TEAM NEWS
Samir Nasri is set for his first Premier League appearance since August 2016, after making his West Ham debut in the FA Cup win against Birmingham.
Marko Arnautovic’s participation is in doubt amid claims he wants to move to China, while Fabian Balbuena is out for eight weeks following knee surgery.
Mesut Ozil, Laurent Kosciely and Hector Bellerin are among the six Arsenal players available after injuries.
Shkodran Mustafi and Nacho Monreal are also fit and in contention. Fellow defender Konstantinos Mavropanos has overcome a groin problem
MOTD COMMENTATOR’S NOTES
@Guymowbray: With both teams having only kept three Premier League clean sheets each all season, it’s a game that should provide goals, but other than that, is tough to predict.
An easing injury list means we may get an idea of something close to Unai Emery’s first-choice Arsenal team as they bid to end some poor recent away form in a fixture they’ve only lost once since 1999.
Like Emery, Manuel Pellegrini deserves only praise for what he’s done in his first season in charge, with West Ham consistently at the top of the ‘injury league table’.
They could beat (almost) any other team on their day, but such days against Arsenal are historically rare.
VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini: “This year we have demonstrated that we can play as a big team against any team. We play for three points from the first whistle, and we will do so again against Arsenal.
“I insist on the big team mentality because we are in a big club with 60,000 people behind us and we want to improve.
“As a team we want to work better than we did in the first half of the season and to do that we have to beat the top clubs.”
Arsenal head coach Unai Emery: “I think West Ham are improving and they also have good individual players with quality, like Anderson, like Arnautovic, who are very good players.
“Usually [Manuel Pellegrini has] very offensive teams. They usually play matches with a balance tactically but above all with technical, offensive players.”
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
In the Premier League, the Hammers’ form has been very up and down in recent weeks, but the same could be said about the Gunners.
I am going for an Arsenal win here, but it is clear that Unai Emery still has a lot of work to do.
Prediction: 1-2
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- West Ham have won just one of their last 21 Premier League matches against Arsenal (D4, L16). That sole victory came in August 2015.
- The Gunners are unbeaten in 11 away matches at West Ham in all competitions since November 2006 (W8, D3).
- Unai Emery’s first victory as Arsenal head coach came in this season’s reverse fixture.
- The Hammers have lost 29 Premier League matches against Arsenal, more than against any other side.
West Ham United
- West Ham have won five of their past eight league matches.
- They have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last eight home Premier League games, their longest such streak since a run of 12 in 2009.
- The Hammers have lost five matches at home this season, one more than away from London Stadium.
- They have won their last two London derbies, beating Crystal Palace and Fulham in December.
Arsenal
- Arsenal are without a win in their last four away matches in the Premier League (D2, L2), and have conceded nine goals in their last three.
- They have lost just one of their six London derbies this season – going down 3-2 at Chelsea in August (W4, L1).
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored in each of his last four Premier League London derbies, with six goals and two assists in total.
- Arsenal have scored in their last 20 Premier League matches. They have scored 32 second-half goals – more than any other top-flight team.
- Only Tottenham, with 28 goals, have scored more away goals this season than Arsenal’s 22.
Source: BBC News
