Arsenal travel to the London Stadium today knowing that the Premier League trophy is within touching distance. After Manchester City brushed aside Brentford 3-0 on Saturday, the gap at the top has been trimmed to just two points. For Mikel Arteta’s side, this is the first of three final hurdles in their quest for a historic title.
The Gunners arrive in East London on an emotional high, having secured their place in the Champions League final by defeating Atletico Madrid in midweek. However, they face a West Ham side fighting for their top-flight lives.
Following Tottenham’s win over Aston Villa, Nuno Espírito Santo’s men have slipped into the relegation zone and are staring down the barrel of their first drop to the Championship since 2011.
While the Hammers are desperate, their recent form at home offers a glimmer of hope; they are unbeaten in their last six league matches at the London Stadium. Yet, the historical omens favor the visitors, with Arsenal having dismantled West Ham 6-0 and 5-2 in their last two trips to this venue.
With the stakes equally massive at both ends of the table, this London derby promises to be a high-octane encounter where clinical finishing—likely from the boots of Bukayo Saka or Viktor Gyökeres—will decide the narrative of the season’s end.
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What are the best picks for West Ham vs Arsenal?
Back Arsenal to win
The momentum is firmly with the Gunners. Despite the fatigue of a midweek European semi-final, Arteta has managed his squad rotation perfectly. Arsenal have won their last two away games at West Ham by an aggregate score of 11-2. Facing a West Ham defense that looked shell-shocked in their 3-0 loss to Brentford last weekend, the league leaders should have too much quality.
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Bukayo Saka to score anytime
Saka has been the talisman for this title charge. He found the net from the penalty spot in the reverse fixture back in October and has a history of haunting the Hammers at the London Stadium. With West Ham likely to sit deep, Saka’s ability to win 1v1 battles against El Hadji Malick Diouf will be the primary source of Arsenal’s breakthroughs.
Over 2.5 total goals
The desperation of a relegation-threatened side often leads to open games late on. West Ham have to go for it at some point, and Arsenal’s transition play with Eberechi Eze and Martin Ødegaard is lethal. Given that the last two meetings at this stadium produced 13 goals combined, the “Over” is the smartest play for a parlay.
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Where can I watch West Ham vs Arsenal?
USA viewers can stream the match live on Peacock or watch on USA Network at 11:30 a.m. ET.
UK viewers can watch live on Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage starting at 16:00 BST for a 16:30 kick-off.
What have the managers said?
Nuno Espírito Santo:
“The support of the home crowd will be vital today. We are in a difficult position, but we have been strong here at the London Stadium. We need to be perfect defensively to stop a team of Arsenal’s quality.”
Mikel Arteta:
“Victory today would put us in a commanding position. We have the energy from the midweek win, and the players are focused. We know what is at stake and we must be prepared for a team fighting for survival.”
What is West Ham’s current form?
L-W-D-L-D-L
What is Arsenal’s current form?
W-D-W-W-W-W
What is West Ham’s predicted team?
Hermansen; Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf; Soucek, Fernandes; Bowen, Pablo, Summerville; Castellanos
Doubt: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (pushing for a start)
What is Arsenal’s predicted team?
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Rice, Odegaard, Eze; Saka, Gyökeres, Trossard
Injured: Mikel Merino, Jurrien Timber
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