Arsenal vs Hull City team news and starting line-ups: Hector Bellerin starts with Kieran Gibbs replacing Nacho Monreal with Marco Silva making two changes
All the team news as Arsenal look to recover from disastrous defeats against Chelsea and Watford
ARSENAL take on Hull at the Emirates on Saturday lunchtime in desperate need of three points.
The Gunners' title ambitions have been all but ended by calamitous defeats against Chelsea and Watford, but a win is needed to boost confidence ahead of a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.
STARTING LINE-UPS
ARSENAL(4-2-3-1): Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Gibbs; Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi; Sanchez.
SUBS: Ospina, Gabriel, Monreal, Elneny, Welbeck, Perez, Giroud
HULL (4-2-3-1):Jakupovic; Elabdellaoui, Maguire, Ranocchia, Robertson; Huddlestone, N’Diaye; Grosicki, Clucas, Markovic; Niasse.
SUBS: Marshall, Elmohamady, Maloney, Tymon, Evandro, Diomande.
Just as Arsenal's form has taken a turn for the worse, Hull have been rejuvenated under boss Marco Silva.
They've come out of a treacherous run of fixtures against Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool with four points, drawing at Old Trafford and brushing Jurgen Klopp's men aside 2-0.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest Arsenal and Hull news, gossip, transfers and goals on our club page plus fixtures, results and live match commentary
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Arsenal v Hull...
What is the latest Arsenal team news?
Hector Bellerin starts for the Gunners after recovering from a concussion picked up against Chelsea.
Olivier Giroud is on the bench, even though he came on to score a consolation header in stoppage time at Stamford Bridge.
Mohamed Elneny is back in training after a heartbreaking African Nations Cup final loss to Cameroon but starts on the bench.
Who is definitely out for Arsenal?
Santi Cazorla is still recovering from a plantaris injury while Aaron Ramsey is unlikely to return from a calf strain, picked up against Watford, in time for the match.
Granit Xhaka will also sit out the match as he serves the final match of his suspension for a red card picked up against Burnley.
What is the latest Hull team news?
Hull have no new injury or suspension worries for their trip to the Emirates.
Marco Silva will start Everton loanee Oumar Niasse to the starting line-up after he came off the bench to grab Hull's crucial second goal against Liverpool.
Who is definitely out for Hull?
Ryan Mason is unlikely to play again this season after his horrific skull clash with Gary Cahill at Chelsea.
Michael Dawson is still out with a calf strain while Will Keane and Curtis Davies are long-term absences.
When is Arsenal vs Hull?
Arsenal v Hull will kick off at 12.30pm on Saturday, February 11.
Where can I watch the game?
The match will be live on Sky Sports 1.
You can also follow all the action on the SunSport live blog.
Premier League form guide
ARSENAL: LLWWD
HULL: WDLWL
SunSport prediction
Arsenal always perform when expectations are low. 2-0.
Match stats
- Arsenal have won seven of their last eight Premier League meetings with Hull (D1) since losing their first game against the Tigers in the competition, back in September 2008 (1-2 at the Emirates).
- Since that 2-1 victory, Hull are winless in 13 games against the Gunners in all competitions, losing 11 (D2) including the 2014 FA Cup Final.
- Alexis Sanchez has had a hand in six goals in three league games against Hull (five goals, one assist).
- Sanchez is one of three Arsenal players to average 2+ goal involvements per game in the Premier League against a particular opponent (minimum of three appearances against them) – Ian Wright against Ipswich (eight goals and three assists in five games) and Lukas Podolski against West Ham (four goals and four assists in four games).
- This will be Marco Silva’s fourth meeting with one of the top six in the Premier League (Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool previously) in his first five league games as Hull boss. Of those previous three games, he’s lost only one (0-2 at Chelsea), drawing 0-0 at Old Trafford and beating Liverpool at home on MD24.
- Marco Silva won on his only previous visit to the Emirates – 3-2 with Olympiakos in the Champions League last season. He’s the only manager to lead a Greek side to victory away on English soil in the Champions League/European Cup.
- Hull have kept two clean sheets in as many games in February, as many as they’d kept in their previous 26 Premier League games combined - they haven’t kept three in a row in the PL since October 2008.
- Olivier Giroud came off the bench to score in Arsenal’s last game against Chelsea, taking his substitute goal tally to four in the Premier League this season (level with Man City’s Nolito). No Arsenal player has ever scored more than four substitute goals in a Premier League season (Kanu in 1999-2000 and Emmanuel Adebayor in 2007-08 also scored four).
- Arsenal have won 15 of their last 17 Premier League games at the Emirates against newly promoted clubs (D2) since losing 1-0 to Newcastle in November 2010 – indeed, one of only three clubs to beat the Gunners at the Emirates were Hull City in September 2008.
- Arsenal have won 41% of the games Francis Coquelin has started in all competitions this season (9/22) – without him in the starting XI, they have won all 13 (100%).
- Hull have failed to score in 11 of their 24 league games this season - more often than any other Premier League side.
What they say
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was "angry and disappointed" after his team's 3-1 loss at Chelsea.
He said: "We didn’t create enough. In the final third we didn’t look dangerous enough.
"That was difficult to watch from upstairs."
"I’m not subdued. I’m disappointed and angry because we lost a very big game."
Hull boss Marco Silva has called on his team to maintain their belief after a stunning four points against Man United and Liverpool.
He said: "Of course, I'm really happy with the last two results.
";The reaction I have had from the fans has been outstanding since I came.
"They have been supportive always and that is important when you are suffering during a game. Of course I want them to believe, like I have always believed."