Arsenal have the chance to jump to second in the Premier League table when they take on London rivals West Ham United later today.
After going through a tough spell of results at the start of the month, Arsenal have turned it around following the international break, beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League before dismantling Sporting CP in a 5-1 Champions League victory. The Gunners have been on top form, and they will be looking to build on their recent performances with another three points against West Ham this weekend.
Victory for Arsenal would take them to second in the Premier League table, at least until Sunday with Chelsea and Manchester City both in action. The last meeting between Mikel Arteta's side and West Ham saw Arsenal win 6-0, with Declan Rice scoring against his former club. Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both injured, but Gabriel should be fine, despite coming off with a knock midweek.
So, can Arsenal continue their winning form this weekend? Let's take a look.
We simulated West Ham vs Arsenal to get a score prediction
To complete this simulation, we used EA FC 25 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that the hosts could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their starting XI as follows: Fabianski; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Paqueta, Soler; Bowen, Soucek, Summerville; Antonio.
We predict that Arsenal could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Partey, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
The first half at the London Stadium was not one that will live long in the memory, with neither side creating any clear-cut chances in a scrappy opening 45 minutes. Four minutes after the restart, Gabriel Martinelli had an amazing opportunity to open the scoring, but the Brazilian held onto the ball for too long, giving himself an awkward angle as he fired the ball at the feet of the 'keeper.
There were seven yellow cards in the first half, and one of the culprits, Lucas Paqueta, received his marching orders in the 62nd minute after picking up a yellow card for a late challenge on Bukayo Saka. With 15 minutes to go, the game seemed too close to call, but a moment of brilliance saw Arsenal finally grab a goal.
Declan Rice made it 1-0 to Arsenal
Declan Rice made it 1-0 to Arsenal (Image: EA Sports)
Rice found Martin Odegaard in the attacking third before continuing his run forward, moving into the box without being tracked. Under pressure, Odegaard was able to turn out of trouble and pick out Rice with an incredible pass, allowing the former West Ham midfielder to control the ball and fire home for 1-0.
Jurrien Timber was sent off in the 86th minute for a professional foul on the halfway line to put some pressure on the visitors, but Arteta's side held on for an important win on the road.
EA FC 25 predicted final score: West Ham 0-1 Arsenal
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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