Arsenal v West Ham preview

Arsenal v West Ham

By Jonny Bray
After getting the season back on track with a 3-0 win against Southampton, Arsenal are preparing to clash with West Ham United this week. 
David Moyes and his side have been one of the most impressive teams in the Premier League this year, and Gunners fans can be sure they’ll provide stiff opposition on Wednesday. 
The Hammers currently sit fourth after an excellent start to the season but the Gunners will leapfrog their fellow Londoners in the table if they triumph on Wednesday. 
While Moyes and his team have enjoyed an outstanding campaign, they’re not in the best form, and that could prove ideal for Arsenal. 
Mikel Arteta and his side avoided suffering three consecutive defeats with victory against the Saints, and this is an excellent opportunity for the Spaniard to get a big win under his belt. 

What can we expect from Arsenal? 

It felt like the win against Southampton last weekend was absolutely crucial to the season. 
No, it wasn’t a win that would grab many headlines, but it was a notable confidence builder after two disappointing defeats. 
It was another example of Mikel Arteta building on the solid foundation of an outstanding back five. 
One of the big positives from this season has been the transformation of the defence from one of the most unreliable in the league to one of the strongest. 
There is also a fully fit midfield, with Emile Smith Rowe expected to return to a side that looked really impressive in possession last week. 
It’s been a season of transition in the middle of the park as the club attempt to bring through some of the exciting talent they have on their hands into the first team. 
This is working, and I have no doubt that Arsenal’s midfield will be considered one of the best in the country next season. 
There were even encouraging signs up front, with a goal for Alexandre Lacazette and an assist for Gabriel Martinelli. 
While Lacazette has had a poor campaign, Martinelli is proving once again why so many Arsenal fans think he could be the game’s next big Brazilian star. 

What can we expect from West Ham? 

The Hammers have had a fantastic season, and a large part of that is down to the hard work of Moyes' well-drilled side. 
Arsenal fans can expect a hard-working, well-organised side with plenty of attacking talent. 
They have quality across the pitch but in my opinion, they have the best defensive midfielder in the league this term in the form of Declan Rice. 
He’ll be critical for the Hammers in defence, attack and the transitional phases, but West Ham are far from being a one-man team. 
The likes of Michail Antonio, Pablo Fornals, Jarrod Bowen and Kurt Zouma, until his recent injury, have all had outstanding seasons in east London. 

Prediction

Arsenal fans can expect one of the toughest games of the season so far. 
West Ham have been brilliant all year, while the Gunners have been pretty poor against the top sides, so it will be interesting to see how the players respond. 
My predicition is that West Ham will come out firing and have a great start, but that Arteta's team will grow into the game. 
A win is crucial to showing that Arsenal can take points off teams above them in the table but defeat could put even more pressure on Arteta. 

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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