Arsenal vs. Hull City: Date, Time, Live Stream, Prediction and Preview
Arsenal take on Hull City in a rematch of the 2014 FA Cup final, a game the Gunners won 3-2 to end a nine-year wait for a trophy.
Manager Arsene Wenger's squad will be keen to rebound after losing their last Premier League fixture 2-0 at table-toppers Chelsea.
However, Wenger will be acutely aware that Arsenal's growing injury list could make the task harder than expected against Steve Bruce's resolute and revenge-hungry Tigers.
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Before a preview of the game's main talking points, plus a prediction, here's all of the relevant schedule and viewing information:
Date: Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014
Time: 3 p.m. (BST)/10 a.m. (ET)
Live Stream: Arsenal.com (web updates). NBC Sports Live Extra.
Preview
The recent international break predictably added pages to Arsenal's already thick catalogue of first-team casualties. Wenger lost playmaker Mesut Ozil to knee surgery, while centre-back Laurent Koscielny returned to north London to nurse an ongoing Achilles ailment.
While Ozil is a loss, it's one Wenger should be able to withstand simply by relying on tricky mini marvel Santi Cazorla. The highly skilled Spaniard can give the Gunners the creativity they need between the midfield and forward lines to expose the Hull defence.
While Wenger is well-stocked with players who can cover for Ozil, he's not so fortunate when it comes to mitigating the impact of Koscielny's absence. Wenger has officially confirmed the former FC Lorient man will pay no part against the Tigers, per Arsenal.com:
"No [he will not be available]. He has an achilles problem, which has got worse. He finds it difficult to play with it at the moment. You can only trust what the players says, he does not feel ready to play and will not play on Saturday. No [he will not need surgery].
"
With resources at the back in short supply, Wenger will have to get creative, as London Evening Standard reporter James Olley has described:
"Ozil is out for up to 12 weeks with a knee injury while Koscielny’s Achilles problem will be carefully managed with the Gunners facing three games in eight days including a Champions League trip to Anderlecht. Koscielny is expected to be rotated with Wenger mindful of the schedule, and given Calum Chambers is suspended against Hull, Nacho Monreal could come in at centre-back with Hector Bellerin at right-back.
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Putting natural left-back Nacho Monreal in the middle is a risky move, but one Wenger can scarce avoid if he wants to protect Koscielny. Calum Chambers' suspension has robbed Wenger of the only other first-team centre-back at his disposal.
The one advantage to moving Monreal inside is that it can help mask the ex-Malaga man's lack of pace. But considering he might be partnering savvy but lumbering German Per Mertesacker, two centre-halves lacking mobility might not be a good thing.
However, Hull may not be able to exploit this weakness. Bruce often deploys either Nikica Jelavic or towering Uruguayan Abel Hernandez as the focal point of his attack. Neither striker is particularly quick.
If he starts, Monreal's performance will be under scrutiny, but it could be just as intriguing to see how Hector Bellerin fares. The Catalan teenager made his full senior debut during the 2-0 UEFA Champions League group defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
The 19-year-old former FC Barcelona prospect was one of the few Arsenal defenders who didn't shame himself in Germany. Bellerin has terrific pace and will certainly offer more going forward than Chambers, but it's his defensive chops that will be under the microscope.
Further forward, Wenger will be buoyed by the news that striker Danny Welbeck is fit enough to start. That's according to ESPN FC reporter Kevin Palmer:
"Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck is expected to be fit to play in Saturday's Premier League game against Hull City, sources have told ESPN FC.
England manager Roy Hodgson suggested Welbeck, 23, had "turned his ankle" in the 1-0 Euro 2016 qualifying win against Estonia in Tallinn on Sunday, with the player having to be replaced by Rickie Lambert in the closing stages of the game.
Hodgson, however, downplayed the severity of the injury afterwards and sources say Arsenal are confident the former Manchester United man will be ready to start against Hull at Emirates Stadium.
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The last thing Wenger would have needed, given his injury woes elsewhere in the squad, is to have to change the focal point of his attack. Welbeck is still adapting to life at the Emirates Stadium, although he has netted four goals already since his deadline-day move from Manchester United.
His pace and bustling energy should stretch the Hull back-line. Provided Cazorla can play him through, Welbeck is a reasonable bet to etch his name on the scoresheet.
One potential danger man Arsenal ought to be wary of is Hull's on-loan winger Hatem Ben Arfa. The Newcastle United misfit has returned to full fitness and is eager to showcase his talent for the Tigers, per Daily Mirror reporter James McMath:
"I am back training with fellow professionals every single day, which makes me happy. I feel as though I've been given a new lease of life under Steve Bruce and the coaching staff here.
It's important for any player, at every level of the game, that his manager wants him. Steve Bruce wants me and that makes me happy.
"
A motivated Ben Arfa is a scary prospect for any team. He is capable of tormenting defenders from the flanks and is always a threat to score via a powerful shot whenever he drifts inside.
If Ben Arfa takes to the pitch at the Emirates, he's likely to test out the inexperienced Bellerin.
Predicted Final Score: Arsenal 3-1 Hull City
The memory of squandering a two-goal lead at Wembley back in May is probably still a fresh one for the Tigers.
Bruce played three at the back in the early stages of the Cup final and caused Arsenal plenty of problems, eventually prompting a shift to a more conventional 4-4-2 from Wenger in response.
However, the Frenchman hardly has the strikers available for that kind of ploy this time around. He'll instead rely on Cazorla to conjure some magic from his preferred central position.
Expect the Gunners to make hard work of this one for long stages but eventually bag a late goal to ease their nerves and claim the points.
