Arsenal travels to West Ham United for a London Derby on Sunday that has massive implications at both ends of the table. Arsenal and City are the two sides remaining in a Premier League title race that could go down to the very last kick. West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur are the last two teams battling to avoid relegation. So this is one massive match, on numerous levels. duo Mikel Merino (foot) and Jurrien Timber (groin) are both unlikely to feature on Sunday, but they are Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta’s only two fitness concerns right now. Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka have all recently returned from injury. So the Gunners are nearing full fitness for the run-in, and the league title race is back in their hands, as club legend Thierry Henry put it, earlier this week.
Arsenal at West Ham United FYIs
Sunday May 10, 4:30pm, London Stadium, UK
Google Result Probability: Arsenal win 60% Draw 22% West Ham United win 18%
Current Premier League Title Race Standing
Points Matches Played Goal Differential Tie-Breaker Goals Scored Second Tiebreaker
Arsenal 76 35 +41 67
Manchester City 71 34 +37 69
West Ham United Team News
As it stands right now, Lukasz Fabianski (lower back) is the only injury concern right now for the Irons. He is a standing/long-term injury absentee. If anything else has come up, manager Nuno Espírito Santo will likely address it in some manner he holds his pre-match press conference tomorrow. The Hammers are currently one point behind Tottenham for the last safety position, but they are -10 on goal differential (the first tie-breaker) to Spurs.
The North-Londoners also have three more goals scored (the second tie-breaker) than West Ham.
Arsenal Remaining Fixtures
Burnley (H) – May 18
Crystal Palace (A) – May 24 (Championship Sunday)
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.