Arsenal will be looking to close the gap at the top of the Premier League table when they take on West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday evening.
After an excellent start to the 2024/25 campaign, the Gunners have fallen behind in the title race following a tough run of results before the November international break. Mikel Arteta’s side picked up just two points from their four games against Bournemouth, Newcastle, Liverpool and Chelsea prior to the two week hiatus.
That disastrous run left Arsenal sitting nine points behind run away leaders Liverpool and no side has ever come from that far back to win a Premier League title, so the North Londoners will need to make history if they’re to end their 20-year wait for the trophy.
However, they’ve hit the ground running since domestic football returned after the international break. Arsenal eased past high-flying Nottingham Forest with an impressive 3-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium last weekend. Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey and Ethan Nwaneri got the goals to ensure they didn’t lose any more ground in the title race.
Unfortunately for the Gunners, Liverpool staged a late comeback to beat Southampton 3-2 on Sunday to maintain their nine-point lead over them. But with second-placed Manchester City losing heavily at home to Tottenham, they sit just one point ahead of Arsenal heading into this weekend’s action. With Liverpool hosting City at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, the Gunners have a terrific opportunity to boost their title bid with a win over West Ham on Saturday evening.
Arteta’s men will be in high spirits following their hugely impressive 5-1 victory away to Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday night. They also thrashed the Hammers 6-0 in this fixture last season, so Arsenal should be quietly confident of taking all three points back to North London this weekend.
However, they’ll be facing a West Ham side that’ll be buoyed by their recent 2-0 win away to Newcastle United. After a tough start to the season, the Hammers – who sit 14th in the table – will hope the win at St James’ Park will be a catalyst to get their campaign going.
How to watch
West Ham vs Arsenal will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, kicking off at 5.30pm UK time on Saturday 30th November.
The game is expected to be a sell-out but fans can still get their hands on tickets if they want to be in the stands at the London Stadium this weekend. Supporters can check out here if they want to see a selection of ticket and accommodation packages.
Team news
Arsenal will need to assess Gabriel Magalhaes after he picked up a knock during the mid-week win over Sporting Lisbon. The Brazilian was forced off during the final stages of the match but Arteta will pray it’s nothing serious.
Ben White is facing a spell on the sidelines after undergoing knee surgery while Takehiro Tomiyasu is also still unavailable due to an ongoing knee injury.
Martin Odegaard is back to full fitness in a huge boost to Arsenal while Declan Rice also made his comeback from a toe problem in midweek. Kieran Tierney was also included in the Gunners squad for the first time this season after overcoming a troublesome ankle problem.
As for West Ham, Niclas Fullkrug is out with a calf injury while Mohammed Kudus is suspended. Edson Alvarez is set to return from suspension but Jean-Clair Todibo is a doubt.
Prediction
This is a huge game for Arsenal as with Liverpool and Manchester City playing each other on Sunday, they cannot pass up this opportunity to close the gap on their rivals.
The Gunners appear to have found their groove again with Odegaard’s return instrumental in their recent uptick in form. With Saka also flying, it’s hard to see West Ham being able to keep the visitors at bay. West Ham 1-3 Arsenal
