Lisa Evans is looking forward to the challenge of facing off against her former side, Arsenal on Sunday evening.
The 30-year-old Scotland international spent four seasons playing for the Gunners before initially joining West Ham United on loan in July 2021.
Evans made the move permanent this summer and has been a crucial part of Paul Konchesky’s side this season, playing in all six matches so far this season.
The Hammers have historically struggled against the Gunners in league competition, having never taken a point away from the Gunners. But Konchesky’s side do head into the contest in Hertfordshire with plenty of confidence, having secured back-to-back victories heading into the clash.
The midfielder is looking forward to heading back to Meadow Park in a game that will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League.
“I think it’s going to be a really positive occasion for me personally. I loved the fans during my time there and I played for the club for a really long time and made some really good friends.
“I’m just looking forward to the night to be honest, but more importantly, I want to see the team put in a good performance and come away with some points if we can.”
The Hammers have been preparing vigorously at their Chadwell Heath training base this weekend as they prepare to take on a side that are yet to concede a goal in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
But there is a good feeling around this West Ham United side has a good feeling around it, having already put in a number of good performances in their previous outings so far this season.
Evans says that the confidence that the team has currently should help them going into the clash with the Gunners.
“I think we’ve had a really good start to the season. We’ve already played tough matches against Chelsea and Manchester United and we showed that we could compete during those matches.
“We were able to match them in certain areas, but now it’s about taking the next step and making sure that we can do it for the full 90 minutes.
“The confidence that we’ve gained from our performances so far this season will help us I’m sure.”
The Gunners were in action on Thursday evening, beating FC Zurich 3-1 in the UEFA Women’s Champions League with a heavily rotated side.
Evans believes that their team will still be fresh because of those changes, and that the team will need to be prepared to prevent the strengths of Jonas Eidevall’s team.
“We have to have the upmost respect for Arsenal, because their record so far this season speaks for itself, and they’ve been particularly fantastic in the league.
“I think we have to be prepared to restrict and prevent their strengths to make them less of a force on the day.
“We have to make sure that we’re prepared, and the coaches have done a great job of that during training this week with the information that they have given us.”
West Ham United Women are back at Chigwell Construction Stadium on Sunday 6 November when they face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
Tickets for the clash against the Seagulls are available to purchase now by clicking on the graphic below!
