First of all, I have to make it clear that Arsenal, as usual, are facing more injury problems than our next opponents. I cannot remember a game this season where that has not been the case but it has become so regular for the Gunners that we have just go used to it.
Anyway, while Arsenal have eight players on the injured list, according to physioroom.com, West Ham also have three players unavailable and they are all fairly important to their team. Andy Carroll, Carlton Cole and Winston Reid are all supposedly going to miss the game and they will also have to do without our own Carl Jenkinson, so what could this mean to their formation and how could it help Arsene Wenger?
Well losing two of the first choice back four is obviously a blow to them and they will probably bring in O´Brien at right back. Surely this is an invitation to Wenger to put Alexis up against him and watch the carnage unfold. Collins will come into the centre and I would be tempted to try Welbeck in the middle to exploit his lack of pace.
We don´t have much choice about our own centre backs but we can at least hope that the absence of Carroll and Cole takes away a lot of their usual aerial threat and perhaps take the pressure of our full backs to cut out crosses. They may have to be more technical and go through the midfield and that should bring the combative Coquelin into play. I really cannot see anything but an Arsenal win here. We have been surprised before, so do you think the Gunners could mess it up?