After the high of the victory at St James’ Park on Monday comes the sober anticipation of Saturday’s [West Ham United](https://www.claretandhugh.info/newcastle-v-west-ham-united-claret-and-hughs-prediction/) v Arsenal fixture . The Gunners welcome back a string of recovering players recovering from injury and are on a run of pretty inspiring performances against Sporting Lisbon and Brighton and Hove Albion. Martin Odegaard returns as Arsenal’s midfield gets back to its combative best.
Countering this will be Lopetegui’s main aim in his planning and preparation. Most pundits agree that The Gunners are simply too strong, but could lightning strike twice with another Hammers victory?
Paul Merson thinks not. Writing on sportskeeda.com:”_West Ham got an incredible win against Newcastle. But they are never going to keep this free-flowing Arsenal team out of the game. I have a feeling Arsenal will destroy West Ham’s midfield.”_
Little comfort there. Remember though that every single pundit got it wrong on Monday night.
Lopetegui will have to find a solution to Arsenal’s rampant midfield: A formation-switch seems possible although a little bit terrifying to Hammers fans who have seen it go very wrong before.
The Spaniard has ‘form’ for playing three at the back and a four-man midfield which is an option to defeat Arsenal’s supremacy in the middle of the pitch BUT The Chelsea game immediately springs to mind where nobody, least of all the players, understood what Lopetegui was demanding with the weird ‘two centre backs plus Alvarez’ layout allowed Chelsea’s Nicholas Jackson to waltz straight through.
Whatever the chosen formation it is important that Tomas Soucek doesn’t get swamped in midfield. Soler and Paquetá need to be on top of their game and less adventurous. Do they have it in them to be more resolute and less attacking – especially in that first 45 minutes? That will be the key. West Ham simply must not get blown away in the first 45.