Arsenal Vs West Ham (3 - 1) On 15th April 2014

TEAM NEWS Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud looks set to be recalled after beginning their FA Cup semi-final win over Wigan on the bench. Wojciech Szczesny is also expected to return in goal, with Aaron Ramsey continuing after his recent injury. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce must decide whether to change the side beaten 2-1 by Liverpool last time out. Matt Jarvis, Joe Cole, Antonio Nocerino and Roger Johnson are amongst those pushing for a recall. MATCH PREVIEW Buoyed by a place in this year's FA Cup final, albeit on penalties following their unconvincing performance against Championship side and 2013 winners Wigan, Arsenal face a crucial London derby against West Ham looking to end a four-match winless league run. A much-needed victory would see the Gunners regain the final Champions League qualifying place from Everton for 24 hours at least. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said: "The win (Wigan) will rebuild the confidence which was very jaded, I'm confident we will respond well. It will give us a target for the end of the season and it allows us to focus on the Premier League in a more serene way. "We had the nerve and the mental strength that has been questioned recently, that's why I'm happy they gave that response. FA Cup penalty shoot-out hero Lukasz Fabianski added: "It picks up the club and the fans, it gives us more belief that we can manage first of all to finish in the top four, and then hopefully to win the final. West Ham have had nine days to prepare for this fixture and Sam Allardyce's side will almost certainly be prepared and up for the challenge of putting Wenger's men further under the microscope. Hammers defender Roger Johnson was part of the Birmingham City side that upset Arsenal in the 2011 League Cup final. He has reflected on the Gunners' unpredictability this season. "I do think they're very beatable, as we saw the other day against Everton. "Yes, we'll be underdogs because we're playing Arsenal at Arsenal, but look at the Liverpool game (earlier this month). They are top of the league and I thought we matched them all over really and should have come out of the game with a result." MATCH FACTS Head-to-head Arsenal have won six successive league matches against West Ham and are unbeaten in the last 12 meetings in all competitions since a 1-0 home defeat in April 2007. West Ham's only goal in their last five visits to the Emirates Stadium was scored by Jack Collison in a 5-1 defeat last season. Arsenal The Gunners have only taken two points from their last four matches. They have not gone five league games without a win since registering five successive draws in January and February 2009. Arsene Wenger's side have gone 15 home games unbeaten in the league since the opening-day defeat by Aston Villa. They have earned more points than any other side this season after opening the scoring: 55 from 20 games. West Ham The Hammers have won seven of their last 13 league fixtures, having only triumphed in three of the previous 20. They have dropped 17 points from winning positions. Only Southampton (18 points) have fared worse. West Ham's tally of 13 clean sheets is bettered only by Chelsea.

Fifth place Arsenal welcome 11th place West Ham United to the Emirates on Tuesday evening for what could be Arsenal’s biggest game of the season. Their hopes of another top 4 finish this season have been seriously dented following a run of only 1 win in their last 5 games. Arsenal Vs West Ham Preview Arsenal v West Ham United Preview | Teams News, Key Men and Stats ADVERTISEMENT They have seen Everton overtake them and currently sit 2 points behind the men from Goodison Park. Sam Allardyce’s West Ham team go to the Emirates knowing that they are guaranteed another season in the Barclays Premier League. Since the turn of the year they have picked up plenty of important victories and now they are just playing for the extra prize money on offer for a higher finish. They are currently 6 points behind 10th place Stoke City with a game in hand. West Ham have managed to pick up 2 wins in their last 5 games, with 3 defeats also. Their last away game at Sunderland resulted in a 2-1 victory for The Hammers. Match Facts Arsenal have won 50 out of the 118 meetings between the two sides The Gunners are yet to lose a game in which they have taken the lead this season, winning seven and drawing two. Sam Allardyce’s side have kept just six clean sheets in the Premier League, their last coming six games ago against West Brom. The Hammers have picked up just eight points on the road out of a possible 30 and have a division-low of five goals away from home from 10 games. Team News One table that Arsenal are always near the top of is the injury table. They currently have 9 men unavailable for this match. Abou Diaby, Theo Walcott, Ryo Myiachi and Nacho Monreal are the long term injured. Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky, Serge Gnabry and Laurent Koscielny should all be back within the next week or so. French midfielder Mathieu Flamini misses out due to suspension. West Ham United have a relatively clean bill of health. Only James Collins and Marco Borriello are definitely missing for the Hammers. George McCartney and Joey O’Brien could both be back in time for this fixture. Key Men How Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal team have missed Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman was having an incredible season prior to picking up the thigh injury in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day. He was at the heart of everything good Arsenal did. 9 league goals from central midfield is impressive enough but when you also take into account the 27 chances created and the 6 assists he notched up, all from open play. You will see what an impact he was having before injury struck. Screen Shot 2014 04 13 at 17.36.53 Arsenal v West Ham United Preview | Teams News, Key Men and Stats Injury has also robbed West Ham United of record signing Andy Carroll for most of this season. However, since returning from injury, Carroll has been very impressive. He is playing for a place in Roy Hodgson’s World Cup squad and with 2 goals and 4 assists coming in his 7 league starts to date, he has certainly given Hodgson some food for thought. Screen Shot 2014 04 13 at 17.40.11 Arsenal v West Ham United Preview | Teams News, Key Men and Stats Match Prediction Arsenal should be buoyed following their victory over Wigan in the FA Cup Semi Final on Saturday evening and they know that they must win this game to have any chance of finishing in the top 4 this season. West Ham have nothing really to play for and that can go either way. They can either turn up and play with freedom and no fear or they could well be over run by a hungry and somewhat desperate Arsenal side. I think the home side should just have enough to see them over the line in this one, however, I would expect Andy Carroll to cause plenty of problems and get himself on the score sheet. I predict a 3-1 victory to the Gunners.