13 December 2021, 23:00
With West Ham's form soaring this season following a successful 2020/21 campaign that saw them qualify for the Europa League group stage, it's perhaps no surprise they come into this match at the Emirates higher in the table and arguably favourites over their London rivals.
Another intriguing encounter beckons
Having come through a relatively comfortable 3-0 home victory against Southampton, Arsenal find themselves still battling to retain their spot as one of London's biggest clubs in this match against a team who fancy their own top four chances. West Ham have always been a big club themselves but typically live in the shadow of the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur among London's elite.
With victories already secured against title contenders Chelsea and Liverpool this season though, the Hammers are knocking on the door of the country's big clubs and making it clear they won't be going away. This being a home match, Arsenal may have the advantage of their own fans, but the atmosphere could soon turn sour if they don't start well.Arteta's team continues to justify big decisions
Before the weekend victory over Southampton, headlines emerged of captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being dropped by Arteta over an apparent 'discipline breach'. This was a brave decision by the manager at a time when Aubameyang had been performing well on the pitch but it worked out well for him with Lacazette, Odegaard and even defender Gabriel covering goal scoring duties in a routine 3-0 on paper.
Meanwhile, at the other end, goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale continues to be a reliable presence between the sticks. All of which is appearing to back up not only Arteta's credentials as an inexperienced yet talented manager, but his recruitment decisions in the transfer market, with the players he brought in over the summer justifying their price tags. However, if there could be any criticism of this squad so far this season, it may be that they haven't quite done it against Arsenal's main rivals, saving their big performances instead for teams like Southampton in the lower reaches of the table. It may be the right time to rectify this against West Ham.