The Gunners travel to west Yorkshire as they look to keep their top-four ambitions on track against the relegation-threatened Terriers
With defeat against Manchester City striking a blow to their top-four ambitions, Arsenal return to action with a trip to Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
Unai Emery’s side saw themselves shunted down to sixth with their loss against the champions, as Manchester United leapfrogged them in the table.
They will hope to keep pace with the Red Devils and fourth-placed Chelsea at the John Smith’s stadium, and will be confident of the win against a Terriers side who look doomed at the foot of the table.
Jan Siewert is yet to pick up a win since succeeding David Wagner in the top job at Huddersfield, but can the hosts spring a shock and further dent the Gunners’ top-four hopes?
| Game | Huddersfield vs Arsenal |
| Date | Saturday, February 9 |
| Time | 3:00pm GMT/10:00am ET |
In the United States (US), the game can be broadcast on Telemundo Deportes and streamed at NBC Sports Live.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Telemundo Deportes | NBC Sports Live |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will not be broadcast as it takes place during the blackout period.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | N/A |
| Position | Huddersfield players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Lossl, Hamer, Schofield |
| Defenders | Smith, Lowe, Zanka, Schindler, Stankovic, Kongolo, Hadergjonaj, Durm, Jorgensen, Brown |
| Midfielders | Hogg, Billing, Sabiri, Pritchard, Bacuna, Puncheon, Mooy |
| Forwards | Kachunga, Depoitre, Quaner, Mounie, Diakhaby, Grant |
Jonathan Hogg and Erik Durm return to the fold, with the latter having missed the previous three games.
Danny Williams remains a long-term absentee while Isaac Mbenza has been ruled out for five to six weeks with a calf problem.
Huddersfield starting XI: Hamer, Smith, Kongolo, Jorgensen, Schindler, Bacuna, Diakhaby, Hogg, Mooy, Puncheon, Kachunga.
Subs: Coleman, Billing, Grant, Depoitre, Pritchard, Stankovic, Durm.
| Position | Arsenal players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Cech, Leno, Martinez |
| Defenders | Koscielny, Lichtsteiner, Jenkinson, Kolasinac, Medley, Pleguezuelo, Mustafi |
| Midfielders | Elneny, Ramsey, Torreira, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Willock |
| Forwards | Ozil, Iwobi, Saka, Lacazette, Aubameyang, Nketiah, Suarez, Mkhitaryan |
Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding and Danny Welbeck remain long-term absentees for Unai Emery, with Sokratis Papastathopoulos also out due to an ankle injury.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are available as they have recovered from issues, while Denis Suarez is on the bench again.
There were question marks over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has been ill in the week, and he is not fit enough to play any part.
Arsenal starting XI: Leno, Maitland-Niles, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Kolasinac, Guendouzi, Torreira, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi, Lacazette.
Subs: Cech, Elneny, Lichtsteiner, Suarez, Mavropanos, Nketiah, Willock.
Arsenal are favourites at 3/5 with bet365. A draw is priced at 17/5, while a Huddersfield victory can be backed at 19/4.
Click here to see more offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.
Arsenal’s hopes of securing a top-four finish and Champions League football next season are under threat as the Gunners head to Huddersfield Town knowing anything but a win could see them fall further behind.
Winning the Europa League would be an alternative route into Europe’s premier club competition for next season, but Unai Emery will undoubtedly still have aspirations of finishing above Manchester United and Chelsea.
The north Londoners went down to Manchester City last time out and, in defeat, opened the door for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s resurgent United to leapfrog them into fifth.
Fourth-placed Chelsea are currently three points ahead of the Gunners and any dropped points by the three in the top-four frame would be damaging, with the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool surely too far ahead to catch.
“The mentality is the same,” Emery stated. “Our players have the mentality. good things with some players. We have players with good possibilities.”
Emery will be keen to ensure his side resist the temptation of considering the game against bottom-of-the-league Huddersfield as something of a formality.
Despite their poor position, 13 points away from safety, new manager Jan Siewert has called for his side to keep battling on.
Speaking to Sky Sports on whether relegation was an inevitability, the Town boss said: “I don’t agree at all. As long as it’s mathematically possible, so there’s everything possible in football.
“I said it right from the beginning, I still believe in it so I’m working for this. I think the way we’re working gives me belief. Simple as that.”
Click Here: New Zealand rugby store