Lopetegui to make change after new injury – West Ham predicted XI v Arsenal
Julen Lopetegui is expected to make one change to his starting XI when West Ham United face Arsenal on Saturday.
The Irons finally got back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle at St. James’ Park on 25 November; Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s goals giving Lopetegui only his fifth win in charge.
As a result, the Hammers boss will be hesitant to tinker with his side too much, but questions remain over Jean-Clair Todibo’s fitness after he was forced off with an injury in the second half.
Todibo not being 100 per cent fit, particularly against an Arsenal side fresh from a 5-1 victory in the Champions League, means Konstantinos Mavropanos could come in against his former employers after Lopetegui dropped him for the last two games.
Julen Lopetegui to make one change for West Ham United v Arsenal
While Lopetegui’s 4-2-3-1 setup worked a treat at St. James’ Park, facing title-chasing Arsenal is an entirely different proposition and could see the Irons switch to a more defensively-minded 4-1-4-1 setup.
Dropping Alphonse Areola for Lukasz Fabiański appears to have paid off for Lopetegui, and the ex-Arsenal man will surely keep his place between the sticks after back-to-back clean sheets.
Todibo was hardly excelling against Newcastle despite the Irons coming away with three points, and although Mavropanos has come under heavy criticism this season, this solitary change makes sense.
The rest of the backline should remain unchanged, as must midfield, with Soucek, Lucas Paqueta and Carlos Soler providing a solution to the Hammers’ seemingly unsolvable issues in the engine room.
Captain Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville are now both undroppable out wide, having both produced big moments so far this season and Mohammed Kudus banned for a further match.
Michail Antonio is yet to add to his tally of just a single goal this term, but with only Danny Ings as an alternative with Niclas Fullkrug still sidelined, the veteran frontman will surely keep his place up front.
Facing an in-form Arsenal side will arguably be the toughest test yet for Lopetegui, but if his side comes away with any form of result, the Spaniard will have passed the supposed two-game trial to keep his job.
In other West Ham news, one of the club’s directors is ‘days away’ from completing a multi-billion buyout of a huge British company.
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