Arsenal faces West Ham in a crucial Premier League match that could help Arsenal secure their first title since 2004. A win would put Arsenal five points ahead of Manchester City, with only two matches left to play.
Key points
Arsenal and West Ham face off in a crucial Premier League match
A win for Arsenal would bring them closer to the title
Arsenal could lead Manchester City by five points with a victory
West Ham's performance impacts their standing in the league
Arsenal's next opponents include relegated Burnley and Crystal Palace
ArsenalWest HamManchester CityBurnley
PREVIEW: Arsenal and West Ham face off in crucial clash at both ends of Premier League
PREVIEW: Arsenal and West Ham face off in crucial clash at both ends of Premier League
West Ham United host Arsenal on Sunday afternoon in a game which will have huge repercussions at both ends of the table, no matter the result.
Table-toppers Arsenal will travel to the London Stadium knowing that a win would bring them ever so close to securing their first Premier League title since 2004. Three points on Sunday will put Arsenal five points ahead of Manchester City, after Pep Guardiola’s side got past Keith Andrews’ European-chasing Brentford last night, in what turned out to be a relatively comfortable game for City. If the Gunners can get past West Ham, they would then only face an already-relegated Burnley side and a Crystal Palace team who are likely to be fully focused on their Conference League final, which comes only three days after their final day meeting with Arsenal.
The overall feeling at both clubs has changed dramatically over the last week or so. Two weeks ago, Arsenal played out a nervy 1-0 victory over Newcastle as they sat behind Man City in the table, with the atmosphere at the Emirates tense and nervy. Fast forward to today and Arsenal are back in the driver’s seat in the league and are in a first Champions League Final since 2006.
For West Ham, two weeks ago they beat Everton with a last-minute goal to remain two points ahead of , and with only one league defeat in their last six. Now, after a heavy defeat to Brentford while Spurs won convincingly at Villa Park, the momentum has definitely swung.
Q&A
What are the implications of the Arsenal vs West Ham match?
The match is crucial for Arsenal as a win would bring them closer to their first Premier League title since 2004, while West Ham needs points to improve their standing.
How many points would Arsenal lead by if they win against West Ham?
If Arsenal wins, they would lead Manchester City by five points in the Premier League standings.
When is the Arsenal vs West Ham match scheduled?
The match is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
What teams will Arsenal face after West Ham?
After West Ham, Arsenal will face Burnley, who are already relegated, and Crystal Palace, who will likely be focused on their Conference League final.
Related Articles
Soccer
Liverpool closely following Monaco’s Lamine Camara
Liverpool is keeping an eye on Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara this summer.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Sports
Ireland 'still hungry to get better' - Bemand
Scott Bemand on Ireland's Growth in Women's Rugby
BBC Sport··1 min read
Sports
Incógnita James: al Mundial sin equipo y con la retirada en el horizonte
James Rodríguez se une a Colombia para el Mundial, pero sin equipo y con posible retirada.
Marca··1 min read
Sports
Real Madrid administration prioritise cultural rebuild over signings amid internal crisis
Real Madrid prioritizes cultural changes over new signings during internal crisis
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Sports
Michael Edwards lining up insane Alisson Becker swap deal
Michael Edwards could be planning a swap deal for Alisson Becker as he nears contract expiry.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
MMA·Recap
Strickland upsets Chimaev to win middleweight title
Sean Strickland upsets Khamzat Chimaev to win middleweight title at UFC 328!
After Tuesday night’s victory and celebrations at the Emirates, Mikel Arteta will have to refocus his side onto this huge, potentially title-deciding game this weekend. He made it clear in his press conference on Friday that he and his players have all of their attention on Sunday’s game.
“We’ll have time to prepare and get ready for that final, but now the focus, the attention, the detail, the energy, everything has to be put into West Ham, there is nothing else there, and we made it very clear.”
Arsenal and Arteta have the opportunity to put themselves into the history books, potentially becoming just the fourth team to win both the Premier League and the Champions League in the same season. This would only add to the pressure on this Arsenal side, who are now six years without a trophy. But Arteta has been clear in his message to his players.
“Stay present, live the moment, prepare and show the same level of energy, hunger and desire that we’ve shown all season, or more, because, as you said, we are closer and closer, and everything that we do now is going to matter to win it or not.”
While a lot of the attention will be on Arsenal and the title race, it is also a huge game in the relegation race with West Ham needing to pick up points quickly. The fight to stay up had appeared to be between four teams, but Leeds United and Nottingham Forest have been in great form and have managed to build a significant points gap between themselves and the two London sides. And with Tottenham seemingly starting to gather some momentum with back-to-back victories under Roberto De Zerbi, time is running out for the Hammers.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are a point behind Spurs, and anything but a victory over Arsenal will see them remain in the relegation zone with only two games left to play. But the West Ham manager is remaining optimistic about staying up.
“We want to think about Everton, think about Wolves, think about the first half against Brentford, about the positive things we can do. This has to be our mindset. Anything that happened before doesn’t change it. We can only affect what’s ahead of us.”
He made it clear how tough a game he was expecting from the league leaders, but issued a rallying call to everyone involved with the football club.
“All the Club, all the staff, the Board, the players, the fans, we have our mission. It’s about Sunday and we just focus on Sunday.”
Nuno has a fully fit squad to choose from for Sunday’s clash, which will certainly be a boost for their chances of overcoming the league leaders. Arteta doesn’t quite have the same luxury, but is not far off, with only Jurriën Timber and Mikel Merino set to miss out.
The London derby, which has been touted by some as potentially one of the most decisive matches in Premier League history, takes place on Sunday 10th May at 4:30pm BST and is live on Sky Sports Main Event.
