West Ham host Arsenal at the London Stadium in what promises to be an exciting London Derby.
West Ham welcome the Gunners off the back of a morale-boosting 2-0 victory vs Newcastle. Goals from Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka secured their first win since their 2-1 triumph over Manchester United in late October. Lopetegui hasn’t had the best start to the campaign but will look to build momentum with a second consecutive victory as they face Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
Arsenal’s pursuit of maintaining their position at the top of the Premier League table has seen them register two emphatic victories—a 3-0 home win against Nottingham Forest in the previous gameweek and a commanding 5-1 triumph away at Sporting CP in the Champions League. With little room for error, navigating through tricky fixtures will be crucial for the Gunners in the title race.
Last season’s reverse fixture saw Arsenal decimate the Hammers at the London Stadium with a dominant 6-0 win. Although it was David Moyes at the helm of West Ham back then, can Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal replicate that success, or will Lopetegui’s side spring a surprise this time around?
West Ham vs Arsenal – Match Details
Date: 30th November 2024, Saturday.
Time: 17:30 BST
Venue: London Stadium.
West Ham vs Arsenal – Match Officials
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn
Fourth official: Bobby Madley
VAR: Michael Salisbury
Assistant VAR: Mark Scholes
West Ham vs Arsenal – Team News
Manager Julen Lopetegui will serve a touchline ban for Arsenal’s visit after receiving his third yellow card of the season.
Mohammed Kudus is suspended following his on-pitch outburst at Tottenham last month. Nicolas Fullkrug will miss the match with an injury. Todibo picked up a knock vs Newcastle in the previous gameweek and is a doubt for the fixture
On the other hand for Arsenal, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu will miss the fixture after addressing their respective injuries. Gabriel is a doubt after picking up a knock against Sporting CP in midweek and might be rested ahead of Arsenal’s next match against Manchester United.
West Ham vs Arsenal – Preview
The Hammers would have the added confidence to host the Gunners after the brink of a stellar victory vs Newcastle United. Playing at home, they will aim to capitalize on their momentum and secure another vital three points to climb further away from the relegation zone. A key victory under his belt now sees him in the 14th spot with the Hammers being 6 points clear of 15th place Ipswich Town.
West Ham’s season has been an underwhelming display given the level of talent in their squad – struggling for wins and struggling for goals. Haven’t managed to pile up consecutive victories in the league and that just tells you how inconsistent they’ve been.
Lopetgui’s side depends a lot on their physical play and winning the midfield battles – it’ll be key to dominate Arsenal in those fronts in order to aim for a favorable result. dependency on key players to shine has also been a factor they’ve depended upon – the likes of Bowen, Soucek and Kudus (missing the game) have been their reliable routes to goal.
Arsenal, meanwhile, pose a significant threat through set-pieces and is their go top variable to find the back of the net. Back post headers from Gabriel and Saliba especially prove to be the difference maker – like it did in the reverse fixture last season at the London Stadium.
Arsenal’s approach since Odegaard’s reintroduction has been just as expected – loads of creativity and end product being finished. Expected routes to goal would be relied on the RHS combination of Odegaard and Saka whilst Timber’s smart movements on/off the ball could help deviate West Ham’s defence. Overloads on the RHS whilst piling in crosses after having couple of box crashers in the box.
After struggling to get wins in the earlier stages of the season, Arsenal are expected to go full throttle and make this a high-scoring encounter.
West Ham vs Arsenal – Key Players
Riccardo Calafiori
The Arsenal summer signing has dealt with injuries since his signing but has transitioned himself superbly into Arsenal culture and dynamics under Arteta. His seamless, no-nonsense approach helps Arsenal both defensively and offensively. One time you’ll see him on the wide channels, but the other moment you’ll see him burst through into central areas and distribute passes to the frontline and help unlock Arsenal’s LHS.
Up against an experienced English threat in Jarod Bowen, Calafiori might have heavy defensive duties on transitions but is still expected to venture ahead whenever needed.
Jarrod Bowen
The English winger remains West Ham’s most reliable attacking outlet, despite managing just three goals this season. His pace, dribbling, and sharpness in the final third will be a constant threat for Arsenal’s backline. Bowen’s pressing ability and creativity will test Calafiori and Arsenal’s defensive organization during transitions.
West Ham vs Arsenal – Predicted Lineups
West Ham predicted lineup vs Arsenal: Fabianski; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Soucek, Rodriguez; Bowen, Paqueta, Summerville; Antonio.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs West Ham: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
