Arteta admits Arsenal star will miss West Ham and may not play this season

Arsenal will be without key players against West Ham this afternoon, manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed.

Arsenal prepare for crucial London derby against West Ham

The situation surrounding Sunday’s game is very sharp.

Arsenal lead the Premier League with three games remaining and a win at the London Stadium would put Arteta firmly in the driver’s seat for the final two games against Burnley and Crystal Palace, ending the club’s 22-year title wait.

City’s blunder against Everton means Arsenal have regained control of their destiny, but Arteta’s side cannot afford to be complacent ahead of their game against City.

The Sky Blues kept the pressure on Arteta with a hard-fought 3-0 win at home to Brentford on Saturday.

However, Arsenal have won their last two Premier League games without conceding, beating Newcastle 1-0 and Fulham 3-0, and the confidence gained from Tuesday’s victory over Atletico Madrid to reach the Champions League final is palpable throughout the club.

West Ham lost 3-0 to Brentford last weekend, dropping them back into the bottom three of the Premier League. The result ended a three-game unbeaten run and Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are in desperate need of a shock today.

Nothing has been decided yet as Spurs are one point ahead and both teams are fighting to stay in the table.

The Hammers’ cause has also not been helped by their dismal performance against their London rivals this season. They have lost all five of their home London derby games in the Premier League this season, a terrible statistic heading into perhaps the most important game of the year.

Arsenal won 2-0 in a come-from-behind defeat in October and have scored 11 goals in their previous two outings at the London Stadium.

Set pieces are looming as an important battleground.

Arsenal have scored 27 goals in the Premier League this season from set-pieces, more than any other club, and 17 of those goals have come from corners alone, the most by any team in a single Premier League season.

West Ham’s weakness in the corners has been one of the most notable weaknesses identified by analysts all season, and Arteta will be keenly aware of the opportunities it presents.

Arsenal without Julian Timber, likely unable to play again this season

Against this backdrop, confirmation that Julian Timber remains unavailable is a frustration that could have been avoided for Arteta.

The Arsenal manager was candid in his pre-match press conference when asked about his outlook for the Dutchman’s performance this afternoon.

Pressed further on whether Timber could play any role in the remaining weeks of the season, Arteta was less optimistic.

The same update was extended to Mikel Merino, who is working his way back from injury.

Both players have played prominent roles in Arsenal’s title wins, with Timber a versatile and reliable presence across the backline and Merino a goalscorer, but Arsenal have coped well without them in recent times.

Arteta will be hoping that Timber can actually make a final contribution against Burnley and Palace, especially as Timber is considered by Arsenal officials to be “one of the best in the world for the role”.

Manager Ray Parler also named the 24-year-old one of Arsenal’s best players for the 2025/26 season, having played in 43 games in all competitions this season and contributing 11 goals as a right-back.

Victor Gokeres has scored nine goals in his last 12 Premier League games, and Bukayo Saka has been exceptional against West Ham throughout his career, so Arteta still has plenty of firepower even without the two injured players.

The title is in Arsenal’s hands and today is where they can truly feel it.