- 1 West Ham United – Arsenal: a London derby with the pressure cranked right up
- 2 West Ham United with their backs against the wall at home
- 3 Arsenal riding a wave of European euphoria
- 4 Likely line-ups
- 5 Football prediction West Ham United vs Arsenal
- 6 Before anything else, a word on our predictions
- 7 No commitment from us
- 8 Information that can change
- 9 Your role
- 10 Responsible gambling first
- 11 Legal age
- 12 About the visuals
West Ham United – Arsenal: a London derby with the pressure cranked right up 
It is a make-or-break Sunday for fans in east London. West Ham United host Arsenal in a rare set-up: the league leaders against the side sitting at the bottom of the drop zone. No point dressing it up, the pressure is huge on both teams. The Gunners arrive full of confidence after booking their place in the Champions League final, while the Hammers need points now if they are to claw their way out of danger. The London Stadium is set for a fierce tactical scrap between two teams heading in opposite directions.
West Ham United with their backs against the wall at home 
West Ham United’s situation has turned grim after the beating they took against Brentford last weekend. The club are now below the waterline in the table. The target is crystal clear: win here and they are out of the relegation zone before Tottenham play tomorrow. Even so, West Ham can take heart from their surprisingly stubborn home form, unbeaten in their last six at the London Stadium.
The big concern is defending set pieces, where they rank second-worst in the league. Nuno Espirito Santo knows his side will need a near-perfect display to keep Arsenal at bay. Historically, West Ham have struggled against this rival on home soil, but desperation can do strange things. For the fans, this is the time to see a reaction. West Ham are banking on a tight, compact block to frustrate the table-toppers.
Arsenal riding a wave of European euphoria 
At the other end, Arsenal are living through historic times. Tuesday night’s win over Atletico sent them into the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years. But there is no time for champagne and pats on the back, because the domestic title is within touching distance. Five points clear at the top, Arsenal can take a giant step towards the trophy with a win on Sunday. Mikel Arteta has restored a serious defensive edge to this side, who have conceded just one goal in their last four outings.
Arsenal also carry a nasty weapon from dead balls, with 27 goals from set pieces this season. There is a sense that this squad believes the job is there to be done. Despite a few recent away wobblers, Arsenal usually like playing at the London Stadium. Bukayo Saka’s quality and the vision in this current group should cause all sorts of problems for a shaky home defence. Arsenal know they cannot afford a slip with City still lurking. For them, this derby is the first of three finals standing between them and glory. They will want it wrapped up quickly, with no room left for nerves.
Likely line-ups
West Ham United : Hermansen ; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf ; Bowen, Fernandes, Soucek, Summerville ; Wilson, Castellanos
Arsenal : Raya ; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori ; Rice, Lewis-Skelly ; Saka, Eze, Trossard ; Gyokeres
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Football prediction West Ham United vs Arsenal
Arsenal to win
This clash between West Ham United and Arsenal should, on paper, tilt the way of the league leaders. The home side will scrap like mad to save themselves, but the gap in class and confidence looks far too wide right now. The visitors’ threat from set pieces could do real damage to a back line that has been shipping goals in this area all season.
You can picture a game where Mikel Arteta’s men take charge in midfield and set the tempo. Arsenal’s rediscovered defensive steel should also give them a clean sheet chance against a West Ham side that can look blunt in attack. A convincing win would move Arsenal even closer to a title that would go down in club history.
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Before anything else, a word on our predictions
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No commitment from us
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Information that can change
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About the visuals
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