Premier League leaders Arsenal take on West Ham in EPL resumption

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta faces a challenge that dwarfs the club's rise to the top of the

[{"selector":"#anim-ac95cf5f-15ba-4bfb-be41-85c4dae2c4d1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-131.98529%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ee5ab154-0bc2-4564-98a5-77f76ce1d4c6","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-646a56bc-ed3c-46d2-98f2-a3d4ae260d59 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(15.603161469098717%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Premier League table in the run-up to the World Cup: how to keep up the unlikely run?

[{"selector":"#anim-b17b22cd-a76d-4fde-8897-07d837fcf3ef","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-125.73529%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0201acaa-e08d-45a2-9d54-20fd29a58d37","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d197a559-9da6-4779-8288-cfbcfe3379af [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

The Gunners hope to pick up their league season where it left off six weeks ago when

[{"selector":"#anim-709aa6d3-f924-4258-878c-b58e8cfcdb9e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.11765%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-df15dee5-e523-4e7a-97bd-086d3eedc258","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b639587a-48a6-402e-9e54-7c167a43fdab [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-20.5810291092834%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

they welcome West Ham to the final game on Boxing Day, which concludes a seven-game schedule

[{"selector":"#anim-02221b94-827d-4259-a976-bf9000d127a7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-131.98529%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-54dadaf3-c556-49fa-b55a-71dabf6ec00e","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4345adc9-8dfe-4b5b-957c-b3ca940f3a9a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(22.76776345214477%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

on Monday. Arsenal were the best team in the Premier League for the first half of the season

[{"selector":"#anim-c24707ba-a691-4ffe-8e47-de6da46d32db","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-131.98529%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2dda9022-ce73-41d9-a893-9d5a86d43a87","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-28cd720b-a392-4164-8241-759abf502492 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(17.100000048027045%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

And have a five-point lead over Manchester City, but their task will be much more difficult without talisman

[{"selector":"#anim-8919a347-ed2b-4b23-b6eb-0f5f8dded2b4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.21854%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f8b3ee31-be2a-44f4-948a-b0807a691942","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-312467f3-b92d-4479-8911-6fcafd4a49cd [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-19.15714291094759%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Gabriel Jesus, who is recovering from injury at Leg. knee he suffered. . in Qatar while playing fo

[{"selector":"#anim-f2971a70-619f-48e7-846a-83b9186c0523","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.52577%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-25853ec6-fee6-4a9a-8024-ed4769e09df8","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-051e96ed-68ed-4ac0-bc67-b7d0de9b9ff6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(10.671428601400336%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Brazil. By contrast, 16th-ranked West Ham barely managed to stay out of the relegation zone after a slow start that

[{"selector":"#anim-fcb9240b-444d-4cf5-8a92-972368daa050","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.21824%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d9fdb066-c6b3-4e5f-96f8-c71b3025f768","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-28d4b353-2afe-4606-a2d8-498291d50a8f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-18.008400470622973%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

NEED MORE STORIES

[{"selector":"#anim-a23046a2-1863-4258-a002-84640c95628e","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-9ad23ff7-e5f3-472a-8139-dc3dbe0d4601 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-10.671428601400343%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Learn more