Arsenal predicted lineup vs West Ham - Premier League | OneFootball

Liverpool have just left the door ajar for Arsenal to close the gap at the top of the Premier League table.

The Reds haven't yet veered off into the distance at the summit, with the Gunners' battered and bruised attack still keeping pace. A win over a struggling West Ham team on Saturday will cut the deficit to five points ahead of Liverpool's trip to Manchester City the following afternoon.

There's been little change on the injury front since last week's 2-0 win at Leicester, although it was confirmed that Takehiro Tomiyasu, who's played six minutes all season, underwent season-ending knee surgery. He joins Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus on the long-term injury list.

While Mikel Arteta has achieved stability in defence and midfield, he has a bold selection call to make up top. Here's the team he could pick for West Ham's visit.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs West Ham (4-3-3)

Will Mikel Merino get a starting berth up top? / Shaun Botterill/GettyImages

GK: David Raya - Raya claimed his ninth Premier League clean sheet of the season last weekend, and he's hunting down current Golden Glove leader Matz Sels, who has ten, in a bid to reclaim the award.

RB: Jurrien Timber - Ben White should earn minutes off the bench this weekend, but the reliable Timber will get the nod again to start.

CB: William Saliba - This Arsenal defence could face up against a new Hammer this weekend, with January arrival Evan Ferguson poised for a start up top. Saliba will be put to the test by the Irishman's ability to run in behind.

CB: Gabriel - Gabriel continues to manifest an air of control while marshalling an imperious Arsenal defence. He's a shoo-in for another start this weekend.

LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly - Lewis-Skelly deserves to retain his place having made a crucial intervention to deny Leicester the opening goal last Saturday. Riccardo Calafiori is an X-factor option off the bench.

CM: Thomas Partey - The Ghanaian international has been a near constant in Arteta's XI this term, with the Spaniard entrusting Partey with a difficult role.

CM: Declan Rice - Rice lines up against his former club again on Saturday, and this newfound emphasis on the midfielder crashing the box means he may well get on the scoresheet at the Emirates.

CM: Martin Odegaard - West Ham are bound to sit deep and launch counter-attacks, so Odegaard has a key role to play in picking locks from deeper positions and around the Hammers box.

RW: Ethan Nwaneri - The 17-year-old was sensational at King Power and suddenly has a huge role to play in Arsenal's title tilt. Things tend to happen when the ball arrives at his feet.

ST: Mikel Merino - Arsenal were so poor until Merino entered the fray last week, with Raheem Sterling's struggles surely convincing Arteta to roll with the makeshift centre-forward on Saturday. Merino's brace handed the Gunners all three points at Leicester.

LW: Leandro Trossard - Trossard has impressed off the left in recent weeks, proving himself to be a handy provider via pinpoint deliveries into the box.