Arsenal must beware of a difficult test against Hull City after Slavia Prague struggle

Arsenal host Hull City on Saturday aiming for a fifth consecutive Premier League win. The report says Arsenal’s 2-1 Champions League victory over Slavia Prague showed how complacency can make a difficult game seem even more complicated, despite the team taking a two-goal lead in the first half.

Arsenal beat Liverpool 1-0 in the previous round to move three points clear of Manchester City, with the gap potentially increasing temporarily to six points if they beat Hull before City face Nottingham Forest. Arsenal also go into the match having won seven consecutive home league games.

The report notes that Hull have not won in their last seven league matches, but have drawn five of them, most recently 2-2 against Ipswich Town. Coach Sergej Jakirović said his team should play an attacking style rather than simply sit back, while the report suggests that Hull’s organisation and use of counter-attacking opportunities could test Arsenal.

The report points to Arsenal’s defensive strength: the team have kept six clean sheets in the league this season and conceded only 24 shots on target. It also notes that Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 46 home league matches against promoted teams, winning their last 17. Nevertheless, it warns that further spells of complacency or missed chances could give Hull an opportunity to stay in the game; it expects Arsenal’s quality to be enough to win if they maintain their focus.