Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal host struggling West Ham this evening (7.45pm kick-off) hoping to keep the pressure on the Premier League’s top four.

The Gunners twice came from behind to pick up a spirited 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City on Sunday, and although they showed great heart to come back, it didn’t do their Champions League qualification hopes much good at all.

Wenger’s men are now seven points adrift of Pep Guardiola’s side in fourth after extending their winless run to three games, meaning that they have won just one of their last six league matches.

Nonetheless, they’ll be confident of getting back to winning ways against a free-falling West Ham, who sustained a fourth successive loss on Saturday by going down 2-1 at Hull.

Slaven Bilic’s side are now 15th in the Premier League table and just six points clear of the bottom three after winning just one of their last eight games, and they need to pick up some points fast before relegation becomes a very genuine possibility.

So, with the build-up well underway ahead of this evening’s encounter, we at Shoot! have analysed the THREE key battles that could decide the outcome at the Emirates tonight…

Shkodran Mustafi vs Andy Carroll

Laurent Koscielny looks set to miss out this evening after picking up an Achilles problem in the 2-2 draw with Manchester City at the weekend.

That means that Germany international Shkodran Mustafi, scorer of their second goal on Sunday, will have take over the leadership of the back four at the Emirates tonight, which includes thwarting the progress of West Ham striker Andy Carroll.

The 28-year-old has scored seven goals in 16 Premier League appearances for Bilic’s side this term to once again underline his importance to this Hammers side, and given that he has scored five times in ten games against the Gunners, he clearly enjoys pitting his wits against the North London outfit.

Carroll netted a consolation in their 5-1 loss to Wenger’s men earlier in the campaign, but it was he who scored a wonderful hat-trick in their 3-3 draw at Upton Park last season. And if Arsenal defend against West Ham like they did against West Brom, Carroll will have a field day.

Thus, Mustafi will have to be dominant and aggressive to minimise Carroll’s influence, otherwise it could be a very long evening for Wenger and his men.

Granit Xhaka vs Mark Noble

Both of these midfielders have received criticism this season, but Granit Xhaka and Mark Noble look set to go head-to-head in the battle for midfield supremacy this evening.

Arsenal’s Xhaka has at times shown great promise in the central midfield role, including a fine display against Tottenham back in November, yet he has too often been undone by disciplinary issues, with two red cards and a whole of host of yellows indicative of a player who can sometimes take it too far.

And with six yellow cards in his seven games since returning from suspension, he doesn’t appear to be learning either, and that is something West Ham captain Mark Noble is sure to be aware of ahead of this evening’s clash.

The 29-year-old has started 26 of West Ham’s 30 Premier League games this term, but has occasionally come under-fire for his ineffective displays in the middle of the park.

However, West Ham are in a rut and need a player like Noble to help them get out of it and, given he likes to get stuck in and make himself known to the opposition, the battle between him and Xhaka should be an interesting one.

Alexi Sanchez vs Jose Fonte

Jose Fonte has made an unconvincing start to life at West Ham following his move from Southampton in January.

The 33-year-old has yet to be involved in a Hammers backline to have kept a clean sheet, instead conceding 18 goals in the eight games he has started.

However, the Portuguese Euro 2016 winner is clearly an excellent defender at this level, so it is surely only a matter of time before he hits the heights we all saw at Southampton, and what better way to do that than by thwarting Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez this evening.

The 28-year-old may well play in the more advanced role tonight given Danny Welbeck’s largely ineffectual performance against City, and with 18 goals and nine assists in the Premier League this term, Sanchez is at the peak of his powers.

He wasn’t at his best against City on Sunday, but he has the quality to turn in a match-winning display for the Gunners, and given their current predicament and the uncertainty surrounding the manager, the whole club could really do with another world-class display from their talisman this evening.