Premier League: Arsenal vs West Ham betting preview

The Premier League is in full swing during the holidays and matchday 19 will wrap on Thursday. While Brighton vs Tottenham will surely catch some eyes, Arsenal and West Ham also clash at the Emirates. The kick-off is scheduled for 3:15 PM EST. This is an important game for the Gunners, who can move back into top spot with a victory after Liverpool grabbed three points on Tuesday. The North Londoners did play to a 1-1 draw with the Reds last weekend, while the Hammers took care of Manchester United by a score of 2-0 on matchday 18. Below, we’ll preview this fixture and discuss any injury concerns.

Arsenal flying high at home

The Gunners are enjoying a very impressive campaign and truly do look the part of a title contender. Mikel Arteta’s men are 12-4-2, which puts them only two points behind first place Liverpool, but as previously mentioned, that could change depending on what happens Thursday. Arsenal fought for a lone point against the Merseysiders a few days ago in what proved to be a relatively even match. Gabriel Magalhaes put his side ahead early in the first half before none other than Mo Salah equalized in the second period with a thumping hit.

Arteta’s side is in decent form as of late, only tasting defeat once in their previous 10 games and that was to Aston Villa earlier in the month. The Gunners also managed to finish atop their Champions League group and will face Porto in the Round of 16.

When it comes to playing at the Emirates, Arsenal is essentially flawless. They’re 7-2-0 on home soil in league play this term, which is certainly a promising sign ahead of Thursday’s encounter. On top of that, the North Londoners have won 12 of the last 13 home meetings with West Ham. The confidence will be high and it’s no surprise to see them as a clear -303 favorite at 888sport.

West Ham are inconsistent

There have been some respectable results at times for West Ham in 2023-24, like beating United 2-0. However, the consistency is not there. Just days before, Liverpool hammered them 5-1 in the League Cup. Overall, the Hammers own a 9-3-6 record this season, which is good enough for seventh place in the top flight.

The brilliance against the Red Devils didn’t come until late in the second half, with Jarrod Bowen breaking the deadlock before Mohammed Kudus added another only six minutes later. It was a crucial three points for West Ham at the London Stadium. 

Taking on Arsenal will not be easy though and their overall track record against them is very poor. The Hammers have only two wins in their last 30 versus their London rivals, losing 22 and drawing six. In fact, no side has beaten West Ham more times than the Gunners. That’s exactly why the visitors are such a big underdog here at soccer betting sites.

Injury news

Thankfully, Arsenal are very healthy. However, due to the accumulation of yellow cards, in-form Kai Havertz won’t be taking the pitch here. That could pave the way for Jorginho to slot into the starting XI. Long-term injuries consist of Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Fabio Vieira, but that’s nothing new. For West Ham, they only have one notable injury and it’s a big one, with Michail Antonio still nursing a knee problem.