After Arsenal’s agonizing blip when we lost three very winnable games in a row, the Gunners have bounced back in imperious style by shocking Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before despatching Man United 3-1 at the Emirates, and we are now back in the driver’s seat in the race for the coveted Top Four spot and a place in next season’s Champions League.
Our opponents West Ham though, having looked to have as good a chance as anyone else of making the top four, have seemingly dropped out of contention and are now eight points behind us, and are now looking at trying to win their Champions League place by winning the Europa League.
On Thursday, they now have to play Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of the semi final, and with the Germans having beaten Barcelona over two legs in the last round, they are not going to be a pushover by any stretch of the imagination. The fact that Frankfurt are unbeaten away from home in the Europa League is also worrying for the Hammers.
It is worth noting that the Arsenal fixture comes in the middle of the two semi-finals, and it is also worth noting that David Moyes made six changes to his team that lost to Chelsea this weekend to keep the best players fresh for Thursday, and there is no reason for the Gunners not to expect a similar scenario on Sunday when they visit the London Stadium.
On another positive note for the Gunners, West ham have only won one of their last five Premier League games while they concentrated on Europe, but the Hammers are much more consistent at home, winning three and drawing three of their last six in the League, but with West Ham’s attention focused elsewhere, I am feeling very confident of an in-form Arsenal getting another crucial win.
We never know the Arsenal that would show up, hopefully the one that’s ready to win at all cost.
It seems that West Ham will probably have to play Rice at CB on Sunday, as they are short of players in that position, what with Dawson suspended and others out injured.
Rice will also be playing on Thursday!
So will a few others, but that doesn’t take away the problems they will have at CB on Sunday.
Am pretty confident of bursting a few bubbles and getting a good results here.
It wont take much to motivate us as they are one of the top four contenders in a local derby, so we wont take this game lightly.
They are very distracted as we have seen in the six changes they make against Chelsea, I expect Odegaard to have a good game as the midfield will be key in this encounter, am expecting 2 nil victory, keeping a clean sheet for the first in awhile
All this is just on paper. the actual game could be totally different. Arsenal was beaten by 3 mid-table teams
Fully agree Atangana!
Anything can happen, just look at Arsenal’s last few results.
This season’s definitely full of surprises!
True, we lose games we should not lose and win those we would not likely win.
West Ham will be depleted after playing in EL and they’ve lost many defenders. So we’ve got to do a gung-ho attack in the first ten minutes of the game, to steal the first goal
It’s a highly winnable game and Spuds will play against the tough Leicester City
I agree….we scored first (and early) against both Utd and Chelsea, and went on to win. While the other 3 games, the opposition team scored first (and early).
You know what happens when Arsenal has a winnable game!!!
I think the Spuds are in the same position as ourselves. Leicester will face Roma and that’s tough – they too will want to win it as a way back into Europe.
You’re right about Leicester. Hopefully Rodgers set his team to be ultra-defensive from the beginning of the game
Whereas West Ham should attack us first until they score, since they’ll play at their turf. If that’s the case, they’d be more vulnerable to our counter-attack
Westham game would be more difficult than it seem on paper considering they will not want to lose twice to Arsenal. it’s a London rivalry. I only hope Arteta employ the right tactics and Setup.
Confident will come my way only on the day our points reach 67 and above since 67 points were enough to secure champions league place in the last two seasons.
The Spuds are capable of getting 70 points – If they win all their remaining games, except away to Liverpool!!
Hopefully if we draw against them (and even lose at Newcastle) we can still get 70 and they get 68 to maintain our 2 points advantage. Football isn’t maths though!!
Obviously Moyes is a realist, West Ham’s best way of achieving champions League qualification is to win the Europa League. Not only is it a major trophy, but they are just 270 mins away from the Champions League.
But and it is a big but we should not take the match likely after a week’s rest we need to go at them from the off
We’ll take it as it comes, one match at a time. We’re up for it though…COYG
There is never a great time for a london Derby as most teams find another level and stop up but right now I will take this one all day long.
WHU have serious issues at the back for this game
Suspension and injuries so please dear lord we take full advantage of this gift and put them too the sword as we need to claw back
Our goal difference god forbid it comes down to that.
If Leicester and pool can do us a favour and smash the spuds and we take max points by hook or crook then the spuds are chasing shadows.
I cannot wait for the day when that sorry band of misfit fans start phoning up complaining and bleating on about life is so unfair and conte needs to go.
To crown it off I will settle for them to still be in Europe but condemned to the conference league 😀
Squeaky bum time, 5 to go so keep the faith and keep positive
Let’s nail 4th and make.it ours then give it both barrels to the spuds
Onwards and upwards
Long time no see,you AWOL!!! lol.
Good morning one and all
Have been watching rather then replying and may I say over the past 3 weeks there have been some very interesting comments to say the least
Fk Do hope you have been keeping well
The count down is.on and we are almost there
If we had won at last 2 of the games b4 chelski game which turned sour on us but saying that what do we expect being an Arsenal fan
We seem to alway make it hard for ourselves. i would have now had my feet up, Feeling very smug with my self and shouting out “I told you so” to the non believers.
Will hold tongue for now
Keep well and don’t stop believing
Sounds like a great song title
Onwards and upwards
Keep the faith bruv,good for the team’s mental health….just gotta ignore the lot on vacation.
“The Lot on vacation” 😀😀😀😀
I like that last sentence
I wish I felt confident of spuds losing to Leicester , but Leicester are not good this season.
Hopefully my beloved Arsenal will beat West ham and then Liverpool can do us a massive favour by smashing the spuds.
“then, like my dreams, they FADE and DIE”!
Doesn’t exactly shreik “optimism” from WHU’s point of view, does it
A club song that essentially says they are going to lose, “bubbles bursting”, “dreams fading and dying”! etc.
I see, (he noted with satisfaction)!!
But its about right I reckon!
Is this a poem or what?
@Fk “I’m for ever blowing bubbles”.
A popular song released in 1919.
It has been the Westham Club anthem since 1940 🙂
No it is the West Han club song (I’m forever blowing bubbles”) that has been widely known for many decades already.
I am surprised that IF YOU ARE A FOOTBALL FAN, you seem not to know this widely known fact!
You need to get out more, a few spelling mistakes, and hark at you digging him out…shame on you
With Mike Dean being announced as the referee, I don’t take anything for granted… except he will want to feature heavily in the game.
If only arteta will play the right players and make crucial changes at the right time then, we can come out unhurt especially, as Mike Dean officiates.
If Arteta decides to go crazy again- play Lokonga instead of Elneny or drop Tavares from LB, we’re done for.
That’s the spirit! Be positive!!!!
this has all the makings of a very frustrating draw
West Ham will rest players as they only lost 2-1, they over turn Lyon away and should feel confident, they played at home last night and looked nervous, so Moyes knows this is a chance of an European trophy and CL football, if Arteta puts the right team out we should hopefully win and hope Leicester get a draw or even beat Spurs, then it’s Leeds at Home and Liverpool for Spurs, by the time we met them we could be eight or more points ahead