Cazorla out, Walcott in? Arsenal v Hull predicted line-ups and stats preview

Arsenal – Hull

4th December 2013

Venue: Emirates Stadium

KO: 19.45

Arsenal host Hull City on Wednesday night looking to cement their place at the top of the Premier League table. The Gunners sit four points clear of second placed Chelsea after brushing aside Cardiff City at the weekend. The visitors will also be on a high after upsetting Champions League chasing Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

Team News

Arsenal

The Gunners are still without Lukas Podolski (hamstring) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee) but the German is now back in training. Yaya Sanogo (back) and Abou Diaby (ACL) remain long-term absentees and winger Ryo Miyaichi (hamstring) remains on the sidelines too.

Hull

Steve Bruce’s men will be without Stephen Quinn, Paul McShane (both hamstring) and Sone Aluko (calf/shin) for their trip to the Emirates. Curtis Davies picked up his fifth booking of the season in the weekend win over Liverpool so he will not feature here.

Predicted Line-Ups

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger could make a few changes with next week in mind. They face Everton, Napoli and Manchester City in the space of a week so this game would seem like the perfect night to rest a few players. This means Theo Walcott, Tomas Rosicky, Nacho Monreal and Thomas Vermaelen could all be handed starts.

Hull

The Tigers are likely to field a relatively similar side to the one that beat Liverpool at the weekend. Davies is suspended for the game so either Abdoulaye Faye or James Chester will come in to replace him.

Recent Form

Arsenal have been in stunning form in the league in recent weeks barring a slight blip away at Manchester United. They have won five of their last six games in the Premier League, keeping four clean sheets in the process. The Gunners sit on top of the table, four points above nearest rivals Chelsea and six above title favourites Manchester City.

Hull City have surprised many so far this season as they fly the flag for the promoted sides, sitting in 10th place in the table. However, they have relied on some fantastic home form, having picked up points in just one game on the road.

The Tigers are likely to put ten men behind the ball and use Yannick Sagbo as an outlet when they regain possession. The key for them will be stopping Arsenal playing their intricate passing game and breaking on them efficiently should they get a chance. As for the Gunners’ star studded line-up, they will be trying to keep up what they have been doing in every game this season and retain or even improve on their lead over 2nd placed Chelsea in the midweek fixtures.

Players to Watch

Arsenal – Aaron Ramsey

What more can you say about the Welshman? He has been in tremendous form this season and has no challengers when debating who the most improved player in the league is. His performances have been so good that there is a strong case to be made for Ramsey being called the best player in the Premier League too. He has scored eight goals in the league, including two at the weekend and has created 18 chances for his fellow Gunners. His all-round ability and world class potential is highlighted by his defensive stats too, he has won the most tackles in the league with 48 and has made 13 interceptions.

Hull – Tom Huddlestone

Huddlestone is without doubt Hull’s major creative threat. As a former Tottenham player, he will have extra incentive to get one over on his old rivals on Wednesday. The English midfielder has proven to be a very shrewd purchase by Bruce, creating the most chances at the KC Stadium with 23. 67.5% of his attempted passes go forwards, showing he is always trying to penetrate opposing backlines. Huddlestone has also won 26 tackles and made an average of five defensive actions per game.

Prediction

Arsenal should have too much for Hull in this one. An early goal will be the key to the way this game goes because the Tigers have been relatively difficult to break down this season but once the Gunners get one, a couple more should follow.

Arsenal 3-0 Hull City