Arsenal Vs. West Ham United Prediction: Dilema Di Lini Depan The Gunners

JAKARTA - Arsenal will try to shorten the gap between points with leaders Liverpool at home to West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday 22 February. The Gunners are currently eight points behind Liverpool, but victory over city rivals could cut the deficit to five points, especially if Manchester City were able to provide assistance by beating the Reds.

While Arsenal came into this game with high confidence after a 2-0 win over Leicester City last week, West Ham actually slumped even further after a narrow 0-1 loss to Brentford. The Hammers' poor performance under Graham Potter made them closer to the relegation zone, although they still have a 10-point lead over the lower limit of the standings.

Liverpool had appeared immovable at the top of the standings, but two draws against Everton and Aston Villa had given Arsenal hope. However, the journey to the title is still tough for Mikel Arteta's team.

Last week's victory over Leicester was proof of Arsenal's resilience. Without the presence of a pure striker, Mikel Merino appeared as a hero scoring two goals in stoppage time. The win extended Arsenal's positive trend to three consecutive wins in the Premier League.

Emirates Stadium remains a strong stronghold for Arsenal. They have been unbeaten at home this season and have gone through the last 15 games in the Premier League without losing in front of their own supporters. The last time they lost at home in a league game was in April last year.

Unlike Arsenal who are on the rise, West Ham has experienced a decline in performance. Since the arrival of Graham Potter, the Hammers have not shown any signs of a real revival. They have only won four points from the last seven Premier League games, with five of them ending in defeat.

Last week's 0-1 loss to Brentford was proof of West Ham's inconsistency. Kevin Schade's quick goal in the fourth minute was enough to make them lose their full points at the London Stadium. Even more worrying, Potter had to make three substitutions at halftime, a sign that the original scheme was not going well.

In the last two meetings against Arsenal, West Ham had a nightmare of conceding 11 goals. They lost 6-0 and 5-2 in their last two home games against the Gunners. If they lose again by scoring five goals or more, Arsenal will record five goals or more in three consecutive matches against a team in the Premier League era.

Arsenal will still feature without a number of key players. Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all confirmed absent until the end of the season. Meanwhile, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are still in the recovery stage from their hamstring injuries and are expected to be able to return after the March international break.

Mikel Arteta faces a dilemma up front. Raheem Sterling failed to appear impressive against Leicester, while Mikel Merino managed to score two goals after coming on as a substitute. Now, Arteta has to decide whether to keep Sterling in the starting XI or give Merino a chance from the start.

In West Ham's camp, Potter had to face a severe injury crisis. Michail Antonio, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug, and Vladimir Coufal are all still sidelined due to injury. Lucas Paqueta was also confirmed absent after suffering an ankle injury during a training session.

After her poor performance in the first half against Brentford, Potter will probably make some changes. James Ward-Prowse could re-enter the main line-up, as well as Evan Ferguson who has the potential to have his first game as a starter with West Ham. Meanwhile, Carlos Soler is likely to remain a substitute for Paqueta.

Based on the latest performances of the two teams and the record of the last meeting, Arsenal are favorite to win. Without a pure striker, they still show the effectiveness of the attack thanks to the solid midfield contribution. Meanwhile, West Ham are still struggling to find the best form of their game under Potter.

With Arsenal unbeaten at home throughout the season and West Ham continuing to experience defensive problems, the Gunners have a great chance of winning convincingly.

Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Nwaneri, Merino, Trossard.

West Ham United (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Ward-Prowse, Alvarez; Bowen, Soler, Kudus; Ferguson.

Score prediction: Arsenal 3-0 West Ham United