Arsenal have made an emphatic start to 2019 and will seek to keep it going when they face West Ham in Premier League action on Saturday.
Unai Emery’s side were dealt a stark reminder of how far behind the very elite they remain as they lost 5-1 to Liverpool in December but have bounced back in impressive form, recording thumping three-goal wins over Fulham and Blackpool.
They remain very much in the hunt of the Champions League, and with Chelsea wobbling will aim to increase the pressure on their neighbours by winning against the Hammers.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side are up to 10th in the standings after a slow start to the season but have won only one of their last four.
| Game | West Ham v Arsenal |
| Date | Saturday, January 12 |
| Time | 12:30pm GMT / 7:30am ET |
| Stream (US only) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| NBCSN | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. It can be streamed on Sky Go.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Premier League | Sky Go |
Squads & Team News
| Position | West Ham players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Fabianski, Adrian, Trott |
| Defenders | Zabaleta, Cresswell, Diop, Masuaku, Ogbonna |
| Midfielders | Snodgrass, Noble, Rice, Felipe Anderson, Obiang, Coventry, Powell, Holland |
| Forwards | Antonio, Arnautovic, Carroll, Diangana, Perez |
Samir Nasri starts for West Ham against former club Arsenal in what is his first Premier League appearance since August 2016.
There's also a place in the XI for Marko Arnautovic, despite reports that he is considering a lucrative switch to China.
Elsewhere, Manuel Pellegrini goes with the same back four that started the 2-2 draw with Brighton in the FA Cup last time out.
West Ham XI: Fabianski; Zabaleta, Ogbonna, Diop, Cresswell; Rice, Noble; Antonio, Nasri, Anderson; Arnautovic.
Subs: Adrian, Masuaku, Obiang, Snodgrass, Diangana, Lucas Perez, Carroll.
| Position | Arsenal squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Cech, Leno, Martinez |
| Defenders | Sokratis, Koscielny, Lichtsteiner, Jenkinson, Kolasinac, Medley, Pleguezuelo |
| Midfielders | Elneny, Ramsey, Torreira, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Willock |
| Forwards | Iwobi, Saka, Lacazette, Aubameyang, Nketiah |
The headline team news for Arsenal centres around the absence of Mesut Ozil from the matchday squad.
It's unclear why he's been left out at this stage, with Unai Emery opting for an attacking trio of Alex Iwobi, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.
Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi also return to the starting XI having been rested for the 3-0 FA Cup win over Blackpool.
Arsenal XI: Leno; Mustafi, Koscielny, Sokratis; Maitland-Niles, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Kolasinac; Iwobi, Aubameyang, Lacazette.
Subs: Cech, Bellerin, Lichtsteiner, Monreal, Torreira, Ramsey, Nketiah.
Betting & Match Odds
Arsenal are priced as 21/20 favourites with bet365. West Ham can be backed at 5/2 and a draw is 3/1.
Match Preview
Getty Images
Departures are currently on the agenda for both Arsenal and West Ham as they prepare for their second Premier League outings of 2019.
Aaron Ramsey is set to depart the Gunners for Juventus on a Bosman deal in the summer, much to the chagrin of Martin Keown, who branded their inactivity regarding the Welshman “astonishing”.
“If Arsenal are admitting they are only able to sign loan players, then it is staggering that they are happy to let one of their prized assets leave for nothing,” he told the Daily Mail.
“Ramsey has conducted himself with great dignity this season but it is astonishing that Arsenal, a powerhouse in the English game, could not put together a package to keep him.”
Meanwhile, the Hammers are facing a fight to retain the services of Marko Arnautovic, their leading marksman and a striker who has been linked with a lucrative move to the Chinese Super League.
Manuel Pellegrini claims there is “no news” in the wake of speculation of a £35m ($45m) bid and believes the Austria international will remain a threat on Saturday.
“He will have his head in the right place for the game against Arsenal,” the Chilean stated before admitting: “Marko is a player of our team, players of his quality will be wanted by other clubs. I want to keep him of course, but you never know what might happen in the future.”
If the Hammers are to cause an upset on Saturday, as they have already done against Manchester United at home this season, they will have to reverse a nasty recent trend against their London rivals.
Arsenal have won five of the last six meetings between the clubs, with the exception a 0-0 draw in the Premier League last season.
Arnautovic gave West Ham the lead when they went to the Emirates earlier this season, but a Nacho Monreal equaliser and a stoppage-time striker from Danny Welbeck sandwiched an Issa Diop own goal as the Gunners ran out 3-1 winners.
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