Team Information
Arsenal will be without Lucas Torreira for the visit of West Ham. The midfielder suffered a fractured ankle in the FA Cup win over Portsmouth last time out and will be sidelined for a while.
Kieran Tierney (shoulder) is back in contention but Sead Kolasinac (shoulder) is absent, as are Cedric Soares and Calum Chambers (both knee).
Tomas Soucek has made a quick recovery from injury to be fit for West Ham. The Czech midfielder suffered a hip injury against Liverpool a fortnight ago but is already back in contention.
Andriy Yarmolenko is back in training but not ready to return, while Ryan Fredericks and Jack Wilshere are still sidelined.
Opta stats
– Arsenal have won eight of their last nine home Premier League games against West Ham United, losing the other on the opening day of the 2015-16 season.
– West Ham have won two of the last 23 Premier League matches against Arsenal (D4 L17) because a three-game winning streak against the Gunners between February 2006 and April 2007.
– Arsenal have won none of their past four home London derbies in the Premier League (D2 L2), losing the last one against Chelsea. They have not lost back-to-back home derbies because February 2006, when their defeats were against Chelsea and West Ham.
– Arsenal have scored three or more goals in 12 of the last 16 Premier League matches against West Ham, including each of the last three against them in the Emirates Stadium.
– Arsenal are unbeaten in seven Premier League matches (W3 D4), the longest current unbeaten run in the branch. The Gunners are also seeking to win three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since August.
– After their 3-1 win against Southampton last time out, West Ham are trying to secure back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since August. However, the Hammers have dropped their past five Premier League away games, continue losing more consecutively between August and December 2006 (8 matches ).
– 43 percent of West Ham’s total shots in the Premier League this year have been on goal (122/287) – because we have this information available (from 1997-98), no team has struck a higher percentage of their total shots on goal in one effort (Manchester United also 43 percent in 2018-19).
– Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored 49 goals in 74 Premier League games. If he scores, he will be the 38th different player to score 50 league goals for the Gunners, the joint-sixth fastest, and the fastest since Joe Baker reached the milestone in 62 matches in 1963.
– All six of Alexandre Lacazette’s six Premier League goals this year have come in home games, the greatest such 100 percent record in the competition this year.
– West Ham manager David Moyes has not won any of his 15 off Premier League games against Arsenal (D4 L11). No boss in Premier League history has ever handled more away games against an opponent with no winning – others with 15 and no wins are Moyes himself against Chelsea and Liverpool and Harry Redknapp against Manchester United.
Charlie Nicholas’ forecast
West Ham had a wonderful result last week and I am happy for David Moyes. There has been a slow advancement for Arsenal under Mikel Arteta and I enjoy his authority.
I am excited about the development of the kids, and for the first time in a while, I believe there is real hope for those coming through. Bukayo Saka, Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah have really powerful Arsenal futures.
West Ham will be a few and Michail Antonio seems the ideal solution for them at present with his pace and power, but I still feel there is a vulnerability about their defence. I believe it’s going to be a hectic day for Lukasz Fabianski back in his old club.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 3-1
