Seeking to open a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table - for at least a couple of hours - Arsenal host Hull City at the Emirates Stadium in Saturday's 3pm mismatch.

The Gunners' statement win over Liverpool put them back in control of their title destiny, whereas the Tigers' winless run continued in gameweek nine with a 2-2 draw against Ipswich Town.

Match preview

Fourteen years this, 14 years that; every football fan and his dog was almost certainly aware of Arsenal's winless Premier League run at Anfield before the first ball was kicked last weekend, Mikel Arteta himself reminded plenty of the Gunners' sorry sequence without three points on Liverpool's turf.

However, having been a part of the hitherto last Arsenal squad to prevail in a top-flight match at Anfield, the Spaniard belatedly oversaw his first Premier League managerial victory away to Liverpool last weekend, when Kai Havertz's tap-in and a quintessential dogged defensive display downed Andoni Iraola's in-form crop.

If an Anfield success was not impressive enough for Arsenal, they managed it while denying Liverpool a single shot on target - according to some statistical suppliers - for the first time ever in a Premier League home game, albeit while counting their lucky stars that Jurrien Timber's seemingly blatant shirt pull on Alexander Isak in the box went unpunished.

Getting the rub of the green is a hallmark of champions, though, and Arsenal's triumph coupled with Manchester City's surprise home loss to Brighton & Hove Albion took the Gunners three points clear at the top; three can now become six, at least temporarily, as the Sky Blues kick off at 5.30pm on Saturday against Nottingham Forest.

Proving that their Brighton & Hove Albion battering was indeed just an anomaly, Arsenal are now on a four-game winning run in the Premier League, and their 24-point total after nine games is only bettered by the 2004-05 and 2007-08 teams (25 each) in the post-1992 era.

Furthermore, the holders are the only club with their 100% home record intact in the 2026-27 Premier League, and Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League success over Slavia Prague marked their third win from four in all tournaments.

Arsenal's three victories from their last four games matches Hull's total triumphs for the season, as since starting the campaign with a trio of successive wins in all tournaments, the Tigers have now either drawn or lost eight on the spin.

Sergej Jakirovic's side have suffered just two Premier League losses in that time - away to Newcastle United and Fulham - and have established a reputation as stalemate specialists, drawing a joint-high five games and sharing the spoils in three of their most recent four.

The Tigers were not terrific value for their 2-2 draw with Ipswich last weekend, though, enjoying just 39% of the ball and giving up four big chances to their fellow newly-promoted opponents, but a point was enough to consolidate their mid-table standing of 11th place.

Hull have now failed to keep a clean sheet in seven straight games in all tournaments, however, while also losing three of their last four games on the road in all tournaments, shipping six goals along the way.

The visitors' shock 2-1 Emirates success in 2008 remains one of their most famous results in history, but Arsenal have since strung together a 14-match unbeaten run against Hull, most recently triumphing 2-0 in February 2017 courtesy of an Alexis Sanchez double.

Arsenal Premier League form:

Arsenal form (all competitions):

Hull City Premier League form:

Team News

It was a case of one in, one out on the Arsenal defensive front on Wednesday, as while William Saliba made a matchday squad for the first time this season following a major back injury, Ezri Konsa was taken off just past the hour mark with an unexplained issue.

Konsa's status for Saturday is currently up in the air, but as Saliba was only an unused substitute against Slavia Prague, Cristhian Mosquera should be first in line to deputise for the former if need be.

Bukayo Saka (quad) and Max Dowman (suspended) are Arsenal's only confirmed absentees for the visit of Hull, which Viktor Gyokeres has done all he can to start after scoring one and setting up Noni Madueke in Prague.

However, the Swede is still expected to lose out to Kai Havertz, whose decisive goal at Anfield made him the highest-scoring German player in Premier League history.

On Hull's end, Jakirovic will have to cope without experienced midfielder Matt Crooks, who is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the Premier League season against Ipswich.

Crooks joins Eliot Matazo (ACL), Matt Targett (ankle), Lucas Gourna-Douath (calf), Ilyas Ansah (back), Darko Gyabi (groin) and Charlie Hughes (groin) on the sidelines, but Jack Butland could return to the squad after an arm injury.

Unlike Crooks, first-choice striker Oli McBurnie avoided picking up a yellow against Ipswich which would have ruled him out of the Emirates trip, but the 30-year-old will miss the visit of Brighton & Hove Albion on November 22 if he is cautioned here.

Arsenal possible starting lineup:

Raya; Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Guimaraes, Rice; Madueke, Odegaard, Tzolis; Havertz

Hull City possible starting lineup:

Tzolakis; Coyle, Egan, Mendy, Ajayi, Giles; Belloumi, Slater, Iroegbunam, Stroud; McBurnie

We say: Arsenal 2-0 Hull City

Hull in their 5-4-1 shape will do their utmost to frustrate Arsenal for as long as possible, but even a lightly fatigued Gunners side will find a way to break through eventually.

As the Tigers search for a response to no avail, Arteta's men should make the most of a more open contest, securing another straightforward win and extending their lead at the summit.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.