A London rivalry is set to enthuse football fans as Arsenal travels to West Ham to play their upcoming Premier League game on Saturday.
Both teams come into this fixture after being eliminated from the quarter-final of the English League Cup this Wednesday. Southampton dismayed Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates, while West Ham was thrashed 4-1 by Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United at Old Trafford.
DWWDWWWWWWWDWWWDDDW… L
New month, new start – let’s bounce back on Saturday #WeAreArsenal pic.twitter.com/BTjILYDTub
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 1, 2016
Talking about their Premier League performances, however, Arsenal is in impressive form, as they haven’t lost a match since their opening-game defeat. They are currently in the fourth position of the league table with 28 points, just three behind the table toppers, Chelsea.
West Ham’s miseries seem to worsen as the season progresses. The Hammers are lingering at the wrong side of the table, with just 12 points from 13 games.
A positive note for West Ham going into this game is that they haven’t lost to the Gunners in their last two matches.
The previous encounter between these teams resulted in a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Boleyn Ground.
Team News: West Ham United
Slaven Bilic’s side has a long list of injuries going into this match. Micheal Antonio and Aaron Cresswell picked up injuries against Manchester United, and it’s uncertain if they will compete against Arsenal.
Striker Andy Caroll is also doubtful for this clash due to a knee injury.
Defenders Sam Byram and Reece Oxford are both unavailable for this match due to their hamstring and knee injuries, respectively.
Diafra Sakho has recovered from his back problem, and he even scored at Old Trafford during the last Premier League match.
Turkish winger Gokhan Tore missed the last match with a thigh strain, but he could recover in time for Saturday.
Former Manchester United man Ashley Fletcher scored West Ham’s only goal during the EFL Cup game this Wednesday. He may be given a chance to start against the Gunners.
West Ham: Predicted Line-up (3-4-3) Adrian – Kouyate, Reid, Ogbonna – Maskuaku, Obiang, Fernandes, Lanzini- Fletcher, Payet, Zaza
Team News: Arsenal
Arsenal’s injury woes still continue as several first team players are injured at the moment.
Mathieu Debuchy is unfit to play against West Ham, while defender Per Mertesacker will also miss the match due to a knee injury.
Santi Cazorla once again is unfit to start a match due to his Achilles injury.
Right-back Hector Bellerin will also be sidelined due to a foot injury he picked up during the match against Tottenham.
Danny Welbeck and Chuba Akpom will also be absent from the team. Midfielder Mohamed Elneny was substituted in the last game because of an illness during the 2-1 defeat in the last match, and he is doubtful to start in the Saturday’s clash.
However, Arsene Wenger is confident Olivier Giroud will overcome the knock he received against Bournemouth and return to action against the Hammers.
Arsenal: Predicted Line-up (4-2-3-1) Cech – Jenkinson, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal – Xhaka, Coquelin – Ozil, Walcott, Sanchez – Giroud
West Ham vs. Arsenal: Head-to-Head
Total games: 122 West Ham United wins: 54 Arsenal wins: 28 Draws: 40
West Ham vs. Arsenal: TV Schedule and Channel
In the U.K., the match will be live on BT Sport 1, BT Sport 4K UHD, and BT Sport Live Streaming. For other regions, the TV schedule can be found in the link here .
West Ham vs. Arsenal: Prediction
West Ham has been downright poor this season as they find themselves in the 16th position of the table. Their miseries were further extended when they were dumped out of the EFL Cup this week.
Arsenal was also eliminated from the EFL Cup this week, but they are way better in terms of quality than their counterparts West Ham. The Gunners have a great run of form in the Premier League, and they will look to continue this against the home side on Saturday.
By a narrow margin, Arsenal is the favorite to win this London derby.
Final Predicted Score. West Ham United 1-2 Arsenal
West Ham United vs. Arsenal: Betting Tips and Odds
- West Ham United win: 18/5
- A draw: 14/5
- Arsenal win: 3/4
- Under 2.5 goals: 5/4
- Over 2.5 goals: 4/7
- Both teams score: 4/7
- Both teams fail to score: 5/4
The odds were provided by Paddypower.
Key Stats to consider
- West Ham has won only three of their 14 matches in the Premier League this season.
- West Ham has won only one of their last 17 matches against Arsenal.
- Arsenal is undefeated in their last 12 Premier League matches.
- Arsenal is unbeaten in 16 of their last 17 matches against West Ham in all competitions.
The West Ham United vs. Arsenal stats were provided by Soccerway.
[Featured Image by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images]
