On Sunday, West Ham United welcome Arsenal to the London Stadium as both sides aim to finish the 2021-22 English Premier League season on a high note.
With five games remaining, Arsenal are in control of their top-four dreams. Mikel Arteta’s men sit fourth in the table – two points clear of fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur.
👊 Setting up for Sunday 📍 London Colney📺 See the very latest from training here👇— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 28, 2022
👊 Setting up for Sunday 📍 London Colney📺 See the very latest from training here👇
As for the Hammers, they find themselves seventh – two points outside the top six and eight points behind Arsenal. It’s fair to say that David Moyes is prioritising the Europa League.
Speaking of the Europa League, West Ham suffered a 2-1 defeat in the first leg of their semi-final clash against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday.
Despite seeing the lion’s share of possession and racking up 15 shots, Moyes’ side conceded goals in either half to set up a nervy second leg next week.
In the Premier League, the Hammers have failed to win any of their past three games – drawing with Burnley and losing to Brentford and Chelsea.
Moyes’ boys have also lost four of their previous seven Premier League outings, picking up two wins and one draw along the way.
Interestingly, West Ham and Arsenal have both scored 52 Premier League goals this season. However, the Hammers have conceded four more than the Gunners.
Arsenal head into Sunday’s clash on a two-match winning streak, having claimed a couple of vitally important victories last week.
After beating Chelsea 4-2 at Stamford Bridge, Arteta’s side beat Manchester United 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium.
When the Gunners suffered four losses in five Premier League games between mid-March and mid-April, it looked as though their top-four hopes were over.
When you look at the bigger picture, however, they have won eight of their previous 12 league outings and have set themselves up for a positive end to the campaign.
Head-to-head: Arsenal claimed a 2-0 win in the reverse fixture back in December, extending their unbeaten streak against West Ham to five games.
Three of the past five meetings between West Ham and Arsenal have produced over 2.5 goals, while both teams have scored on three occasions.
Team news: West Ham will be without the suspended Craig Dawson this weekend, while Kurt Zouma, Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna are injured.
On the flip side, Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey are both injury absentees for Arsenal. Bukayo Saka is also a doubt for Sunday’s clash.
There is no denying that West Ham are enjoying an excellent season. However, Arsenal should be too strong for the Hammers.
Forebet predicts that Arsenal will score over 1.5 goals on their way to beating West Ham.