Arsenal welcome West Ham to the Emirates this weekend as they aim to keep the pressure on league leaders Liverpool.
The Gunners are currently eight points behind the Reds, who dropped points against Aston Villa during the week with a 2-2 draw. If Arsenal beat the Hammers on Saturday, it would leave them just five points off the top.
Mikel Arteta‘s side won 2-0 against Leicester City in their last match after the Arsenal boss brought on midfielder Mikel Merino as a striker and he scored twice to hand them the win.
Merino could be in line to start up front against West Ham, considering the Gunners’ injuries to the likes of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. Click here to see our predicted XI for Arsenal ahead of the game.
They play a West Ham side who are winless in their last four games under Graham Potter, who has an impressive record at the Emirates.
However, with Arsenal looking to apply the pressure on Liverpool who play against Man City on Sunday, it could be quite a tense game on Saturday in North London.
The Gunners made heavy favourites against Potter’s Hammers
Arsenal have the better squad on paper despite their injury struggles, and Arteta’s side have been in good form lately, winning their last three games in the Premier League. So it comes as no surprise that they have been backed by the bookmakers to win on Saturday.
According to Oddschecker, Arsenal are 27/100 favourites to win, giving them a 78.7% chance of three points. Meanwhile, a draw is backed at odds of 11/2 (15/4%), and a win for the Hammers is backed at 12/1 (7.7%).
We predict a 2-1 win for Arsenal, as they close the gap to Arne Slot’s Liverpool to just five points heading into the Reds’ game against City on Sunday.
Where to watch Arsenal vs West Ham
The game kicks off at 3 pm on Saturday 22 February, meaning that it won’t be available for broadcast in the UK due to the 3 pm blackout rule that is applied.
Highlights however will be posted to the Sky Sports YouTube channel following the game, and extended highlights off all the day’s action in the Premier League will be shown on BBC One at 10.30 pm for Match of the Day.
Vote here for who you think Arsenal should start as a striker against West Ham on Saturday.
