Arsenal enter a crucial period of the season and have a tough fixture against West Ham United which could have repercussions on the top four race.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will have plenty of questions about the team’s mentality and their status as a top team in the division. While the manager has manoeuvred the team out of their early-season slump, Arsenal are yet to perform well against a top-four team.
Defeat to the Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea this season has brought in scrutiny, with the Gunners being labelled as a flat-track bully. They might have bounced back from a two-game losing streak to win comfortably against Southampton at the weekend, but a real test awaits at the Emirates when West Ham United come visiting on Wednesday.
The game’s result will significantly impact the top-four race as Arsenal are chasing the Hammers for their spot on the table. However, with many off-field issues marring Arteta and his short term plans, he will be hoping to set the record straight with a win over David Moyes.
Incredibly enough, Moyes has never won an away league game to Arsenal in 17 attempts. First, his Everton and now West Ham sides have found it hard to get a result against the Gunners, although he will be hoping to change that record. The last time these teams played, the game ended in an incredible 3-3 draw, despite the Hammers racing to a 3-0 lead.
West Ham have found it difficult to stitch together a consistent run of wins of late. After defeating Liverpool, they went on a three-game winless run, and a similar pattern seems to be developing. The Hammers have gone two games without winning in all competitions since beating Chelsea.
On Sunday, they could not break down a stubborn Burnley side at Turf Moor. The result meant they dropped two valuable points to allow their closest rivals to close them down in the race for the top four. A good result against the Gunners will let them race ahead, although more dropped points will raise questions over their credentials.
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Mikel Arteta is expected to keep the team’s shape after their win over Southampton and maybe make one or two essential changes. Sead Kolasinac is the only confirmed absentee through injury, although the club will assess the fitness of Emile Smith Rowe before the game after he made the bench on Saturday.
With games coming thick and fast, Arteta might hold the temptation of risking Smith Rowe from the start against West Ham. If the manager names him in the lineup, Gabriel Martinelli, who has been very good in the last two matches, might be sacrificed.
Since being dropped entirely for the Southampton game, captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been the trending topic after Arteta said it was a disciplinary action. He has since been stripped of the captaincy and remains unavailable for selection against West Ham.
Arteta could be tempted to bring Albert Sambi Lokonga back in the fold in central midfield. Granit Xhaka, who has started two straight games after his surprise early return from a knee injury, may find it hard to play two games in quick succession. But, given the importance of the game, the Swiss midfielder might keep his place, with Lokonga likely to start at the weekend.
Martin Odegaard should keep his place in the advanced midfield role behind Alexandre Lacazette. The Frenchman is expected to lead the line in Aubameyang’s ongoing absence. In the wide roles, we are expecting Smith Rowe to be recalled on the left-hand side in place of Martinelli, while Bukayo Saka will play from the right.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Lacazette
West Ham United
David Moyes will be relieved after his players didn’t pick up fresh injury troubles against Burnley. In light of many defensive injuries leading into the season’s busiest period, the manager will be hoping the current options don’t run into problems.
West Ham are still missing a host of defensive players, with Angelo Ogbonna, Kurt Zouma, Ben Johnson, and Ryan Fredericks being confirmed absentees. Aaron Cresswell, who was expected to make the Burnley clash, was absent, and there are doubts over his involvement in midweek.
Arthur Masuaku is expected to fill in again at left-back, while Vladimir Coufal will hold on to his place on the right side. Craig Dawson and Issa Diop will feature in central defence, with former Arsenal shot-stopper Lukasz Fabianski firmly preferred to start in goal.
Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek will keep their central midfield partnership going, while Moyes will try and shake things up in the final third. Nikola Vlasic is expected to come on for Manuel Lanzini in the attacking midfield slot.
Pablo Fornals could also replace Said Benrahma for a place on the left side of the attack. Jarrod Bowen will play a key role in attack for the visitors from the right-hand side, with Michail Antonio leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Masuaku; Soucek, Rice; Bowen, Vlasic, Fornals; Antonio
Key Stats
- Arsenal have won their last six games at home against West Ham in all competitions.
- Arsenal have won six of their last seven home games in the Premier League.
- Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in their last three home games in the Premier League.
- David Moyes has never won a Premier League away game against Arsenal in 17 attempts.
- In 25 games played between Arsenal and West Ham in north London, only one has ended in a draw.
Player to Watch
Martin Odegaard
The Norwegian has hit a rich vein of form in recent games, scoring three in as many games for the Gunners. He is also the joint top scorer for the club in the Premier League alongside Emile Smith Rowe, and this rise in his performances have come at a great time for Arsenal.
With the strikers misfiring in recent weeks, goals from Odegaard have been welcome, and the midfielder needs to continue this streak heading into an important period of the season. Against West Ham, the Norwegian has a chance to dictate an important turnaround in the top four race with an accomplished display to lift his side to a crucial victory.
Prediction
Arsenal 2-1 West Ham United
The Gunners have been lately awful on their away trips, although they have proved to be a formidable force at the Emirates. They have been regular on the scoresheet at home and considering their recent form, they are expected to get a few against the Hammers’ defence missing key personnel.
West Ham may have beaten Chelsea not long ago, but they were also unable to break down Burnley on Sunday. They will find it hard against this Arsenal defence, potentially leading to a win for the hosts.