We have another London Derby on the program this weekend. Although their rivalry isn’t too fierce, you can bet that the duel between Arsenal and West Ham is gonna be entertaining. It’s because this season of the Premier League is slowly coming to end and both sides are in need of points. If you would like to find out what else to expect from this game, make sure to read this Arsenal vs. West Ham match preview till the end, as that’s where a couple of betting tips await you!
Arsenal
The chances that Arsenal will compete in Europa League next season are very low. After losing to Newcastle in the previous round, the gap between Arsenal and 5th-placed Chelsea is now nine points. The only good thing is that they’ve placed one game less than the Blues. Still, even if they manage to beat West Ham, the 5th position will remain far away.
In fact, it seems that the only way for the Gunners to ensure a spot in Europa League in 2018/2019 is to win that competition this season. Unfortunately for them, they’re facing Atletico Madrid in the semifinal.
So, does all this mean that Arsenal won’t have any motivation against West Ham? Absolutely not! The Gunners need to win as many points as possible until the end of the season so that another team wouldn’t overtake their position. Burnley currently have only two points less than Arsenal, so losing their current position seems like a real danger.
And if such a scenario would happen, it would be a real disaster. Such a disappointment wouldn’t be tolerated by the management and Arsene Wenger would probably get fired, together with many first-team players.
West Ham
The Hammers were the better side in the previous round when they faced Stoke City. Still, they failed to win. In fact, they were very close to losing that game when Crouch scored for Stoke in the 79th minute. But, then, Andy Carroll saved them in the 90th minute.
Still, even a draw in that game seems good enough for West Ham’s struggle to stay in the Premier League for another season. There are not many rounds left to play and they have six points more than Southampton who are the closest team in the relegation zone. What this means is that if West Ham got relegated, it would be a huge surprise.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that their job is over. If they play well, they could finish the season in the top half of the table, which was their main goal for the season. If they manage to do that, it will be fair to say that they’ve achieved their plans.
Still, it’s not going to be easy, considering that they have to play against some of the best Premier League teams in the remainder of the season – Manchester City, Leicester City, Manchester United, and Everton.
Team News
Arsenal absentees:
- Henrikh Mkhitaryan (injury)
- Santi Cazorla (injury)
- Jack Wilshere (doubtful)
West Ham absentees:
- Winston Reid (injury)
- Michail Antonio (injury)
- Pedro Obiang (injury)
- Samuel Byram (injury)
- James Collins (doubtful)
Possible Lineups
Arsenal
Cech – Mustafi, Koscielny, Bellerin, Kolasinac – Xhaka, Elneny, Maitland-Niles – Iwobi, Welbeck, Aubameyang
West Ham
Hart – Ogbonna, Rice, Cresswell – Zabaleta, Masuaku, Noble, Kouyate – Arnautovic, Lanzini, Carroll
Arsenal vs. West Ham Match Prediction
The bookies think Arsenal will win this easily, but I have to disagree. Surely, the Gunners will want to put on a good performance in front of their audience as a way of saying ’sorry’ for what happened in the previous round.
Still, I think Arsene Wenger will rest some players once again, in order to eliminate any risk of them getting injured before the Europa League clash with Atletico. That’s why Arsenal might get into serious problems in this game. West Ham are under absolutely no pressure, so they play with freedom and creativity on Saturday. Who knows, maybe they can do the same thing as Newcastle?
Arsenal vs. West Ham Betting Tips
- AH West Ham +1.5 @1.57 (bet365)
- Double Chance X2 @2.50 (bet365)
