Premier League leaders Arsenal return to action on Sunday in a highly-anticipated must-win fixture. West Ham stand in their way of three precious points as the struggling Hammers look to get their season back underway with an unexpected victory over Mikel Arteta's high-flying side.
Saka and Co. enter this clash on the back of a slip-up, and given Manchester City's recent 3-1 win over Leicester City on Saturday, the Gunners must avoid dropping points in back-to-back games.
Last weekend, it was a draw at Anfield, a game that saw Arsenal cruising to a 2-0 lead inside half an hour only to leave Merseyside with a fortunate 2-2 draw. Aaron Ramsdale was the Man of the Match as the English goalkeeper pulled off several outstanding saves to help the club avoid a comeback defeat.
And with the Cityzens triumphing on Saturday, Arsenal's lead at the top has now fallen to just three points. Guardiola's men have a game in hand, which means the North London giants will need at least a six-point gap for some wiggle room.
The last time these two sides met, Saka and Co. triumphed, with the league leaders bouncing back from 1-0 down to beat the Hammers 3-1 thanks to goals from Bukayo, Martinelli, and Nketiah.
And while the 2-2 draw at Anfield ended the club's seven-game winning streak in the league, the North London giants remain unbeaten since their 3-1 loss at home to Man City back in February. The return fixture against Guardiola's men is fast approaching, but before Arsenal can even begin thinking about that Etihad Stadium clash, they must first overcome the hurdle in front of them.
West Ham, on the other hand, triumphed last weekend. The London side beat Fulham 1-0 to gain some ground in their unexpected relegation battle, with the Hammers moving three points clear of the drop.
However, this London Derby will be a whole different test as David Moyes' men aim to not only hamper Arsenal's title race, but also increase their odds of suriving the drop. In order to achieve this, the hosts must turn their form around.
It was roughly two weeks ago when West Ham were thrashed 5-1 at home by Newcastle, a result which nearly cost Moyes his job. The game before that was a 1-0 victory over Southampton but the six games prior to that triumph over the Saints produced only one win.
And while Declan Rice and Co. enter this clash on the back of a 1-1 draw away to Gent in the UEFA Europa Conference League quarterfinals, the home side have won only eight games all season in the Premier League. Will their ninth victory come at the expense of Arsenal? Tune in to find out.
Team news
West Ham: Gianluca Scamacca is unavailable due to a knee injury, but otherwise, Moyes has a fit squad at his disposal. Lukasz Fabianski should return to goal after sitting out the 1-1 draw with Gent while Michail Antonio, Lucas PaquetaTomas Soucek, and Kurt Zouma should start after missing the win at Fulham.
Arsenal: William Saliba is yet to return to training after injuring his back and will miss this trip. However, Eddie Nketiah is back with the squad and could make a cameo off the bench. Mohamed Elneny and Takehiro Tomiyasu are long-term injuries and will watch this game from the sidelines.
Key stats
-
Arsenal have won six of their last seven Premier League showdowns with West Ham.
-
The Gunners have scored 2+ goals in all but one of their last eight league matches.
-
The Hammers have conceded 10 goals in their last five matches but nine of those goals came in two games (the 4-0 defeat vs Brighton and the 5-1 loss to Newcastle).
-
The Gunners haven't lost to West Ham since January 2019.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
