West Ham and Arsenal are both better in defense than they are in attack, and neither side will want to give too much away against a potential rival for the European places.
Pick:
Under 2.5 option here.
How to Watch West Ham United vs Arsenal
| West Ham United vs Arsenal Information |
| What |
West Ham United vs Arsenal |
| Where |
The London Stadium, London, England |
| When |
Sunday, 21 March 2021, 11.00 AM EST |
| How to watch |
NBC Sports |
There are only four Premier League matches taking place this weekend, with several sides competing in the FA Cup quarter-finals instead. That gives West Ham and Arsenal a chance to boost their chances of a top-four finish at the expense of others, although defeat at the London Stadium would prove costly to either side.
For that reason, as well as the respective strengths of both West Ham and Arsenal, we should expect a tight encounter on Sunday. Goals could be at a premium, and odds of -113 on under 2.5 looks rather appealing given the circumstances.
Arsenal Looking to Build on an Impressive Display Last Weekend
Arsenal fell behind to a superb goal by Erik Lamela last weekend, but they fought back to register a 2-1 victory. That was no less than the Gunners deserved, for they were the better team throughout the encounter and could count themselves a little unfortunate to have fallen behind in the first place. Arteta’s side took the initiative, played on the front foot and created numerous chances against Spurs, who offered very little in the final third. Given the rivalry between the two clubs, this was a vital win for Arteta’s own standing at the Emirates Stadium.
That was not, however, the first positive performance or result Arsenal have put together this season. The problem throughout 2020/21 has been putting a sustained run together, and that is why Arsenal are way down in 10th place with just a quarter of the campaign remaining. The north London outfit have not finished that low since the inaugural season of the Premier League, way back in 1992/93. That underlines the scale of the task confronting Arteta.
There was slight cause for concern for Arsenal on Thursday, when they fell to a 1-0 defeat by Olympiacos in the Europa League. That result did not prevent them advancing to the quarter-finals – Arsenal had won the first leg 3-1 in Greece – but nor was it a statement of intent to follow on from the Spurs success.
Victories over Tottenham count for extra among Arsenal supporters, but a failure to build on last Sunday’s win with a positive showing against West Ham would illustrate why the Gunners are so lowly in the standings right now.
Editor’s pick:
West Ham Have Done Brilliantly but Could Be Running Out of Steam
West Ham were widely tipped to be battling against the drop before a ball had been kicked this season, and a 2-0 home defeat by Newcastle United on the opening weekend seemed to confirm those pessimistic predictions. In fact, David Moyes’ side have emerged as the Premier League’s surprise package; victory on Sunday would move them level on points with Chelsea in the final Champions League qualification spot.
West Ham would already be sitting alongside the Blues on 51 points had they beaten Manchester United last time out. Winning at Old Trafford was always going to be a tough ask, and it would be wrong to criticize the Hammers for failing to do so given the disparity in finances between the two clubs.
It was, however, a little disappointing to see West Ham take such a reactive approach. Moyes’ side packed 10 men behind the ball for most of the game, with Michail Antonio left isolated up front. West Ham did push forward to a greater extent once Scott McTominay opened the scoring, but that only left onlookers questioning why they had not been bolder from the start.
For all that West Ham are enjoying an excellent season, they have struggled to take points off the big boys. They have lost to Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City home and away. They memorably came from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Tottenham, then beat Jose Mourinho’s men at home, but they lost to Arsenal at the Emirates in September. Moyes tends towards caution in such contests, and that will make it difficult for West Ham to win on Sunday.
Do Not Expect a Goal-Laden Encounter at the London Stadium
Indeed, Moyes’ conservative tactics are one reason why we should not expect a goal-laden game. West Ham will sit deep and task Arsenal with breaking down, which is something the Gunners have not always excelled in this term. Arteta’s team tend to prefer playing against teams who push up the pitch and give them space to play, and their failure to beat the likes of Crystal Palace, Burnley, and Wolverhampton Wanderers in recent months has demonstrated a problem with opening up well-organized defenses.
At the same time, Arsenal will not want to go too gung-ho against a West Ham team that is perfectly capable of causing them problems at set-pieces and on the counter-attack. Both sides, to a certain extent, will be happy to keep the score level at 0-0 until the latter stages, by which time both managers could conclude they have more to lose than gain.
Arsenal will certainly need to come out at some stage given their top-four hopes are already hanging by a thread, but a low-scoring game looks the most likely outcome at the London Stadium this weekend.
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