Arsenal vs Hull City preview, team news, h2h: Semi Ajayi braces for Kai Havertz test

Arsenal vs Hull City will follow the David against Goliath narrative in the Premier League this weekend as Semi Ajayi and mates head to the champions’ den.

Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi scored Hull City’s opening goal in their 2-0 win over Manchester United on August 22, 2026, and on Saturday he faces a much tougher job against Arsenal’s Kai Havertz at the Emirates Stadium.

Kickoff in this Arsenal vs Hull City Premier League game is 15:00 GMT, which is 16:00 in Nigeria, with the league leaders hosting a promoted side that has not won in five outings.

Arsenal top the table on 24 points from nine games after a 1-0 win at Liverpool, while Hull are 11th on 11 points and have drawn more games than they have won or lost.

Match radar: Arsenal vs Hull City

⚽ Arsenal vs Hull City
Competition	Premier League, matchday 10
Kickoff	Saturday, November 7, 2026, 15:00 GMT (16:00 Nigeria time)
Venue	Emirates Stadium, London
🇳🇬 Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi scored Hull’s opener in the 2-0 win over Manchester United on August 22, 2026

Arsenal vs Hull City form and context: Gunners rolling, Tigers drawing

Arsenal have won eight of their nine league games, and the only defeat was a 3-0 loss at Brighton on September 19.

Since then they have beaten Leeds 2-1, Nottingham Forest 1-0, Everton 2-0 and Liverpool 1-0, a run of four wins that brought six goals for and one against.

Midweek brought a 2-1 Champions League win at Slavia Prague, although Arsenal also lost a League Cup tie at Fleetwood on penalties after a 1-1 draw on October 27.

They have won all four home league games, scoring nine and conceding two.

Hull have won twice, at Coventry City and at home to Manchester United, but five of their nine games have finished level.

Their last five league matches read Newcastle 1-2, Everton 2-2, Fulham 0-1, Brentford 1-1 and Ipswich 2-2, which is three points, six goals scored and eight conceded.

Away from home is the weak spot, with one win, one draw and two defeats from four trips and four goals scored.

Arsenal’s expected goals total of 15.7 against 9.2 for Hull shows the gap in chance quality matches the gap in the table.

Head-to-head: Arsenal vs Hull City

Arsenal have won 18 of the 26 meetings, Hull have won three and five ended level, with Mikel Arteta’s men scoring 54 goals to Hull’s 22.

The sides have not met since February 11, 2017, when Alexis Sanchez scored twice in a 2-0 Arsenal win.

The Tigers’ last league win over Arsenal came at the Emirates on September 27, 2008, by 2-1, and they led the 2014 FA Cup final 2-0 inside ten minutes before Arsenal won 3-2 in extra time.

Arsenal vs Hull City team news: Ajayi leads a Hull defence short of cover

Arsenal are without Bukayo Saka, who is officially out with a thigh injury suffered against Bayern Munich on October 21, with early December the realistic return.

Max Dowman is suspended after his red card at Fleetwood, and Ezri Konsa is a doubt after leaving the Slavia Prague game with a knee problem.

William Saliba is fit after his back injury, and Mikel Arteta says he is “ready to go”, although the manager may ease him back in.

Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke and Christos Tzolis have all recovered from recent fitness concerns.

Hull lose Matt Crooks to a one-match ban after a fifth yellow card against Ipswich, and Oli McBurnie is one booking away from a suspension of his own.

Darko Gyabi, Charlie Hughes, Ilyas Ansah and Lucas Gourna-Douath are expected to miss out, while Matt Targett and Eliot Matazo are long-term absentees.

Jack Butland is back in training after elbow surgery, but Konstantinos Tzolakis keeps the goalkeeper’s shirt.

Arsenal	Hull City
Bukayo Saka: out (thigh) Max Dowman: suspended Ezri Konsa: doubt (knee)	Matt Crooks: suspended Darko Gyabi: out (groin) Charlie Hughes: out (groin) Ilyas Ansah: out (back) Lucas Gourna-Douath: doubt (calf) Matt Targett: out (ankle) Eliot Matazo: out (cruciate ligament)

Arsenal vs Hull City star player comparison: Havertz vs Belloumi

Havertz has three Premier League goals, including the only goal at Anfield, and became the highest-scoring German in Premier League history with his 46th.

Belloumi leads Hull with three goals and two assists, and his two away goals show he can hurt a defence on the road.

Kai Havertz Attacker · Arsenal	Stat	Mohamed Belloumi Right winger · Hull City
3	Goals	3
0	Assists	2
9	Appearances	9
2.4	Expected goals	1.7

Arsenal vs Hull City managers: Arteta and Jakirovic

Mikel Arteta has managed Arsenal since December 2019 and leads the reigning Premier League champions into this game.

Sergej Jakirovic took over Hull in June 2025, won promotion through the 2026 play-off final against Middlesbrough at Wembley, and signed a new two-year contract in September.

After the Ipswich draw he said “If you can’t win, don’t lose”, which suits a side that has avoided defeat in seven of nine league games.

Arsenal vs Hull City tactical preview: Gunners control against a five-man visitor’s defence

Arsenal started at Liverpool in a 4-2-3-1 and should keep that shape, with Rice and Bruno Guimarães protecting the back four while Ødegaard plays between the lines.

Hull are likely to defend with five at the back, and although Jakirovic has said he likes a high press, the absence of Crooks, Gyabi, Gourna-Douath and Matazo leaves Regan Slater and Tim Iroegbunam with too much ground to cover against Rice and Bruno Guimarães.

Hull’s route to a goal runs through Belloumi on the right and McBurnie, who has two goals and two assists, so Arsenal’s full-backs must avoid leaving space behind them.

Ajayi – one of Hull’s best players this term – John Egan and Nobel Mendy will also need to track Havertz as he drops off the front line, because Arsenal’s creators arrive from deep.

The Naija Slip: Arsenal vs Hull City tips

These tips are opinions based on the evidence above, not guarantees, so stake only what you can afford to lose.

Score prediction: Arsenal vs Hull City

Hull’s thin midfield and modest away scoring should leave Arsenal in control, and a depleted Hull attack is unlikely to create more than a half chance or two.

🔮 Arsenal 2 – 0 Hull City

Arsenal control the middle of the pitch against a Hull midfield missing four options. Likely scorers: Havertz, Madueke.