaning some smart business may have to be concluded.

Arsenal are the latest club showing interest in Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani. The France international is said to be available for loan in the winter having failed to make an impact in Paris.