Arsenal host West Ham United this weekend as they return to Premier League action and look to continue their march towards another Champions League adventure next year. With the top-four battle extremely tight, it’s crucial the Gunners pick up three points here.
Key Men:
Arsenal- Alexis Sanchez
Arsenal’s Chilean superstar has started to find his feet again after a barren patch and should be able to cause havoc amongst the Hammers defence this weekend, after troubling a Manchester United back-line on Monday evening. As Arsenal’s top-scorer in the Premier League, he’s a likely candidate to extend his account at the weekend.
West Ham- Alex Song
The former Arsenal midfielder has had a great season in East London, following a disappointing spell at Barcelona, and has been a key-player for Sam Allardyce’s side. With plenty of attacking players on display for the Gunners, Song will have a stern test keeping them all quiet in a packed midfield at the Emirates.
Likely Approach
Arsenal will enter the game on the back of a morale boosting victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford, where they had to do a lot of work defensively. Against West Ham, the North London outfit will adopt a more familiar display of attacking intent.
With a strong forward line, Arsenal will look to create problems for the Hammers defence from the off and will look to crush the spirits of their opposition early in this London derby. Meanwhile, West Ham will play strong football and look to hit on the counter attack, pumping long balls forward to cry and catch Arsenal’s attacking side out of position.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
West Ham is never an easy game but Arsenal should have enough to see off the threat of the East London side without too many problems. The Gunners should be looking to deal with their opponents quickly and avoid any troubles before an extremely important trip to Monaco next week.