Arteta confirms Arsenal star will miss West Ham and won’t play once more this season
Arsenal will probably be minus a key star for his or her journey to West Ham this afternoon, as confirmed by supervisor Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal braced for essential London derby in opposition to West Ham
The context round Sunday’s sport is razor-sharp.
Arsenal lead the Premier League with three video games remaining, and a victory on the London Stadium would go away Arteta firmly within the driving seat heading into their remaining two fixtures — in opposition to Burnley and Crystal Palace — to finish the membership’s 22-year look ahead to the title.
Metropolis’s slip-up in opposition to Everton has handed Arsenal again management of their very own future, although Metropolis’s sport in hand means Arteta’s aspect can not afford complacency.
The Sky Blues additionally saved strain on Arteta by way of a hard-fought 3-0 win at house to Brentford on Saturday.
That stated, Arsenal have gained their final two Premier League matches with out conceding, beating Newcastle 1-0 and Fulham 3-0, and the boldness gained from reaching the Champions League remaining with Tuesday’s victory over Atlético Madrid is palpable all through the membership.
The Gunners might upset them on the pitch and behind-closed-doors.
West Ham discover themselves again within the Premier League’s backside three following their 3-0 defeat at Brentford final weekend, a end result that ended a three-game unbeaten run and left Nuno Espírito Santo’s aspect in determined want of a shock at this time.
Spurs are only one level above them, and with each side nonetheless taking part in for his or her survival, nothing is settled but.
The Hammers’ trigger just isn’t helped by a wretched report in opposition to London rivals this season — they’ve misplaced all 5 of their house London derby fixtures within the Premier League this marketing campaign, a damning statistic heading into arguably their most vital sport of the yr.
Arsenal gained the reverse fixture 2-0 again in October and have gained their final two journeys to the London Stadium, scoring eleven targets within the course of.
Set items loom as a key battleground.
Arsenal have scored 27 Premier League targets from set items this season — greater than some other membership — together with 17 from corners alone, essentially the most any aspect has managed in a single Premier League marketing campaign.
West Ham’s vulnerability at corners has been one of many extra pronounced weaknesses recognized by analysts throughout the season, and Arteta will probably be conscious about the chance it presents.
Arsenal with out Jurrien Timber who won’t play once more this season
Towards that backdrop, the affirmation that Jurrien Timber stays unavailable is a frustration Arteta might have accomplished with out.
Talking at his pre-match press convention, the Arsenal supervisor was blunt when requested concerning the Dutchman’s taking part in prospects this afternoon.
“No probability for the weekend,” he stated.
Pressed additional on whether or not Timber might play any half within the remaining weeks of the season, Arteta wasn’t overly optimistic.
“There’s nonetheless a good bit to do, so every thing needs to be so easy and fast in the event that they need to have an opportunity to play any minutes.”
The identical replace utilized to Mikel Merino, who has additionally been working his method again from harm.
Each gamers have performed distinguished roles throughout Arsenal’s title push — Timber as a flexible and dependable presence throughout the backline, Merino as a goalscorer — however Arsenal have coped nicely with out them lately.
Timber specifically is somebody who Arsenal insiders view as “probably the greatest on the planet in his function“, so Arteta will probably be hoping he can certainly make a last-gasp contribution in opposition to Burnley or Palace.
Ray Parlour additionally labelled the 24-year-old — who has racked up 11 objective contributions from right-back throughout 43 appearances in all competitions this season — as one in all Arsenal’s greatest gamers of 2025/26.
Viktor Gyokeres has scored 9 targets in his final 12 Premier League appearances, and with Bukayo Saka carrying an distinctive report in opposition to West Ham all through his profession, Arteta retains loads of firepower even with out his two injured males.
The title is in Arsenal’s fingers, at this time is the place they will make it really feel really actual.
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