After ending a poor home run against Olympiacos in midweek, we’re looking to banish more ghosts from our past when West Ham United arrive at Emirates Stadium on Saturday (3pm), as we look to move to the top of the Premier League table with a win.
A recent thorn in our side, the Claret and Blues are responsible for half of the four home defeats we’ve tasted in our last 42 Premier League matches in N5, and head across the capital looking to become only the second team in Premier League history to complete a hat-trick of successive wins on our own turf, and unnbeaten on their last five away days.
However for the second time in three league matches, we’re facing opponents under new management, with Nuno Espirito Santo handed the keys to the London Stadium last week. At the other end of the spectrum, Mikel Arteta will want to see his 300th game as our boss end with a fourth-straight victory in all competitions, and bring this Hammers hoodoo to an end.
Potter’s spell ends
Graham Potter was a man under pressure before a ball was kicked this season after his team limped to a 14th-place finish, earning only five league wins from 22 games following his January appointment.
Heavy losses in his first two matches to Sunderland and Chelsea saw rumours of his department intensify, and while Nuno’s Nottingham Forest were beaten 3-0 at the end of August, home defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace prompted the Hammers hierarchy to end Potter’s tenure.
With Nuno available following his Forest exit a couple of weeks prior, he was swiftly ushered in and oversaw a 1-1 draw at Everton on Monday night, when skipper Jarrod Bowen once again proved to be his side’s hero by cancelling out Michael Keane’s early goal, but the point wasn't enough to pull them out of the bottom three.
What the managers say
Arteta: "We want to continue to play and flow and dominate games in the manner that we are doing, and it’s going to be a key fixture. In the last two seasons we had two defeats against them here, it's something we need to put right, and tomorrow is another opportunity to do that.
"We know Nuno really well and the way he sets up his team, so we expect a really tough match. We're going to demand again three days later to come back and have the same performance to win the game." - every word from Mikel’s pre-match press conference
Nuno: “Everybody at the club has made a big effort to really help and pass on their knowledge, and create a good bond. It’s all about that. Everybody is really committed to getting things going, getting to know each other better and helping and assisting with what we need to know. It’s been hard work, but it’s been good.
“We know that we have to compete. That is the main message that has been passed on to me. We need to be strong, we need to be aggressive and we need to be brave, and we will do our best to be all of those things. When they have the help of the fans, the boys feel free and they feel joy, so we want to make sure we are giving something to them.”
Team news
Gabriel came off in the 75th minute against Olympiacos on Wednesday, and while Arteta admitted there is no long-term damage, it is still in the balance as to whether Gabi will line up in our backline.
Piero Hincapie is still struggling with a groin issue but could return after the international break, while Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus all remain out with knee injuries.
Tomas Soucek is suspended for this game following his red card against Tottenham a couple of weeks ago, while young midfielder George Earthy has picked up a hamstring injury that will see him sidelined for at least a month.
Talking tactics
Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme: Nuno’s long-term philosophy is built around being defensively compact, sitting deep, and launching fast, direct breakaways. Examining the attributes of the players he has inherited, it seems likely that West Ham will play in a similar manner under his supervision.
Against Everton, they lined up in a 4-1-4-1 formation. The Hammers have speed and ball-carrying prowess out wide via Bowen and Crysencio Summerville. Inside them, the creative Lucas Paqueta and Matheus Fernandes also have the ability to unlock any defence.
In El Hadji Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters, they have full-backs who can impact matches inside the final third with intermittent overlaps. Left-back Diouf [above] has been eye-catching, displaying incredible pace and top-class crossing ability. With three assists to his name already, the 20-year-old is an emerging talent we must keep an eye on.
West Ham have conceded eight goals from corners in the league already, as many as they did in the whole of last season. Our famous inswingers into a crowded six-yard box are just the type of delivery they have struggled most to defend, so from their perspective, it will be key for them not to concede too many corner kicks.
Facts and stats
We have won six of our last eight Premier League matches, and have more points (19) than any other side since the start of this run in May.
West Ham have lost just one of their last five Premier League away games, with all of their last 10 points in the competition coming away from home.
We have lost three of our last five games against the Hammers in all competitions (W2), as many defeats as in their previous 33.
West Ham are looking to become only the second side to win three successive Premier League away games against us, after Manchester City, who won six between March 2018 and February 2023.
None of the last five Premier League meetings between us and the Irons have been won by the home side.
West Ham have lost more Premier League London derbies than any other side (134), suffering eight defeats in their last 11, conceding 27 goals in that time.
Bukayo Saka has been involved in eight goals across his last seven league appearances against West Ham (4 goals, 4 assists), five of which have come in his last two (3 goals, 2 assists).
Eberechi Eze has five goal involvements in his last five league games against West Ham (2 goals, 3 assists).
Jarrod Bowen has been involved in 11 goals in his last 12 Premier League appearances, scoring eight and assisting three. He has also scored five career goals against us.
Match officials
John Brooks has been assigned this fixture, and we have won just two of the five games he has refereed in the past, one of which was his last appointment back in April, when we beat Fulham 2-1.
The Hammers have a virtually identical record with two wins from five under his watch, and their last in December saw them beat Wolves by the same scoreline. This will be the Leicestershire official’s first Premier League game of he season, having taken charge of Championship and Carabao Cup games in recent weeks.
Referee: John Brooks
Assistants: Simon Bennett, Mat Wilkes
Fourth official: Chris Kavanagh
VAR: Michael Oliver
Assistant VAR: James Mainwaring
Recent visits from the Hammers
The Hammers head to N5 looking to win three successive away league games against us for the first time since March 1995 and the second time in their history, having been victorious back in February when Bowen's diving header just before half-time decided the points, before Myles Lewis-Skelly was dismissed in the second half.
The east-enders also provided some festive gloom back in December 2023 when they won 2-0 at Emirates Stadium, with a hotly-contested Soucek goal added to by former Gunner Konstantinos Mavropanos, with David Raya saving a Said Benrahma penalty to avoid the scoreline growing further.
A year previously, we had triumphed on Boxing Day but again had to do things the hard way, falling behind after Benrahma was successful from the spot. However, goals from Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah turned things around and recorded an eight-straight home win against West Ham.
Live coverage
This game will be unavailable to watch live in the UK, so make sure you tune into Live From N5 from an hour before kick-off to soak up the pre-match atmosphere and get hyped for this London derby.
Nicole Holliday and Jeremie Aliadiere will be in the studio with a packed house of Arsenal supporters, Gunners legend Perry Groves and rapper Chip.
There will be a chat with David Raya after the team caught up with him at the Sobha Realty Training Centre, while Nicole and Jeremie battle it out to have their Emirates moment inducted to the Live from N5 Hall of Fame.
Our supporters take on the latest round of our Time Capsule challenge, before handing over to Dan Roebuck and Adrian Clarke who will be on commentary duties for this clash against the Hammers - so make sure you tune in!