Preview: West Ham United vs Arsenal – stats, team news, line-ups

Arsenal face a short journey across the capital as they prepare to take on West Ham United at the London Stadium in a revenge-poised clash that would also bolster their credentials as title challengers.

The Hammers were on the wrong end of a 3-0 mauling at the hands of Manchester United last time, with David Moyes’ side totally outplayed and outclassed by the rejuvenated Red Devils.

A clinical Rasmus Hojlund finish preceded a brace from academy graduate Alejandro Garnacho as United picked up a convincing victory on home turf.

The defeat leaves West Ham still searching for their first success of 2024, going six consecutive games without victory (D4, L2). 

That appalling form has seen the Irons drop to eighth place on the Premier League table, although an unlikely win against Arsenal would catapult them into the top six.

A return to home turf could bolster their chances of causing a massive upset, and fans eager to witness the action firsthand should head over to Seatsnet.com to purchase West Ham tickets at competitive prices.

The Europa Conference League holders have not lost any of their last ten games at London Stadium in all competitions (W6, D4), including their last six in the Premier League (W3, D3).

The Hammers have been formidable on home turf this season, with defending champions Manchester City and Everton the only sides to depart London Stadium with maximum points thus far.

Not since their days at Upton Park in the 2015/16 campaign have West Ham strung together a seven-match unbeaten home streak in the top flight.

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s team injected a fresh twist into the title race with a resounding 3-1 victory over league leaders Liverpool in their last outing.

The Gunners had previously suffered painful defeats to the rampant Reds in the FA Cup, and a Premier League draw at Anfield just before Christmas, so they were due some reprieve against Jurgen Klopp’s troops.

Gabriel Magalhaes netted a comical own goal to bring Liverpool level after Bukayo Saka’s opener. But second-half strikes from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard rubber-stamped a deserved victory for Arsenal.

Arsenal have exorcised the demons of their appalling run of one win from seven games, embarking on a remarkable renaissance that has seen them string together three consecutive Premier League wins.

Arteta’s men are third on the Premier League rankings, five points away from the summit, but a win against West Ham would take them to within two points of Liverpool, although Man City still have a game in hand.

The north London giants must maintain their momentum from the Liverpool win if they are to half an awful three-match winless streak against West Ham on Sunday.

Arteta’s side have lost their last two games against the Hammers in all competitions, and a third on the bounce could have significant ramifications for their title ambitions.

Match Preview

West Ham are eyeing a historic feat this Sunday, hoping to complete the Premier League double over Arsenal for the first time since the 2006/07 season. 

Their commanding 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium in December serves as a potent reminder of their capabilities.

The Hammers are currently riding a wave of home form, having gone unbeaten in their last six Premier League matches at the London Stadium (W3, D3). 

They have never gone seven games without defeat at London Stadium in the Premier League, with their previous such run coming at former home ground Upton Park under the leadership of Slaven Bilic (15).

They haven’t lost seven consecutive home games in the competition since April 2016, highlighting their defensive resilience under David Moyes.

Adding fuel to the fire, West Ham have already toppled Arsenal twice this season – a 3-1 win in the EFL Cup and the aforementioned 2-0 league victory. 

Their hunger for a third triumph is further amplified by the fact that the last London club to achieve this feat against the Gunners was Chelsea in 2005/06. 

The Irons haven’t replicated such dominance over their capital rivals since the 1924/25 season, making Sunday’s clash a potential milestone encounter.

Arsenal boast a strong track record away to West Ham, losing just once in their last 15 Premier League visits (W9, D5) – ironically, their last defeat came in 2019, with current Gunner Declan Rice scoring the winning goal for the Hammers. 

However, their recent form might raise some eyebrows. While Arsenal closed 2023 winless in their last three league games (D1, L2), they’ve started 2024 on a tear, winning all three so far. 

In fact, the last time they achieved such a feat was all the way back in 1935, when they won their first 4+ games of the year.

Heading into matchday 24, no team has scored more goals in the 90th minute (including stoppage time) of Premier League games this season than Arsenal (8), while the Gunners are the only team yet to concede a 90th-minute strike so far.

Team news & potential line-ups

West Ham were forced into an unwanted substitution in their defeat to Man United, as Alphonse Areola’s first-half collision with Kurt Zouma saw him replaced by veteran Lukasz Fabianski for the second period. 

However, manager David Moyes reassured fans afterwards that the Frenchman’s substitution was purely precautionary due to a head injury, and he’s expected to return for the upcoming London derby. 

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Lucas Paqueta (calf) and Michail Antonio (knee), who are ruled out.

Despite missing key players, Arsenal produced a dominant performance against Liverpool, and Arteta will hope his troops can repeat their display in the upcoming London derby. 

Gabriel Jesus’ recurring knee issue casts a shadow, but Arteta hopes his absence will be minimal. 

Bukayo Saka is expected to shrug off an ankle knock, while Oleksandr Zinchenko’s latest calf injury opens the door for Tomiyasu’s return at left-back after his Asian Cup exploits and impending contract renewal.

Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber, and Fabio Vieira remain long-term casualties, though Jorginho’s stellar performance against Liverpool makes him a strong contender to partner Rice in midfield.

West Ham United potential starting line-up:

(4-2-3-1): Alphonse Areola; Vladimir Coufal, Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, Emerson Palmieri; Tomas Soucek, Edson Alvarez; Ben Johnson, James Ward-Prowse, Mohammed Kudus; Jarrod Bowen.

Arsenal potential starting line-up:

(4-3-3): David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Takehiro Tomiyasu; Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Jorginho; Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli.

We Say: West Ham United 0-2 Arsenal

This is exactly the sort of encounter that Moyes’ West Ham have raised their game for, and they could cause the Gunners plenty of problems by doing so.

However, Arsenal will be riding the momentum of their morale-boosting win over Liverpool, so we anticipate a routine outing for Arteta’s title-chasing troops.