Two teams duking it out for a top-four berth would not usually need any more drama but Arsenal’s clash with West Ham will be overloaded with talking points on and off the pitch on Wednesday evening. Chief among those is the removal of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as Arsenal captain with the striker left out of the squad for the upcoming game and perhaps further matches.
There is still the small matter of taking hold of the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot, for now at least. A point or more will mean West Ham retain the fourth-place berth they have largely occupied since late October whilst for Arsenal a win would propel them higher in the table than they have been since October 2020. Here is how you can watch the match and what you need to know:
Viewing information
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 15 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Emirates Stadium — London
TV: NBCSN | Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Odds: Arsenal +115; Draw +250; West Ham +220 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Arsenal: He won’t be in the matchday squad but all the talk at the Emirates Stadium will surely be about Aubameyang, dropped from Arteta’s plans with no defined end date and stripped of the captaincy after going against club wishes in returning late from a trip to France. “We need a bit of time,” said Mikel Arteta. “What I can tell you now is to make the decision that we made is because it was really hurting. It’s still like this. He needs a little bit of time to heal. For now he’s not involved in the squad.
“Since I’ve been here my relationship with him has been really, really good. That is what is painful.” That pain might be assuaged if Alexandre Lacazette, who has replaced him as captain and center forward in recent games, could follow on from his goal against Southampton with another against West Ham. The France forward has five to his name against the Hammers, his best tally against a Premier League opponent.
West Ham: David Moyes may be relieved by Aubameyang’s absence with Kurt Zouma having joined Angelo Ogbonna on the sidelines for what could be a lengthy spell. West Ham are expected to be in the market for a center back in January to ease the strain but for now the pressure will fall on Craig Dawson and Issa Diop to keep their form going. The central defenders will also be hoping that Aaron Cresswell will be fit enough to join them having been sidelined since a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City.
“It’s huge, like all the games are,” said Moyes of his side’s trip to the Emirates Stadium, “but we’re positive and we’re in a strong position. We’re trying to stay there as long as we can and we’re trying to get to third if we can – we’re not looking behind, we’re trying to catch the teams above us.
“Obviously we’re aware of the strength of the teams below us and there’s a good chance that you could drop out. You might get back in and there’ll be different times of the season when your form’s better than at other times, but I think it’s a strong position for us to go into the Christmas period in. Hopefully we can come out of it in good shape.”
Prediction
West Ham are the more reliable, robust and one might even argue talented of these two sides. Though they have more hard yards in their legs their qualities should shine through at the Emirates Stadium. PICK: Arsenal 0, West Ham 2