Arsenal vs. West Ham: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Arsenal are hoping to keep the pace with Liverpool in the Premier League title race as they take on West Ham United.

• Date: 22/02/2025
• Kick-off time: 15:00
• Location: Emirates Stadium, North London

Arsenal are currently 2nd in the Premier League with 53 points from 25 games. The Gunners are amidst a very frustrating season that sees them knee deep in an injury crisis that is likely going to prevent them from winning any trophies this season. With Bukayo Saka out for the majority of the remainder of the season, Arsenal will also have to make do without Kai Havertz, one of their more important players this season. With others out for shorter durations, Arsenal's board has come under fire from the fans of late for their failure to bolster the squad's forward options, an area of the pitch that was in dire need of strengthening.

As such, Arsenal now face a huge task to win either the league title or the Champions League. They're seven points behind a Liverpool side that have shown few signs of slipping up, and contesting for the Champions League with so many of your first-choice players missing is a major ask. This is, then, looking like a bit of a wasted season for a Gunners side that were so close to being a title-winning team.

They can at least take heart from the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly. The academy pair have taken the Premier League by storm, with both of them looking like stars in the making. Players of that quality emerging from the academy will have saved the club a significant amount of money, and they can really focus their budget on other positions in the summer.

They simply need to keep picking up points in order to keep the pressure on Liverpool, and despite their injury woes, they remain the favourites to do that here.

West Ham are currently 16th in the Premier League with 27 points from 25 games. It's been a very poor campaign from the Hammers' perspective, and many fans will be willing this season to end so they can rebuild and look towards next season. A summer of wholesale change both in the managerial department and the squad did not work out at all, leading to manager Julen Lopetegui being replaced by Graham Potter, and with that, sporting director Tim Steidten was shown the door for his decisions in the summer.

Since Potter's arrival, West Ham have seen little improvement, and were it not for the sheer lack of quality within the three newly promoted sides, they'd be relegation contenders now. Some may still argue they are, but given they're ten points clear of Ipswich in 18th, they're probably going to be safe.

It took Potter a while to get his Brighton side really ticking, so it's worth persisting with him beyond the end of this season. He has a track record of doing well in this league, so he probably shouldn't be written off just yet. It is, though, clear that West Ham fans are still dissatisfied, so Potter would help his case greatly if he could get the team playing sooner rather than later.

This game will not be televised live in the UK.

Arsenal Team News:

The Gunners remain without Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, while Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Ethan Nwaneri will likely keep his place in the starting lineup, while Myles Lewis-Skelly should fend off the challenge of Riccardo Calafiori to keep his place at left-back.

Predicted lineup: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Ødegaard, Partey, Rice; Nwaneri, Merino, Trossard.

West Ham Team News:

Graham Potter is unable to call upon Niclas Füllkrug, who is out injured, while Crysencio Summerville and Michail Antonio remain in the treatment room.

Evan Ferguson could lead the line from the beginning here, while the likes of Oliver Scarles and James Ward-Prowse will be hoping for starts.

Predicted lineup: Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Scarles; Álvarez, Ward-Prowse; Bowen, Paquetá, Kudus; Ferguson.

Arsenal:

The Gunners are in decent form heading into this one with four wins and one loss from their last five games. Last weekend, a late brace from Mikel Merino secured a 2-0 win over Leicester City, a result that followed a 2-0 loss at Newcastle United in the League Cup.

Before that, goals from Martin Ødegaard, Thomas Partey, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwaneri produced a thumping 5-1 win over Manchester City, which came after a 2-1 win over Girona thanks to a Jorginho goal and a strike from Nwaneri.

Those results followed a 1-0 win away at Wolverhampton Wanderers, where Riccardo Calafiori scored the goal.

West Ham:

The Hammers are struggling form-wise, with only one win from their last five games. Graham Potter's side fell to a 0-1 defeat to Brentford last weekend, a result that was preceded by a 2-1 loss at Chelsea following Jarrad Branthwaite's opener and a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa, where Emerson got on the scoresheet.

Prior to that, West Ham were beaten 0-2 by Crystal Palace, which was preceded by a 3-2 win over Fulham, courtesy of Carlos Soler, Tomáš Souček and Lucas Paquetá.

Despite their injuries, Arsenal still look a very tough team to beat, even if they don't have the attacking firepower they'd like. The Gunners have also emphatically won both of their last two head-to-head meetings with West Ham, winning 5-2 and 6-0. It is, then, tough to see a struggling West Ham side springing a surprise at the Emirates, so we'll stick with Arsenal for this one. Arsenal 2-0 West Ham.

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