Arsenal host Huddersfield in the Premier League on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium as they aim to move back into the top four.
Unai Emery’s side stretched their undefeated run in all competitions to 20 matches on Wednesday as they picked up a point in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United . However, they twice led at Old Trafford only to rapidly cede their advantage on both occasions.
Huddersfield, meanwhile, are coming off the back of a week that has seen them go down 2-1 to Brighton and Bournemouth.
One point above the drop zone, David Wagner and his side would see anything from their trip to London as a bonus.
| Game | Arsenal vs Huddersfield |
| Date | Saturday, December 8 |
| Time | 3pm GMT/10am ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched on CNBC and streamed online at NBCSports.com.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| CNBC | NBCSports.com |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will not be broadcast as it takes place during the blackout period.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | N/A |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Arsenal squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Cech, Leno, Martinez |
| Defenders | Bellerin, Sokratis, Koscielny, Monreal, Mustafi, Holding, Lichtsteiner, Mavropanos, Kolasinac, Medley, Piguezuelo |
| Midfielders | Elneny, Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Ozil, Guendouzi, Torreira, Maitland-Niles, Iwobi, Xhaka, Smith Rowe, Willock |
| Forwards | Lacazette, Aubameyang, Welbeck, Nketiah |
Unai Emery does not have too many pressing headaches, though the duo of Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck remain absent. Rob Holding, meanwhile, has been ruled out for the season .
Alexandre Lacazette starts after a strong cameo at Old Trafford, while Granit Xhaka will feature after a ban and Laurent Koscielny is back on the bench.
Arsenal starting XI: Leno; Lichtsteiner, Sokratis, Mustafi; Bellerin, Xhaka, Torreira, Kolasinac, Guendouzi; Lacazette, Aubameyang.
Subs: Cech, Koscielny, Monreal, Elneny, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi, Nketiah.
| Position | Huddersfield players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Lossl, Hamer, Schofield |
| Defenders | Smith, Lowe, Zanka, Schindler, Stankovic, Kongolo, Hadergjonaj, Durm, Jorgensen |
| Midfielders | Hogg, Billing, Mooy, Sabiri, Van La Parra, Williams, Pritchard, Sobhi, Bacuna, Mbenza |
| Forwards | Kachunga, Depoitre, Quaner, Mounie, Diakhaby |
Huddersfield will be without Steve Mounie, who has two games of a three-match ban still to serve, and Philip Billing, who misses out after picking up five yellow cards.
On the injury front, Chris Lowe is back in training but Ramadan Sobhi is absent.
Huddersfield starting XI: Lossl, Lowe, Schindler, Jorgensen, Kongolo, Smith, Mooy, Pritchard, Williams, Hogg, Depoitre.
Subs: Hamer, Bacuna, Kachunga, Ramadan, Mbenza, Hadergjonaj, Durm.
Betting & Match Odds
Arsenal are 2/7 favourites to win this match at bet365 . A draw is priced at 5/1, while a Huddersfield victory can be backed at 11/1.
Match Preview
Getty Images
Arsenal fans could not, realistically, have hoped for more from the start of Unai Emery’s tenure.
After losing his first two competitive matches in charge of the club, albeit against Chelsea and Manchester City, the Spaniard has overseen a 20-match undefeated run in all competitions that has them in hot contention for the top four of the Premier League, having beaten Tottenham in a raucous derby last weekend, and already through to the last 32 of the Europa League.
Standards are starting to rise at the Emirates Stadium once more, and where once a 2-2 draw at Manchester United might have been seen as a decent result, there is a sense of frustration that they failed to close out the victory in midweek, having twice led.
“I think that’s where we have to be a little more clever, and a little bit more sensitive to danger and not concede,” Shkodran Mustafi told BT Sport .
Emery, meanwhile, admits that he is somewhat concerned that the Gunners have yet to lead a Premier League game at half-time under his command. It has provoked a number of early changes in matches, which have inevitably paid dividends , yet the former Paris Saint-Germain boss is disquieted by the phenomenon.
“The experience that we are having is in the first half we have not finished ahead in 15 Premier League matches,” he told the club's official website. “That’s one reason I need to make changes.”
He will be hoping for a better start against Huddersfield, in part because it is the only way to make the midweek draw pay.
“The draw at Old Trafford is only good if we win against Huddersfield,” he said. “We must work, prepare, respect, push with our supporters at the Emirates and feel the spirit with them.”
For their part, Huddersfield have won only twice in the Premier League this season and, after an unbeaten November, have sunk back down to 17th in the standings off the back of 2-1 losses against Brighton and Bournemouth.
Anything they could take from the Emirates would be a bonus with vital home games against Newcastle and Southampton looming.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)