Arsenal are set to face West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, with a major boost as defender Ben White has been declared fit by Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners are aiming to close the gap on league leaders Liverpool, having had a full week of rest following their 2-0 victory over Leicester. With West Ham winning only one of their last six matches under Graham Potter, Arsenal will be confident heading into the 3 PM kickoff.

Liverpool currently hold an 11-point lead over Arsenal, but the North London club can apply pressure with a win, especially since Arne Slot’s side will only play against Manchester City on Sunday. Arteta remains optimistic, recognizing that plenty can change in the remaining 13 league games.

Ben White Returns from Injury

Injury troubles have plagued Arsenal recently, with Kai Havertz and Takehiro Tomiyasu sidelined for the rest of the season following surgery. However, Arteta confirmed that White is fit to play after recovering from a knee issue that kept him out since November 10.

“No major updates. The long-term absentees remain unavailable,” Arteta stated. “But the rest are fit. Ben is ready to play and will be part of the squad.”

White has missed 21 matches due to surgery but now competes with Jurrien Timber for the right-back position.

Champions League Fixtures and Road Ahead

Arsenal have been drawn against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League Round of 16. Since they finished third in their group, they avoided a play-off and will have the advantage of playing the second leg at home.

The Gunners previously defeated PSV 4-0 in the group stages in September 2023 and later secured a 1-1 draw in the final match, having already confirmed their progression.

If Arsenal advance, they will face either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals. The semi-final could potentially see them face one of Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, Club Brugge, or Aston Villa.

Arteta’s ‘Obsession’ with Winning the Title

During his press conference, Arteta was questioned about his determination to win the Premier League with Arsenal.

“I’m obsessed with doing everything I can every single day to achieve it,” he admitted.

When asked to elaborate, he explained, “I’m very obsessed with the process. That’s what consumes my entire day. The outcome is something I cannot control.”

With Arsenal currently on a 15-game unbeaten run in the league, Arteta emphasized the importance of momentum.

“That’s what we need, and it’s crucial,” he said. “When your belief grows, results follow, performances improve, and there’s a shift in energy. At that point, anything is possible.”

Ruben Amorim has openly admitted that David Moyes is outperforming him this season, as Manchester United prepares to face Everton. The upcoming fixture will see the sixth managerial appointment since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure take on the man who was first given the daunting task of replacing the legendary coach.

Moyes, who initially took over from Ferguson after a successful stint at Everton, was unable to complete a full season at Old Trafford. Over the past 11 years, the managerial role at United has proven to be immensely challenging, with multiple coaches struggling to leave a lasting impact.

This Saturday’s clash marks the first time since April 2014 that United will face Everton while trailing them in the Premier League standings. Coincidentally, that previous instance was also Moyes’ final game in charge of United. His return to Goodison Park in January highlights the stark contrast between the two clubs’ fortunes, as Everton’s decision to change managers has helped them steer clear of a relegation battle.

Since his return, Moyes has made an immediate impact, securing four victories in six league matches and elevating Everton above United in the table. In comparison, Amorim has managed just four league wins in 14 games since taking over at Old Trafford in November, a stark statistic that underlines the difference in managerial success.

When questioned about Moyes’ ability to inspire a turnaround at Everton compared to his own struggles at United, Amorim gave a blunt assessment of the situation.

“The simple fact is that David Moyes is doing a better job than me, it’s as straightforward as that,” Amorim admitted.

“Winning one or two games can build belief. The pressure levels are different. Credit must go to Everton’s players and especially to their coach. We need to follow their example.”

There have been reports suggesting that some Manchester United players are skeptical about Amorim’s methods. However, the Portuguese manager insists he hasn’t sensed any lack of belief during training sessions, even though the team’s difficulties are evident in competitive matches.

“I don’t see it in training. If you watch our games, you might get that impression, but I’m not concerned,” Amorim stated. “If the players have doubts, it’s my responsibility to change their perspective, and I believe I’m good at that.”

He emphasized that winning just one or two matches could shift the entire mood within the squad.

“If we win even one game, especially this next one against Everton, the atmosphere changes,” he continued. “Victory makes it much easier to remove doubts from players’ minds. My approach is to stay confident in our philosophy and focus on winning. If we do that, everything else falls into place.”

With pressure mounting at Old Trafford, Amorim will need a statement performance against Everton to regain momentum and silence the growing doubts around his tenure.

Arne Slot expressed his disappointment over Darwin Nunez’s missed open goal in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Aston Villa but emphasized that Nunez was likely more upset than anyone else.

Liverpool took the lead through Mohamed Salah’s brilliant strike in the 29th minute, but Villa fought back, with goals from Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins putting the hosts 2-1 up by halftime.

The second half saw Trent Alexander-Arnold level things up for Liverpool on the hour mark. However, the real drama came when Dominik Szoboszlai made a superb run, leaving Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez stranded. Szoboszlai squared the ball to Nunez, who, despite beating Villa’s Tyrone Mings to the ball, fired his shot over the bar from a point-blank range, much to the frustration of Liverpool’s away supporters.

Reflecting on the chance in his post-match interview, Slot said: “The pass from Conor Bradley was incredible, and Dominik Szoboszlai made a fantastic run, making the perfect choice to square the ball. That left Nunez with a near-open goal. It wasn’t Nunez’s strongest foot – he’s right-footed – but it was still a massive chance.”

“He was unlucky, and I was hoping he’d get another opportunity because a player of his quality likely wouldn’t miss twice in a row. He was very close, but Martinez made a brilliant sliding tackle to deny him.”

“Of course, we were all disappointed, but it’s normal for the player to feel it the most,” Slot added, acknowledging Nunez’s evident frustration.

While a win would have put Liverpool 10 points clear at the top of the Premier League, Slot’s side now hold an eight-point lead, ahead of a crucial title showdown this weekend.

On Sunday, Liverpool will face Manchester City, who are struggling after a 6-3 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Assessing his team’s performance in Birmingham, Slot reflected: “It was a great game overall. Going into halftime 2-1 down didn’t feel quite right, but I was still disappointed with how we finished the first half.”

“We came out strong in the second half, got the equalizer at 2-2, and created more opportunities to go ahead. At the same time, we were fortunate not to concede again. It was a fantastic match, but I’m not satisfied with the outcome.”

He continued, “Defensively, I thought we were solid. Villa didn’t really create many chances, and we were unfortunate with the balance of set-pieces. We scored two excellent goals and had enough opportunities to secure a win.”

“We’ve been in similar tight situations before, like our 2-1 win over Wolves, which was tough right up until the final minutes. Our players are used to playing under pressure, especially when fighting for trophies.”

Slot concluded: “We played well today, but that was also down to the way Villa approached the game. Every team faces every other team twice in a season, and this week we’ve had Villa away and City away. The important thing is we didn’t lose. We wanted more, and that’s something we can hold ourselves accountable for. We can’t let this become a recurring issue.”