Prediction: West Ham vs Arsenal

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 4/9

Bookmaker: Unibet

Arsenal will aim to replicate the success of their previous visit to the London Stadium when they face West Ham in Saturday’s Premier League clash.

Mikel Arteta’s side enters the derby with confidence, fresh off a commanding 5-1 victory over Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League. Meanwhile, West Ham stunned Newcastle United 2-0 at St. James’ Park earlier this week, setting up an intriguing showdown between the London rivals.

West Ham

West Ham sorely need upturn in fortunes as soon as possible, if manager Julen Lopetegui is to remain in post.

The Irons’ journey to St James’ Park on Monday was expected to end poorly for Lopetegui and co, but strikes either side of the half-time break from Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka clipped the Magpies’ wings and handed West Ham their first road success since late August.

Following a week where there was another top-flight managerial casualty in the form of Steve Cooper, Lopetegui has earned another stay of execution at 14th-placed West Ham, who now boast a healthy six-point lead over Ipswich Town in the highest of the relegation places.

Rebuilding the walls of the London Stadium fortress, West Ham have taken seven points from their last nine on offer in Premier League home games – sinking Ipswich Town and Manchester United before sharing the points with Everton – and only one of their last four home matches against Arsenal has ended in defeat.

However, that loss came in the most recent London Stadium showdown between the two capital counterparts, when Arsenal ran riot in a 6-0 slaughter of the Hammers in February 2024, avenging a 2-0 Emirates loss and 3-1 EFL Cup exit that same season.

Team News

West Ham’s most significant team update comes from the dugout, as Lopetegui, having received his third caution of the season at St James’ Park, will serve a touchline ban against Arsenal.

The Hammers coach joins Mohammed Kudus, who is completing a five-match suspension, in being unavailable, but Edson Alvarez returns from his two-game ban after earlier uncertainty over his eligibility to face Newcastle.

On the injury front, Niclas Fullkrug is unlikely to recover from his calf issue in time for the weekend, while Jean-Clair Todibo picked up a knock in the win over Newcastle. As a result, former Arsenal defender Dinos Mavropanos may be called upon to face his old club.

Arsenal

Arsenal, reinvigorated since the international break, were expected to face a stern test at the Estadio Jose Alvalade against Primeira Liga giants Sporting, despite Ruben Amorim’s recent move to Manchester United.

However, aside from a challenging 15-minute spell early in the second half, Arsenal enjoyed arguably their easiest outing of the season. Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Leandro Trossard all played a part in the emphatic victory over their Portuguese hosts.

This rout propelled Arsenal into the Champions League’s top eight and followed a dominant 3-0 Premier League win against Nottingham Forest. That result ended a four-game winless streak in the league and maintained Arsenal’s position in the top four.

While the nine-point gap to leaders Liverpool remains substantial, Arsenal now trail Manchester City by just one point. With City heading to Anfield on Sunday, Arsenal aim to secure their first away league win since mid-September and possibly overtake the defending champions.

The Gunners’ strong record in London derbies offers further encouragement, with just two defeats in 26 Premier League clashes between capital sides since 2022/23, scoring in 25 of those encounters.

Team News

A minor setback for Arsenal in their win over Sporting was the late withdrawal of goalscorer Gabriel, whose exact issue remains unclear. It would not be surprising if he is rested ahead of the midweek clash with Manchester United.

Arteta has two options to address Gabriel’s potential absence: he could opt for a direct replacement with Jakub Kiwior, as he did on Tuesday, or shift Riccardo Calafiori into a central role and deploy Oleksandr Zinchenko in a wide position.

Additionally, the Arsenal manager may consider a few tactical changes, as he did in the unexpected lineup against Forest, with Leandro Trossard and Mikel Merino likely candidates to freshen up the starting XI.

With Kieran Tierney returning from a hamstring injury to feature on the Champions League bench, Arsenal’s only confirmed absentees are Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, both sidelined with knee injuries.

Conclusion

Arsenal fans will recall the early months of 2024 when Arteta’s side dismantled defenses with ease, and recent performances suggest that attacking spark has returned.

As a result, even a West Ham team that frustrated Newcastle is unlikely to hold Arsenal off for long this weekend. However, Irons supporters can take some comfort in knowing that a repeat of last season’s six-goal thrashing seems unlikely.

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 4/9

Bookmaker: Unibet