In 2018, Arsenal thrashed West Ham United at the London Stadium 5-1. The Gunners ran away with this London derby, getting goals from Mesut Özil, Alexandre Lacazette, and Aaron Ramsey, among others.
One of the more one-sided recent editions of this rivalry, Mikel Arteta would obviously love to re-create this kind of result on Sunday, in front of the home fans at The Emirates.
London Derby FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. Feb. 16, 4pm GMT, Emirates Stadium, London, UK
Team News: Arsenal FC West Ham United
Starting XI Predictions: Arsenal FC West Ham United
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
PL Form: Arsenal WWWLL West Ham LDDDW
PL Standing: Arsenal 3rd, 49 pts West Ham 7th, 36 pts
Google Result Probability: Arsenal 62% West Ham United 16% Draw 22%
Given what West Ham looked like last weekend, when they got destroyed by Manchester United 3-0, another 5-1 could happen this weekend. Not to mention the fact that Arsenal have shown they can hang four or five goals on their opponents on occasion.
We don’t think Gabriel Jesus or Oleksandr Zinchenko will be fit to start in this match (although we’re predicting Bukayo Saka will be match fit), so here is who we think will take their place.
And yes, obviously, Declan Rice facing his former mates will be a top storyline here.
Arsenal FC Starting XI Prediction vs West Ham
David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jakub Kiwior; Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager 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’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.