Arsenal vs Hull predictions: Improving Madueke may help champions tame Tigers
Jamie Griffith
Arsenal’s eight wins in nine Premier League games have them top of the table
A run of seven league matches without a victory means Hull start the weekend in 11th
The Tigers beat Arsenal 2-1 in their first Premier League meeting back in 2008, but have failed to win a head-to-head since
Arsenal snapped a 14-year Anfield hoodoo to move top of the Premier League last weekend and given how impressive that 1-0 win at Liverpool was, it is hard to see the Gunners surrendering their spot at the summit when hosting out-of-sorts Hull at the Emirates on Saturday.
The latest Arsenal vs Hull odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Key Stats
Arsenal have won six of their last eight games in all competitions
Hull are without a win in eight matches
The Gunners have won nine straight games at the Emirates, keeping seven clean sheets
The Tigers have scored only four goals in six away matches
Arsenal’s Noni Madueke has averaged a shot every 36 minutes over his last nine appearances
Only Newcastle (27) had received more Premier League cards than Hull’s 25 before this round of fixtures
Recommended Bets
Bet Builder
Arsenal/Arsenal half-time/full-time
Noni Madueke over 1.5 shots
Oli McBurnie to get a card
Score prediction
Team news
Ezri Konsa was subbed off in Arsenal’s midweek Champions League win over Slavia Prague but Mikel Arteta has confirmed that was just to give him a rest, so he should return. Bukayo Saka remains sidelined and Max Dowman is suspended.
Hull’s Matt Crooks picked up his fifth yellow card of the season last weekend and is suspended. Eliot Matazo, Matt Targett, Lucas Gourna-Douath, Ilyas Ansah, Darko Gyabi and Charlie Hughes are out through injury.
Need to know
There will be plenty of football fans - especially those of a Manchester City persuasion - hoping for Hull to pull off a shock at the Emirates. However, the Gunners’ record of 18 wins from their last 19 games against promoted teams suggests a surprise away victory is not in the offing.
Hull have taken four points from games against Manchester United and Chelsea but the champions are performing at a much higher level than that pair, so the Tigers may be tamed in north London.
Prediction
Sergej Jakirovic’s 5-4-1, counter-attacking system earned Hull some great results at the start of the season and he will look to use the same tactics to frustrate Arsenal on Saturday.
Arteta is used to dealing with those sort of tricks by now, though, and Arsenal should make quick work of Hull, whose luckless run is set to continue.
Arsenal have been leading at half-time in each of their last three victories and can make another fast start against the struggling Tigers.
The Gunners have coped well without Bukayo Saka in recent weeks and Noni Madueke is a huge reason why.
He has thrived since being given more of a chance and after netting in the week, it would be no surprise to see the in-form winger register two or more shots for the seventh time in 10 games.
Madueke and the rest of Arsenal’s players are set to dominate possession and that will lead to a frustrating afternoon for Hull forwardOli McBurnie.
The Scot has already picked up four yellow cards this season and a fifth of the campaign could arrive if he shows his frustration or gets drawn into a physical battle by Gabriel.
