EPL: Arsenal vs. West Ham Preview, Odds, Prediction

Arsenal and West Ham meet in the English Premier League game on Monday, December 26th. Or Boxing Day, whatever suits you better. The two units from London bring maybe the biggest game of the entire round, because of the historical background and the fact that Arsenal holds the top spot in the standings before this event. West Ham has been in problems since the start of the season, which could be an excellent chance for them to have a fresh start. They are near the relegation zone and in desperate need of a win.

Preview

Arsenal (-200), that is, Mikel Arteta, needs to find a way to cover up Gabriel Jesus’ absence. The Brazilian will be out for quite a while, meaning that the Gunners have to plan a long-term strategy. Jesus scored five goals and had five assists, though his contribution was much more influential than these ten goals.

His presence on the field is the main reason for Arsenal’s top spot, with the Brazilian completely changing the face of this unit. With him, Arteta got not only a striker but also a playmaker who is able to create chances for him and his teammates.

Arsenal is very good at home this year, having six wins in six events, with 19 goals scored and seven allowed.

West Ham (+500) had high ambitions before the start of this year, but they all collapsed quickly following the start of the campaign. We aren’t sure what happened with the Hammers, but their level of play isn’t anywhere near the one from the previous season.

We often saw in the past that “middle class” teams fall apart when playing international matches along with the domestic, which might be the case with the Hammers. Even though they had a nice quest in the UEL last year, it seems that now, they don’t have the needed capacity for another year of battling on two fronts.

The Hammers are without a win for the last five road games in the English Premier League, and since the start of the campaign have just one triumph away from the London Stadium.

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Arsenal is without Jesus and Smith Rowe, and these two guys will be out for some time. As for all the other guys who were at the World Cup, they are expected to be in the lineup, ready to play.

West Ham’s injury list doesn’t have any notable names on it.

Head to Head

Arsenal was better than the Hammers on both occasions last year, winning 2-0 at the Etihad and then beating the rivals 1-2 on the road. Overall, in the past six events, the Gunners have five wins over West Ham, with one draw, and in five games, Arteta’s crew netted twice or more.

Prediction

The hosts have no other option but to adapt and play without Jesus. The good thing for the Gunners is that Bukayo Saka looked pretty fired up at the World Cup, playing in excellent shape. He could be the one to burst and lead Arsenal to new victories, keeping them at the top of the league. We believe that Arsenal has enough power to win this event.

Pick: Arsenal -200