The usual five talking points ahead of today’s Premier League match at the London Stadium

What’s this, defensive options?
Unai Emery has Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellerin available for this match. Shkodran Mustafi is not certain to be fit, we’ll find out later. If he is, the head coach will be able to field a back three solely comprising of actual centre backs, which hasn’t been the case for what seems like an age. If Mustafi isn’t passed fit, the easy option would be to revert to a back four, although my feeling is that Emery prefers a three, which could see Monreal and Kolasinac both make the starting eleven with the latter at left wing back. Mavropanos is also reportedly fit, although it’s difficult to see him anywhere but the bench at this time. An outing or two with the U23 side will surely be used to get him back to match fitness.

Mesut Ozil “doubtful”
That’s according to the news I have read online. I was also mystified to learn that he had been absent since the Boxing Day game due to a knee injury, not his back. The irony is that the West Ham game is probably suited to Ozil’s talents. Pellegrini’s team will try to play football, the Olympic Stadium pitch is a big one, and there will be space for the playmaker to create. If he isn't genuinely injured and there is any thought of trying to get some value from the number 10 by actually playing him, then this is the ideal comeback game.

Last season’s number 10
Of course, Arsenal’s number 10 from last season, now plying his trade at West Ham, is out for months with an ankle injury. I know supporters were sad to see Jack Wilshere depart, but the news that he is crocked again does make the decision to let him go look like a sensible one. The reality is that the club were trying to sell him in the summer of 2017, after his year at Bournemouth, but there were no takers. Still, the London Colney treatment room has its own long term inhabitants this season to make up for Jack’s absence, in the form of Messrs Welbeck and Holding.

The call of the East (Far, not London)
Marco Arnautovic wants to move to China. And no wonder, given the salary he could be making there. All players are mercenaries of sorts, guns for hire. That’s why you’ll get a boyhood Everton fan joining Liverpool as a professional. Because it’s a job, not a hobby. Of course, the Hammers had a similar saga with Dmitri Payet, who forced a move to Marseille. We wait to see whether the desire to get away takes the edge off of Arnautovic’s game. One way a player can force a move is by effectively downing tools on the pitch, to make the point to the club that his commitment is going to be lesser if they do not grant his wishes. The Hammers’ problem is that their top scorer this season is a midfielder, Felipe Anderson, with eight goals. The forwards are not firing, although in mitigation Arnautovic has missed six of their Premier League games through injury.

Arsenal’s away form is starting to look like last season
It’s been quite a blip in the Gunners’ away form after their long unbeaten run. Defeat at Southampton, one point at Brighton and a chastening loss at Liverpool. If Arsenal are to have genuine aspiration of returning to the top four, they are going to have to start winning away against the lesser sides on a regular basis. The margin for error is not great, given they also have to travel to both Manchester City and Spurs before the season’s out, fixtures they can’t be too hopeful of taking anything from.

Conclusion
West Ham looked like they had found their mojo under Pellegrini with four straight wins in the first part of December. Since in the four league matches then, the wheels have threatened to come off. An away win at Southampton made Arsenal’s result there look very poor, but in the other three matches – two of them at home – they have picked up a solitary point. They might be fragile, although they at least posted a home win in the Cup last weekend. Arsenal have the quality to win this game, and really need to. So I’ll go for a 2-0 away win. Yes, even a clean sheet, just going by the law of averages.

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