Premier League: Friends Reunited but No Favours Expected in East End

West Ham United vs Arsenal

A Premier League meeting of two old friends.

David Moyes managed Mikel Arteta at Everton from 2005 to 2011 and made the midfielder his captain.

Together they helped Everton reach the 2009 FA Cup Final, a trophy Arteta won in his first few months in the Arsenal hotseat.

Yet there will be no quarter given on either side on Sunday when West Ham and Arsenal aim for Premier League highlights and previous points.

Talking Points

Arsenal’s worst fears were sweeping around the Emirates Stadium last Sunday when a defensive blunder seconds before half-time allowed Liverpool to go in level, after Arteta’s men had controlled the first 45 minutes and barely allowed the league leaders a chance.

However, they showed great character to reassert their authority after the break and, with a helping hand from the opposition defence, sealed a victory which will send belief surging through Arteta and his players.

Perhaps their 3-1 victory over Liverpool can be their moment of ignition, just as their 1-0 defeat at Everton a year ago to the day was arguably the moment their title tilt last term started to wobble.

Arsenal are looking to extend their Premier League winning streak when they face West Ham — Arsenal’s Jorginho and Declan Rice celebrated after the Premier League match against Liverpool

Certainly, they are right back at the heart of the title race as they travel across London to take on the Hammers.

The club had welcome news this week as Arteta played down a knock sustained by Bukayo Saka, scorer of the opening goal last weekend, while it was revealed the luckless Jurrien Timber has taken a step towards getting back into action before the end of the season.

Thomas Partey is also closing in on a return, as it’s hoped will be Gabriel Jesus who missed the game against Liverpool after it was confirmed he had been playing with fluid on his knee a few days earlier.

On the same afternoon, West Ham went down to defeat at Old Trafford for their first league defeat since a five-goal hammering at Fulham on December 10.

Ironically, Moyes felt his side had played better than they had in beating Manchester United in December but didn’t take their chances.

Their likely best chance of success this season is the Europa League – last season’s Conference League winners have won 19 of their 20 European games since the start of last season.

The demands of this competition and the Thursday-Sunday schedule can trouble even squads with the most depth and, with a return to Euro action just around the corner, they will be keen to maintain their top six charge.

With a title tilt and a top six chase on the cards respectively, this could be a real ding-dong London derby.

History

If West Ham are to win this game, it will be their third victory over Arsenal in less than half a year.

That makes me think it won’t happen.

The Gunners need to follow up last Sunday’s exciting 3-1 win over Liverpool with victory in the east end’ of London.

They will have unhappy memories of this game from last term when they threw away a 2-0 lead and were pegged back in a 2-2 draw for the second successive weekend.

Jesus and Martin Odegaard had put them in the ascendancy inside the opening 10 minutes before a Saïd Benrahma penalty reduced the arrears and Jarrod Bowen levelled matters for the Hammers early in the second half.

They were results which proved costly in their title bid and they can ill afford any more dropped points against the Hammers – particularly as they lost to them 2-0 at home over Christmas, despite dominating the contest.

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On that night, Tomas Soucek and Konstantinos Mavropanos scored the goals.

West Ham also knocked the Gunners out of the League Cup in October with a 3-1 victory.

An own goal, plus Mohammed Kudus and Bowen, secured the win.

Odegaard scored a consolation for Arsenal in stoppage time.

The Gunners, historically, have had the edge with 72 victories compared to West Ham’s 37 triumphs. A further 41 meetings have been drawn.

The last time they defeated them at home in the league came five seasons ago when they won 1-0 at home in front of their elated fans. The scorer of the only goal that day – a certain Declan Rice.

I fondly recall a six-goal thriller six years ago when Andy Carroll was the hero with an eight minute hat-trick as the sides shared the points.