Zinchenko starts, Gabriel decision made - Four Arsenal changes Arteta could make vs West Ham

Things have turned around massively for Arsenal since the November international break.

In the four Premier League games prior to the pause they have managed just three goals. They matched that tally inside 90 minutes last Saturday against Nottingham Forest.

In their entire Champions League campaign so far this season they had managed just three goals. They nearly doubled that in one match against Sporting CP.

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The performance in Lisbon was particularly impressive given that Sporting had been unbeaten at home in over a year and had hammered Manchester City 4-1 at the Jose Alvalade Stadium just a few weeks prior. Arsenal though made light work of the Portuguese champions, racing into a 3-0 lead by half-time and weathering an early second-half storm to return to London with three points.

Now the Gunners are looking to keep their fine run going against West Ham this weekend. Despite their impressive recent form, Arsenal know that only a win will do as they seek to close the nine-point gap on Arne Slot's all conquering Liverpool side. For Mikel Arteta, their ability to do that has been improved massively by the return of several key players.

"We were training with 11 or 12 players for long periods," he said after the win in Lisbon. "Some of them they could not train or play. Now almost everyone is fit and available. It’s true that we’re still managing certain players. The level raises no doubt if we have the availability we’re going to be a really good side."

The Spaniard has been able to use his squad to its fullest in recent weeks, rotating the side heavily in the victories against Forest and Sporting. It will be interesting now to see how he alters the team at the London Stadium, particularly with a clash against Manchester United coming up the Wednesday after.

In defence, his ability to mix things up has been limited somewhat by injuries to Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu. Gabriel is also a doubt for the trip to east London after coming off late in the match against Sporting. Jakub Kiwior is hardly a terrible replacement, and Arteta may be inclined to give the Pole a rare start at centre-back in order to keep Gabriel fresh for midweek.

Don't be too surprised to see Oleksandr Zinchenko come in to the line up either. Riccardo Calafiori has started the past two matches, but the Italian is only just back from a month-long layoff with a knee injury and needs to be managed carefully.

In midfield, Arteta may be tempted to bring Jorginho back in to the side. Thomas Partey is playing some of his best football in recent memory, but the Ghanaian may well be kept back for Manchester United in midweek. Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, meanwhile, are dead certs to start, with the former keen to impress on return to his old club.

Bukayo Saka is a guaranteed starter too on the right wing, and Kai Havertz's physicality may be what Arteta opts for centrally. West Ham are likely to defend deep so their may not be too much space for Gabriel Martinelli to run into. This might just give Leandro Trossard the nod on the left wing.