Game week 10 Predictions: Arsenal to beat Hull City

Arsenal will hope to go six points clear at the top with the visit of Hull City to the Emirates. Will the Gunners head into the internationa...

Arsenal will hope to go six points clear at the top with the visit of Hull City to the Emirates. Will the Gunners head into the international break on the back of a win? (Photo credit: GOAL)

 Arsenal vs Hull City

Emirates Stadium

4:00pm

The league leaders host a side that has not won in the Premier League for weeks, and the table, head-to-head record, and form guide all point the same way. Arsenal can move six points clear, at least until Manchester City plays at Nottingham Forest in the evening, and they have a few details to watch, including Bukayo Saka’s absence.

Arsenal top the table with 24 points from nine games, with eight wins and one defeat. That is a points total bettered only by the title-winning sides of 2004-05 and 2007-08 in the post-1992 era, and the reigning champions are the only club with a perfect home record this season.

They come into this match after a 1-0 win at Liverpool last weekend and a 2-1 Champions League win at Slavia Prague on Wednesday, where Viktor Gyökeres stepped up in an otherwise disappointing display. Manchester City sit second on 21 points after losing to Aston Villa and Brighton.

Hull City sits in 11th place, on 11 points, with two wins, five draws, and two defeats from their first nine games back in the top flight. Their 2-2 draw with Ipswich last time out extended a run of eight matches without a win, and they have failed to keep a clean sheet in seven straight games across all competitions and lost three of their last four on the road.

The Tigers are difficult to beat but short of ways to win, as six of their last 10 matches have ended in draws after 90 minutes. They face a team that knows how to grind out a win even on days they don't play well. Is there a chance of an upset in this one?

The history is heavily in Arsenal’s favor. Across 26 meetings, Arsenal have won 18, drawn five, and lost three. They have not lost to Hull since a shock defeat in 2008 and are unbeaten in 14 meetings since.

The most recent was in February 2017, when Arsenal won 2-0 courtesy of an Alexis Sánchez double. That was in the Premier League as well, so the two clubs have not met in the top flight for almost a decade. Hull scored only two goals across their last five meetings with Arsenal. There is no previous top-flight meeting between Mikel Arteta and Hull manager Sergej Jakirović.

How will they lineup? Bukayo Saka and the suspended Max Dowman are the only confirmed absentees. Arteta has said Saka will be out for a few more weeks. Ezri Konsa was substituted during the Slavia win but is expected to be fine.

William Saliba made his first matchday squad of the season in midweek after a long back injury, though he did not play. Cristian Mosquera could start alongside Gabriel at center-back, but fans will love to see Saliba play on Saturday.

For Hull, midfielder Hidemasa Morita has a small recurring groin issue and could miss the match. Matt Targett and Eliot Matazo are not close to returning. Matt Crooks serves a one-match ban after his fifth booking of the season. The likely shape is a 5-4-1 built around defensive discipline.

Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres has strengthened his case for another start after a goal and an assist at Slavia Prague. Against a deep defense, his strength and movement in the box are what Arsenal need to break down a low block.

If Kai Havertz starts as the lone forward, Havertz is the likelier player to find pockets of space between Hull’s five defenders and midfield. Noni Madueke is in fine form, and Christos Tzolis has surprises up his sleeves.

Arsenal’s home record, top-of-the-table depth, and dominance in this fixture all point to a comfortable win. Hull’s best chance is to stay compact, defend set pieces well, and hope Belloumi finds space on the break, but they have conceded in seven straight games.

Arsenal will likely score early, making the rest easier. Hull’s rotating defense, with a possible Morita absence in midfield, may not hold out for 90 minutes. I expect the Gunners to win by two or three goals, with Hull perhaps scoring a consolation.

Verdict: Arsenal to win.