Mustafi has a plan to ensure Carroll fails to hit high notes

ANDY CARROLL would be a perfect fit for Arsenal in a purely narrative sense. A world-beater on his day, yet undermined by injuries and dogged by questions as to whether offfield issues compromise his ability.

Carroll displays his considerable talent all too fleetingly but the Gunners do not have far to look to appreciate the threat he poses when West Ham arrive at Emirates Stadium tonight.

Saturday marks exactly a year since Carroll took just seven minutes and 14 seconds to score the fastest Premier League hat-trick of last season in a dramatic 3-3 draw that ended Arsenal’s slim title hopes. Two of those goals were headers and manager Slaven Bilic declared Carroll the best in the world at that art after a match that highlighted familiar concerns about Arsenal’s frailty against powerful forwards.

Carroll has scored five times against Arsenal in his career — only Swansea (6) have a worse record against him. West Ham have struggled to the extent the board felt compelled to issue a vote of confidence in Bilic after last week’s 2-1 defeat at Hull but Carroll will relish the chance to seize upon the nervousness in Arsenal’s defending.

Laurent Koscielny’s absence with an Achilles problem therefore comes at a bad time. Much was made of the capitulation Arsenal suffered against Bayern Munich when he went off with the score at 1-1 in both legs only for the Gunners to lose their Champions League last-16 tie 10-2 on aggregate.

They coped adequately without him against Manchester City, keeping the diminutive Sergio Aguero at bay in the second period. However, Carroll is more reminiscent of Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski — in stature, if not pedigree — with the right kind of service.

An injury scare to goalkeeper David Ospina means the relatively inexperienced Emiliano Martinez could face a test of his ability to command a penalty area, while Shkodran Mustafi is likely to be partnered by Gabriel at centre- back and the £34million summer signing from Valencia believes stopping the supply line to Carroll is essential.

“We will play in their half trying to make things happen but then it is important when we lose the ball that we don’t stay open because it is easy for them to go down one side and cross,” he said.

“We need to win the ball straight back when we lose it or as soon as we lose it, come back as quickly as possible to make it difficult to cross the ball.

“This is the Premier League so you

‘He is really strong in the air and we must make it difficult for them to cross the ball’ Shkodran Mustafi