OPINION
West Ham United have endured the worst possible start to the 2018/19 Premier League season with two losses from their first two matches against Liverpool and Bournemouth.
The Hammers were not expected to get much from their opener against the Reds but last weekend’s loss to Bournemouth was extremely disappointing, especially after Marko Arnautovic had put them ahead from the penalty spot.
For new boss Manuel Pellegrini it has been a disastrous start to his reign in charge at the London Stadium, and he will be looking to make some changes to his side for their clash against Arsenal this coming Saturday.
According to the Daily Mail, the Chilean is mulling over an axe for captain Mark Noble, who has failed to impress in the first two matches of the season.
The newspaper claim that Pellegrini is seeking to add more legs to his midfield, with a lack of dynamism in that area being a big problem for the Irons to start the season.
And, while that has been an issue that has been clear to see, Pellegrini does not need to drop Noble against Arsenal.
The Chilean reverted to a two-man central midfield against Bournemouth, with Noble playing alongside Jack Wilshere in the middle of the park.
However, to get a result away against a top side like Arsenal, the Hammers will need to pack the midfield and make things hard for the Gunners going forward.
That means that Pellegrini must return to a three-man midfield, just as he did against Liverpool, with Carlos Sanchez or Pedro Obiang joining Noble and Wilshere in the middle.
There is a case for both of those players coming in and Noble dropping out, but that would carry an element of risk with Sanchez and Obiang both yet to play this season after eventful summers.
On top of that, Noble is such a regular for the Hammers and adds good leadership qualities, something which will be necessary against the Gunners.
Pellegrini must therefore forget about dropping Noble and instead look to switch his formation ahead of Saturday’s all-important clash at the Emirates.
