Arsenal has consistently shown a good form in all its previous five matches against Hull in the Premier League. They had defeated Hull City during the FA Cup Final with extra time on hand. The team last suffered a loss 1-2 against Hull City during the 2008 Premier League match. However, it happens to be the second worst Premier League start for the team, putting quite some pressure on the team members.
With the gunners showing the smallest of signs of faltering in the recent past, considering they haven’t won either of the last two matches in the Premium League, would it be safe to assume that they’ll continue on the same lines in the upcoming match? Or will they be able to reverse their form against the Tigers, a team, against whom they have performed surprisingly well in the past? Looks like we’ll have to wait this one out until October 18th, but here are some predictions anyway.
The injuries that have been plaguing Arsenal this season have been a major point of concern, and especially now, considering that they are up against Hull City who haven’t gone easy on any of their opponents this season. Hull City bounced back to level the score from a glum 0-2 against Man City, to be seen off eventually; Arsenal is surely not going to have it easy snagging three points from the Tigers in the upcoming match.
Hull City’s offensive threats have peaked this season, only at the cost of being vulnerable at the back, which has cost them points in the previous games. If Hull City manages to strike a good balance between strengthening the back and maintaining a strong attack, it may have a shot at giving Arsenal a good run for its money. What’s clear though is that taking down Hull won’t be as easy for Arsenal.
With Calum Chambers suspended, Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil and Mathieu Debuchy down with injuries, and Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey sitting out of matches until next month, the Arsenal team has surely seen better days in its line-up. Not having Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil around is certainly going to make it difficult for Arsenal, but if the team has Danny Welbeck on board, it may make up for Ozil missing the match. While some say that the line of suspensions and defensive injuries in the Arsenal team should give Hull City a good opportunity to clinch a surprise win as they did in the 2008-2009 Premier league match, others are skeptical about the match unveiling this way.
Hull City has been notoriously conceding goals recently, even though it flashed a clean sheet when it played against Crystal Palace. Being loose at the back should place a significant amount of pressure on the team. Knowing how Arsenal will be bringing the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Jack Wilshire, Santi Cazorla and Welbeck to the field, Hull City may very well have to stay on its toes the whole time to clinch a victory.