German playmaker Mesut Ozil has been dropped for the first time this season.
Arsenal fullback Hector Bellerin (Photo: AFP)
Arsenal vs West Ham United is one of the highlight Premier League clashes of Matchday 3 and the lineups for Saturday’s fixture have been revealed.
📋 Today’s team news for #ARSWHU…
We make just one change: @aaronramsey is back in the starting XI pic.twitter.com/RpluQObkzD
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— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) August 25, 2018
That one change is a big one indeed, with Unai Emery dropping Mesut Ozil in favour of Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman will link up with Alexander Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan behind centre forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi anchor the midfield while a four-man defence of Hector Bellerin, Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis and Nacho Monreal lines in front of veteran custodian Petr Cech.
4️⃣ changes and Arnie’s our captain today! pic.twitter.com/r3Ot1vvxRl
— West Ham United (@WestHamUtd) August 25, 2018
The Hammers mirror the hosts’ 4-2-3-1 formation, with Marko Arnautovic leading the line for the visitors.
Michael Antonio, Robert Snodgrass and Felipe Anderson slot in behind the Austrian forward while Jack Wilshere is partnered by Carlos Sanchez in the central midfield pivot.
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Arthur Massuaku, Fabian Balbuena, Issa Diop and Ryan Fredericks are in defence ahead of Lukasz Fabianski.
Both teams have lost their opening two games so far and come into the tie at the Emirates under pressure, but arguably it’s the hosts who will be feeling the heat a tad bit more.
The Hammers had a productive summer, signing players to the tune £100 plus, but results under new manager Manuel Pellegrini have yet to bear fruit.
Similarly, Emery’s been getting flak for his side’s underwhelming start in their new era, but at home, the Gunners will be fancied to take home three points.
Match kicks off at 1930 IST.
Arsenal: Cech (C), Monreal, Sokratis, Mustafi, Bellerin, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Ramsey, Iwobi, Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang.
West Ham United: Fabianski, Masuaku, Diop, Balbuena, Fredericks, Wilshere, Sanchez, Antonio, Snodgrass, Anderson and Arnautovic (C).
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