West Ham will host Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal in what will be another pulsating London derby and the final Premier League game of 2014 for both sides. The Hammers were undone by a sublime Chelsea outfit on Boxing Day it has to be said and to be honest it’s no shame to lose to the best side in the country at this point in time. A respectable 2-0 loss away from home for Big Sam’s high-flyers which could have easily ended up with a more exciting scoreline had both sides and in particular West Ham, put away the chances they had in the game. Nonetheless, West Ham United are currently 5th in the league table and a point ahead of Arsenal and have a chance at their own backyard to extend that gap before the new year, an opportunity that is too vital to pass on.
Arsenal will travel to east London to play their second London derby in a row on the back of a hard fought 2-1 win against QPR, a victory and much needed 3 points largely overshadowed by the sending off of in-form striker Olivier Giroud. Talisman Alexis Sanchez was at his best again as he scored the opener and later set up the winner despite missing an early penalty during the game, dragging Arsenal through the finish line once again. An away victory at the Boleyn ground will be the perfect result for Arsene Wenger ahead of the second half of the Premier League, which will lift the Gunners above Sunday’s opponents and also up to fourth place if Southampton lose their game against the league leaders.
When these two sides met at the Upton Park last season on Boxing Day, it was the away side who took all 3 points with a 1-3 win, thanks to a brace from Theo Walcott.
Team News
West Ham
Sam Allardyce will have no new injury concerns ahead of the Arsenal game with Tomkins the only notable absentee, suffering from a hamstring problem. The defender could be involved though, albeit on the bench but will require a late fitness test prior to the game.
Arsenal
After a bit of rotation on Boxing Day that kept Chambers away from the starting 11, Arsene Wenger will be looking forward to welcome a few of his key players who will require a fitness assessment before the game in Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Sanogo, Bellerin and Koscielny. Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey will certainly miss the outing with the key duo struggling with a muscle and hamstring injury respectively. The game will come too soon for Mesut Ozil as well, with the star man out until the first week of January.
Interesting Numbers
- West Ham United are unbeaten in their last 6 home games with 5 wins and a draw including an impressive 2-1 win against Man City.
- Arsenal’s form away from home has been poor of late with 3 losses in their last 6 games. (W 2 L 3 D 1)
- West Ham United have won a game coming from behind thrice this season so far, compared to Arsenal’s single comeback victory.
Key Men
Andy Carroll – West Ham United
After missing much of the early part of West Ham’s season, Andy Carroll has made a strong start from a player’s perspective with 3 goals in 8 appearances. He offers West Ham aplenty with his towering presence and an impeccable ability in the air, something that could come in very handy at the weekend against Arsenal. He’s created 6 chances from open play so far including an assist and a superior 53% success rate in 1 v 1 duels. His passing though has been a bit wayward with just a 62% accuracy, which will only get better as he gets a regular run of games under his belt. With Stewart Downing in the form of his life, his potential partnership with Andy Carroll can be a real handful to defend against on Sunday. The forward’s movement and knack of heading a hanging cross is excellent so if they can pick the 6′ 7″ center forward more often then it’s only going to be a matter of time before he scores.
Danny Welbeck – Arsenal
Danny Welbeck, if anything, has been a steady performer at Arsenal. In 15 appearances, he’s been asked to play a variety of roles in and around that final third and the 24-year old has not disappointed. Welbeck has scored 3 goals so far but has been a source of several chances from open play this season. The inside forward has created an astonishing 25 chances including a couple of assists with a very good passing accuracy of 84%. Often lauded for his ability to track back and the general work ethic, Welbeck has been involved in 2 defensive actions per game on an average and has notably made 17 interceptions thus far. His conversion rate though (<20%) doesn’t look extraordinary for an Arsenal striker with only 3 shots on target out of a total of 17 finding the net, something he will have to improve on, especially now Giroud is suspended.  Arsenal will need to be more clinical on Sunday if they are to come away with all 3 points and Danny Welbeck could play a vital role in the process.
Prediction
A cracking London derby in prospect. Even Stevens in my opinion.
West Ham United 2-2 Arsenal
