In this article…
Arsenal v West Ham
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Kick Off: Thursday 28th December at 20:15
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Competition: Premier League
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Watch Live: Amazon Prime Video
Thursday evening provides us with a post-Christmas gift as second-place Arsenal face West Ham in what could be a crucial game in the Premier League title race. As ever we have televised Premier League games covered with Premier League bet builders, alongside Premier League accumulator tips with expert insight.
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Arsenal were leapfrogged by Liverpool on Boxing Day, that said, Mikel Arteta will be far from panicking after seven straight home wins in all competitions.
A fantastic point away at Anfield last time out has been a huge improvement from their recent travels to Liverpool, and once again the North London club are title contenders.
West Ham, on the other hand, picked up an impressive three points in a 2-0 win over Man United, and although their home form has been strong, a few slip ups on the road will concern David Moyes.
A 5-0 hammering against Fulham followed by conceding five against Liverpool in the EFL Cup shows vulnerability at the back, and one in which Arsenal will be looking to exploit.
Routine wins over Burnley, Wolves and Brighton in the Premier League have shown a resilience within Arteta’s side, and West Ham may just be the next team to fall at the hands of the Gunners at the Emirates.
Arsenal v West Ham Cheat Sheet
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You can find Arsenal v West Ham match stats, on my bet builder stats tool, along with official line-ups one hour before kick-off.
🏆 Match stats: Hosts to extend home form
It’s not just Arsenal’s victories which have been impressive, it’s the way in which they dominate matches in front of their own supporters.
Against Brighton, Arsenal finished with 2.21 xG, 26 shots and 10 corners. Arteta’s side had less passes than Brighton (550 to 516), but this showed how effective they were in transitioning the ball up the pitch with purpose.
However, as mentioned, West Ham have conceded 10 goals on the road in their last two matches. Fulham dominated from start to finish as they hit five (to nil) at Craven Cottage – as West Ham have struggled to replicate home performances on the road in recent weeks.
Their lack of consistency away from home is what is most concerning, and heading to Arsenal who have picked up 23 points and have only conceded eight goals in nine matches will be a difficult venue to get back on track.
Arsenal haven’t lost at home since round 36 last campaign, and with their new-found ruthless edge this year in front of goal, the home fans can once again have the bragging rights over East London’s West Ham.
Predictions:
⚽ Arsenal to win @ 1.25
🎯 Shooting stats: Odegaard to get his eye in
Martin Odegaard has continued to grow and lead in his role at Arsenal – he is often in the thick of the action. The Norwegian had five shots v Brighton, as well as finding the net in their previous home match v Wolves.
Whether creating room for himself on the edge of the box, or timing his runs to perfection, the midfielder’s footballing intelligence is one of the highest on the pitch.
In fact, the former Real Madrid player also had four shots against Lens in the Champions League and with Arsenal amongst one of the highest creators in the Premier League, he’ll be aiming to add to his tally against a vulnerable West Ham defence on the road.
With Kai Havertz likely to miss out, Odegaard may push forward with Arsenal expected to dominate, and he can test Alphonse Areola’s gloves at least once.
Predictions:
⚽ Martin Odegaard to have 1+ shot on target @ 1.44
⛳ Corners stats: Home dominance expected against the Hammers
At home, we’ve already discussed Arsenal’s strengths as they look for an eighth straight victory. However, in order to achieve that they’ll be looking to spread the play as much as possible, as well as use their pace on the counter-attack.
With a diverse 4-3-3 formation preferred, we’ve seen Arsenal rack up their corner count on plenty of occasions this season – whether scoring early on or chasing the game.
Against Brighton, Arteta’s side pinned back Brighton for large periods, and despite a routine 2-0 victory, the hosts picked up 10 corners to the visitors one. They only won four against Wolves, but the visitors didn’t take a single corner throughout the 90 minutes, showing how well organised Arsenal’s defence was. They weren’t aimlessly clearing the ball, but instead looking to win back possession cleverly to kickstart counter-attacks.
Arsenal won 13 corners against Burnley and six v Sheffield United. They are likely to come out on top in terms of the result, but adding the most corners is a strong addition to a bet builder.
Predictions:
⚽ Over 6.5 Arsenal corners @ 1.57
* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.
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