Arsenalvs.West Ham

Mikel Arteta's men have the chance to cut the gap to Arne Slot's side in the Premier League table to a mere five points when the Irons pay a visit to their North London home, where they ran out surprise 2-0 winners last year.

However, Arsenal have since avenged that loss with a pair of incredibly emphatic triumphs on the road, memorably destroying David Moyes's side 6-0 in the 2023-24 season for their biggest-ever away win in the Premier League.

At the same venue in November, the Gunners produced another first-half attacking masterclass in a 5-2 decimation of the 2022-23 Conference League winners, putting them within reach of equalling a competition record.

Should Arsenal bag another quintet of goals on Saturday, they will become just the second side to ever score at least five goals in three successive Premier League games against a single opponent.

Arsenal out to equal Liverpool record in West Ham showdown

The only previous team to achieve that magnificent feat was Liverpool, who bagged five or more goals in three straight top-flight matches against Norwich City between 2012 and 2013.

The Reds kicked off that sequence with a 5-2 victory at Carrow Road in September 2012, before also thrashing the Canaries 5-0 at Anfield in January 2013 and 5-1 at home in December of that year.

Arsenal have already scored five or more goals in three straight league games against a single opponent, but not for 93 years, doing so four times in a row versus Middlesbrough between 1930 and 1932.

That remains the only time that the Gunners have managed that particular feat, while in the same decade, West Ham shipped five in three successive league games against Aston Villa.

Arsenal's chances of matching Liverpool's feat will no doubt be diminished by their attacking injury crisis, though, as all of Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz will miss Saturday's derby.

Arteta responds to Mikel Merino striker question before West Ham game

Arteta was therefore left with little choice but to start Raheem Sterling, Ethan Nwaneri and Leandro Trossard as the attacking trident against Leicester City last weekend, but the former was found wanting before being replaced by Mikel Merino.

The former Real Sociedad man subsequently wrote his hero arc with a brace as a makeshift number nine, leading to suggestions that he could start ahead of Sterling as Arsenal's focal point on Saturday.

However, Arteta was typically coy when asked Friday's pre-game press conference if he had informed the team of his decision yet, saying: "No, not to him or to other players, especially because I want the players, when they're on the pitch, they're feeling what they're doing and taking initiative.

"I don't want players thinking: 'what if tomorrow I have to do certain things?' That's why I did it. We want to deliver and what the game requires and what the opposition requires, I would take it more into that aspect than the other one, but after it has to work. If not, it's not the right call."

Arteta also delivered a specific injury update on Saka and Martinelli after the Gunners discovered their possible route to the Champions League final in Friday's draw.

Written by

Ben Knapton