Arsenal starting XI v West Ham as £200k-a-week star drops out and Gabriel Magalhaes decision made…

Arsenal’s likely starting XI for the game against West Ham will be without a £200k-a-week player, and a decision has been finalized regarding Gabriel Magalhaes.

Arsenal’s anticipated starting lineup against West Ham has been influenced by the absence of a £200k-a-week player and a decision regarding Gabriel Magalhaes.

As Arsenal aims for their third consecutive victory in Saturday’s Premier League match at the London Stadium, they have the opportunity to ascend to second place in the league, reducing the gap to five points ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Manchester City on Sunday.

Following Martin Odegaard’s return to full fitness, Arsenal has seen a resurgence in form, netting eight goals and conceding just one in their last two matches.

TBR Football examines the potential starting XI that Mikel Arteta may select for the 5:30 PM GMT kickoff in East London.

Arsenal team updates against West Ham

In Friday’s pre-match press conference, Arteta was non-committal about any new injuries, indicating that the team would have to “wait and see” regarding Gabriel Magalhaes’ fitness for the match against West Ham.

The Gunners’ center-back had to leave the pitch late in Tuesday’s 5-1 victory over Sporting CP in the Champions League.

While Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain sidelined for the long term, Kieran Tierney has made a return to the matchday squad in Lisbon after a five-month recovery from a hamstring injury.

Arsenal’s predicted starting XI against West Ham

Given Arsenal’s strong performance and minimal new injury concerns, Arteta is expected to make few changes from the midweek victory over Sporting CP.

It is anticipated that Gabriel will be fit to start alongside the rest of the defensive lineup, with no other alterations necessary.

This suggests David Raya will be in goal, supported by a back four consisting of Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel, William Saliba, and Jurrien Timber.

Jorginho, Gabriel Jesus, and Leandro Trossard, who all featured in the match against Nottingham Forest, will be vying for a spot in the starting XI.

It is likely that Jorginho and Jesus will remain on the bench, while Trossard may replace Gabriel Martinelli in the attacking trio.

The £26 million player’s abilities align more effectively with West Ham’s defensive strategy compared to the £200,000-a-week Brazilian.

In the Arsenal midfield, Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, and Declan Rice would continue to play key roles, while Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka would round out the starting lineup.

Projected Arsenal starting XI (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Trossard.