Arsenal v West Ham preview: Gunners turn attention to top-four battle

Arsenal host West Ham on Saturday looking for their fifth-straight Premier League win as they look to cement their Champions League charge.

The Gunners can cap a good week with victory over the Hammers after they beat Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday to book their place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

Arsene Wenger's men have put themselves at the head of the pack chasing the top two, and now sit only four points behind second-placed Manchester City ahead of the weekend's games.

The visitors, meanwhile, have lost eight successive Premier League matches against Arsenal and have not won a top-flight fixture since their victory over Hull in the middle of January.

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Team news

Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain faces up to a month out with a hamstring injury.

Midfielder Mathieu Flamini is back in contention for Saturday's match against West Ham after a hamstring problem.

Club captain Mikel Arteta (ankle) is set to step up his rehabilitation, as is defender Gabriel (hamstring), but Jack Wilshere (ankle) is still a few weeks away from a return.

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West Ham are without James Tomkins for their trip to London rivals Arsenal after the defender dislocated his shoulder in training.

The Hammers could also be without three of their first-team strikers. Carlton Cole (hamstring) and Andy Carroll (knee) are definite absentees whilst Enner Valencia is struggling to be fit having suffered a severe cut to his toe after standing on a broken teacup.

Winston Reid will miss out with a hamstring complaint, on-loan Carl Jenkinson cannot feature against his parent club and Alex Song (knee) could also be sidelined - although fellow midfielder Morgan Amalfitano is back having served a three-match ban. Sixteen-year-old defender Reece Oxford could be included in the squad as cover.

Opta facts

Theo Walcott has scored five goals and set up three more in his last four Barclays Premier League games against West Ham, while Olivier Giroud has scored four goals in his four Premier League appearances against the Hammers.

West Ham have won none of the last 13 top-flight matches against Arsenal (W0 D2 L11), losing the last eight in a row.

The Hammers have scored the first goal in four of the last five Premier League meetings with Arsenal, but the Gunners have come back to win on each occasion.

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Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League London derbies at the Emirates, but West Ham were the first team ever to beat Arsenal at their new stadium back in April 2007.

Sam Allardyce has never coached a winning team away at Arsenal in the Premier League, losing seven and drawing three of his 10.

Arsenal have won seven consecutive home league games; they have not won eight in a row since November 2005 (13).

Merson's prediction

West Ham have hit a bit of a bad run and this time of year Arsenal are very reliable. It was good to see Danny Welbeck score for Arsenal at Manchester United but I think they’ll play Olivier Giroud in this game and he can score first in a 3-0 win.

MERSE PREDICTS: 3-0

Betting

Arsenal are Sky Bet’s odds-on favourites at 4/9 to secure the victory, with West Ham looking to upsets odds of 11/2 to leave the Emirates with a win and 18/5 to secure a draw. The Gunners are also short odds to secure a top-four finish yet again this season at 1/5, with Manchester United (10/11), Liverpool (11/10), Tottenham (11/2) and Southampton (8/1) all longer odds. Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez share favouritism in the first goalscorer betting at 7/2 apiece with Danny Welbeck following at 5/1, while Diafra Sakho is considered the visitors’ biggest threat at 9/1. 

Sky Bet's Soccer Saturday Price Boost: Arsenal, Bournemouth and Watford all to win - 3/1