January 1st 2025.
Kai Havertz is determined to maintain his position in Arsenal's central midfield, hoping to play a crucial role in their upcoming match against Brentford. The team is looking to kick off the New Year with a bang and narrow the gap with Liverpool, who are currently at the top of the table. After their disappointing draw with Everton in December, Mikel Arteta's side bounced back with much needed victories against Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town over the Christmas period.
A win in their upcoming game on Wednesday would not only put them back in second place, but also bring them within six points of the Premier League leaders at the halfway point of the season. On the other hand, Brentford has been struggling in recent games and is currently winless in their last four matches in all competitions. They have also failed to beat Arsenal in their previous five encounters.
As the Gunners prepare for their clash with Brentford, Arteta seems to have no new injury concerns and may make some tactical changes in the team. One player who could make a comeback into the starting lineup is Riccardo Calafiori, who missed the game against Ipswich entirely. Although he made his return from injury in the game against Crystal Palace, the impressive performance of Myles Lewis-Skelly may see him retain his spot in the team.
Kai Havertz has been playing in a deeper midfield role in their last two games, but Arteta may consider adding more physicality to the team against Brentford. Mikel Merino and Thomas Partey, who both started on the bench in the previous game, could replace the German alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. The Gunners will also rely on Gabriel Jesus, who has been in good form, to lead the attack. He will be supported by Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard on the wings, in the absence of Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling.
Arteta confirmed that Saka will be out for a few weeks due to a procedure, but he remains optimistic about Sterling's return to the team. The manager stated, "The news with Raz, I think it's better. We have to see this week how he evolves. But we expected it, the knee injury, to probably take longer than actually the way the knee is evolving in the last few days. So, hopefully that's good because we need him."
The Gunners will also be without the services of Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, who are both dealing with longer-term knee issues. The predicted Arsenal XI for the game against Brentford includes Raya, Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, Calafiori, Rice, Odegaard, Havertz, Martinelli, Jesus, and Trossard. Fans can catch all the action on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 4:30pm UK time. The match kicks off at 5:30pm on Wednesday, January 1.
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