Arsenal vs West Ham: 5 key players as desperation looms

3. Matteo Guendouzi

We were missing Matteo Guendouzi against Brighton, and while I don’t think it was that noticeable, as Granit Xhaka performed admirably and Lucas Torreira was decent as well, there’s still no hiding from the fact that Guendouzi makes things better. Always. Across the board.

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Part of what I’m hoping to see change against West Ham is a greater emphasis placed on a midfield that’s sturdy and reliable and able to establish control, which we have been so lacking in recently. That, in part, falls on Guendouzi to be the vessel that sparks the attack from deep. Because someone has to do it and as he’s ben one of the few bright spots on the team this year, I’m hoping he can answer that call.

More than that, seeing as how Guendouzi is improving every single time he takes the pitch, I do believe there will come a time when Guendouzi can be counted on to create chances. He’s starting to nail these over-the-top passes and with a striker like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of him, that’s all you need to be a creative threat.

And of course, there’s the matter of him being an everything midfielder, who can be counted on to do so many different things. It’s impossible to think of a facet of the match that Guendouzi won’t have a part to play in.

No. 2 coming up.