Potter makes bold Mavropanos call – West Ham predicted XI v Arsenal
West Ham United are set to travel to North London to face Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.
Graham Potter has already made a handful of changes to the way the Hammers set themselves up and will be hoping for a more positive result out of their upcoming game against the Gunners.
While West Ham may have been defeated by Brentford last time out, there were still some positives to be taken away from the game that Potter will be hoping his team can carry into their clash against Mikel Arteta’s men at the Emirates.
| Team West Ham United played against | Result |
| Brentford | 1-0 loss |
| Chelsea | 2-1 loss |
| Aston Villa | 1-1 Draw |
Lucas Paqueta misses out as Konstantinos Mavropanos keeps his place
Given that the Hammers don’t have all that many options among their ranks due to injuries, Potter isn’t likely to make that many changes to West Ham’s starting XI, in fact it could be just one switch.
In between the sticks will no doubt be Alphonse Areola after his excellent performance last time out in the 1-0 loss to Brentford.
The back four is likely to stay the same with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson starting at full-back with Konstantinos Mavropanos and Max Kilman coming in at centre-back.
Mavropanos had a bit of a stinker against the Bees but with Jean Clair-Todibo still not fully fit, Potter has nobody else to come in and replace him.
In the centre of the park will be Tomas Soucek and Edson Alvarez. While the duo may not be the fastest central midfielders in the league, their solid defensive work will be needed against a goal-hungry Arsenal.
On either wing will be Jarrod Bowen and Carlos Soler, much like their centre-back options, there are not really any other suitable candidates to fulfil those roles which is why the duo have kept their spots.
In attacking midfield will be Mohammed Kudus, while he hasn’t been in the best form this season, his ability to make something happen out of nothing could well be needed against the Gunners.
And, last but not least, leading the line will be Evan Ferguson. The striker is in on a six-month loan from Brighton with Potter likely looking towards the Irishman to help solve his attacking problems.
West Ham United could do with a draw against Arsenal
Even though beating Arsenal might be a tough ask for the Hammers, a draw doesn’t seem too far-fetched.
Indeed, Arteta’s men have been one of the most dominant forces in the top flight this season as they currently sit second in the table, eight points behind first-placed Liverpool with a game in hand.
While a win would mean a lot to the North London outfit, it feels like a point could be worth more to the Hammers due to the precarious situation they’ve found themselves in.
At the moment, Potter’s men have 27 points to their name and are only 10 points clear of the drop zone.
If they don’t start stringing a win or two together as the season reaches its closing stages, they could end up saying bye to their Premier League status, which, would be nothing short of a catastrophe.