We will have to wait and see how things pan out in East London at the weekend, and Arsenal wwill need to play well to come back with all three points from our Premier League clash away to West Ham United, but I do have a feeling that, for a change, things are going our way ahead of this crucial game.
We need all the help we can get after Leicester City managed another narrow win over Southampton left no margin for error for Arsenal. Along with the penultimate game away to Man City this clash with the Hammers look like the two biggest obstacles and so it is a big help if we are facing a West Ham team that is not at it’s best.
And there are three big reasons to believe that will be the case. One is that they could be without one of their key players Cheikhou Kouyate who was sent off at the weekend and is set for a three match ban. He gives them energy and bite in central midfield and would surely be charged with stopping Mesut Ozil from running riot.
Another reason is that our opponents have just hit a sticky patch of form and results. The draw against Crystal Palace on Saturday was their third in a row and that has knocked their confidence as well as stopping their momentum at a key period.
The main reason, though, is the timing of the game for the early Saturday kick off when they have a massive FA cup replay against Man United on Wednesday. Obviously we want extra time and penalties and hopefully a loss to really knock them down and leave them deflated as well as tired. But even a win would see them face us on Saturday with weary legs and possibly not fully focused.
The perfect time to face West Ham? Only if Arsenal make the most of it?