West Ham vs Arsenal: 4 pre-match discussions

4. Play Takehiro Tomiyasu – Just Do it

There are obvious concerns over his match sharpness, which is entirely to be expected when you haven’t started a match in nearly 100 days and have had just two minutes of action over that period.

Yet, if Takehiro Tomiyasu can walk, he can run. Play him. He’s too important not to feature.

Not only is he a considerable improvement on Cedric Soares, he adds balance and solidity to the side in various phases, while his excellent ability with both feet brings variance to how Arsenal can build up from the back.

There is a domino effect, too. Nuno Tavares is the only natural left-back remaining and, while he had a stinker in the previous game, he needs to stay in the team to prevent any further disruption to the starting lineup. As few changes as possible, please.

Bringing Tomiyasu into the fold – even if not at full sharpness – gives Nuno more freedom to venture forward with the stability of a back three behind him. Add to that Tomi’s exceptional aerial ability which will be crucial against such a tall and physical side who are strong on set pieces, and it really is a no-brainer.