Two teams still in pursuit of their top four goals meet at Upton Park, with a lot on the line.
In the same week that Mesut Ozil admitted his team had “screwed up” their title challenge, and Arsene Wenger lamented his playmaker’s loose – if honest – lips, Arsenal battered Watford 4-0. As many have pointed out, cogent performances wheeled out once you’re 11 points behind the league leaders, and out of every cup competition, aren’t exactly pleasing. Wenger, in response to Ozil’s comments, urged the need to continue believing even if, as he said, their title chances may only be “one in 100”.
Certainly, this is a morose state of affairs, such is the openness of this season’s title race, and Arsenal’s hopes, hanging perilously by a thread as it is, require a win over West Ham to endure into next week.
The Hammers are doing some lamenting as well. The last two Premier League games, matches in which West Ham were highly competent if not quite at their sparkling best, have ended sourly, with points lost in both thanks to some hugely contentious refereeing decisions. Against Chelsea, Cesc Fabregas converted a late penalty, earned by a foul that was actually committed outside the box. 2-2 that game ended, and West Ham ground their teeth.
Then, against Crystal Palace, having fought back from 1-0 down to lead, Cheikhou Kouyate was sent off by Mark Clattenburg for a foul that looked bookable and nothing more. Palace, consolidating their man-advantage, leveled the match, and with that snatched another two points from West Ham’s campaign for a Champions League spot. Kouyate’s card was rescinded by the FA, and with Manchester United pulling away ahead of them, luck has seemingly abandoned Slaven Bilic and co.
CrownBet match odds at time of publishing
But Manchester City are only three points away, in that hallowed fourth position, and so claret and blue dreams haven’t faded just yet.
Key Battle: Michail Antonio vs Nacho Monreal
In an patchy season, where Arsenal have soared as much as they have stumbled, Nacho Monreal’s consistency at the left back position has provided a stable stake at the side of a team suffering from vertigo. The Spaniard has missed just one game this season, and in the matches he has played in, he’s played the full 90 minutes in all but one of them.
While not being elite at either attacking or defending, Monreal is simply – and, in truth, satisfyingly – very good at both; always diligent in defence, and eager in attack, he may not have the electric pace of Hector Bellerin on the other side but his reliability is second-to-none.
He will be tested to his limits in this match, because the winger sharing his flank is nothing if not compelling. Michail Antonio, whether deployed as a winger or full-back, has won over every Hammers supporter with his irrepressible energy and direct goal-threat.
With the exception of Yannick Bolasie, Antonio might just be the most physically intimidating dribbler in the league, a firm, sculpted bundle of toned muscle and hot breath, running with a sort of single-minded momentum. He flourishes in one-on-one physical contests, and will do to Monreal what he has done to every other full back he has faced; charge, headlong, right down his throat. Monreal is a little slight, and will not be looking forward to an upper-body battle.
The Spaniard has to nullify Antonio’s threat with clever positioning and nimble tackling if he’s to survive.
Team News and Expected Lineups
West Ham may be able to welcome Sam Byram back onto the substitutes bench, with the right-back virtually recovered from his muscle injury, and likewise James Collins. Bilic will probably use Antonio as an attacking right back again, which means one of either Enner Valencia or Emmanuel Emenike will join Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini in attacking midfield. Diafra Sakho, relentlessly active, will start as striker. Kouyate’s overturned dismissal means he will partner Mark Noble in midfield, and Winston Reid will hope to rediscover his consistent form from earlier in the season.
Arsenal are similarly troubled by only a couple of injuries, with Santi Cazorla’s absence mitigated superbly by the fine start Mohamed Elneny has made to his Arsenal career. Danny Welbeck will probably start against West Ham, with his pace more of an issue than Olivier Giroud’s lack thereof. Alex Iwobi, excellent in the win over Watford, will also remain in attacking midfield. Petr Cech is reportedly fit to face West Ham, and will likely replace David Ospina.
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Head-to-Head and Previous Meeting
Arsenal have dominated this rivalry historically, winning nearly double the amount of fixtures they’ve lost. But Arsenal, like almost every other West Ham opponent this season, will not stroll into this match with any assumptions. They are acutely aware of the danger West Ham pose, having lost the very first match of the season to them, at the Emirates.
There, Dimitri Payet and Mauro Zarate scored in a 2-0 win for the Hammers, a fine, potent display of counter-attacking football. The beneficiaries, perhaps, of some complacency in that match, West Ham will not enjoy that this time, with so much at stake for both clubs.
Prediction
Arsenal might well be playing with more freedom now that the title seems out of reach, but West Ham will be desperate to restart their own pursuit of fourth place, at home. The hosts to run out 3-1 winners.
*CrownBet match odds at time of publishing are subject to change
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