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Arsenal will travel a small distance from the Emirates to play West Ham United at the London Stadium on Wednesday.
The Hammers surprised everyone went they beat Chelsea 1-0 this week. It was David Moyes' first win as their manager. Marko Arnautovic’s clever finish was enough to snatch 3 points from the defending champions. The result created a serious dent to Chelsea's hope of catching Manchester City at the top of the table.
The Gunners salvaged a point last weekend when they traveled to Saint Mary's for a tight encounter against Southampton. The Gunners, yet again, displayed defensive weaknesses and let Charlie Austin give a lead to the hosts just 3 minutes into the game.
It looked like all three points would head towards Southampton. However, Olivier Giroud stepped up yet again and scored his 17th Premier League goal as a substitute to earn the point for his team.
Both West Ham and Arsenal will be looking to take 3 points on Wednesday, as it is a must-win game for both the clubs. 2 games without a win has plunged Arsenal to sit 17 points behind Manchester City. A win will see West Ham climb out of the relegation zone to the 16th spot in the table.
Facts and figures:
West Ham will not be too optimistic after their result against the Gunners last season, when Sanchez scored a hatrick at the London Stadium. Moyes, too, does not have a great record against Wenger and has lost 17 out of the 28 games he has played against the Frenchman.
Arsenal will be favorites as no team has won as many away matches against West Ham as them. Wenger will be rearing to go and secure a strong victory against the Hammers. The Gunners will be looking to get back to winning ways, especially after the frustrating performance against Southampton last week.
Team News:
Arsenal will be missing Aaron Ramsey as he picked up a hamstring injury against The Saints last week, Shkodran Mustafi is close to full fitness, but will most probably be sitting out this game as well.
The hosts are unlikely to make any changes from the side that picked up the win against Chelsea. However, Cheikhou Kouyate and Sam Byram have not fully recovered. Jose Fonte remains the long absentee for the Hammers. A high possibility that Adrian will remain in goal after picking up a clean sheet on the weekend, whereas Joe Hart will start on the bench.
Predicted lineups
West Ham starting XI: Adrian; Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Arnautovic, Noble, Lanzini, Obiang, Masuaku; Antonio
Arsenal starting XI: Cech; Koscielny, Mertersacker, Monreal; Bellerin, Xhaka, Wilshere, Kolasinac; Ozil, Sanchez; Giroud
West Ham host Arsenal at the London Stadium with kick-off scheduled for 8pm on Wednesday, December 13.
