David Moyes has named an unchanged starting XI for West Ham United’s Premier League fixture with Arsenal at London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Hammers welcome the Gunners to east London for the second time this season and are seeking a third victory out of three over Mikel Arteta’s side overall, having defeated Arsenal 3-1 at home in the EFL Cup in November and won the reverse league game at Emirates Stadium 2-0 in late December.
The team going for three wins over Arsenal in the same season for the first time since 1924/25 is the same one which started at Manchester United last Sunday afternoon.
Alphonse Areola starts in goal. The Frenchman has faced Arsenal four times previously, with the recent victory at Emirates Stadium his first success against our opponents.
Vladimír Coufal, captain Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd and Emerson comprise the back four,
Ahead of them, Mexico international Edson Álvarez anchors the midfield, lining up alongside Tomáš Souček and James Ward-Prowse.
Nobody in the West Ham team has faced Arsenal on more occasions than Ward-Prowse. In 23 previous appearances against the Gunners, the England midfielder has tasted victory on six occasions, including the Irons’ two wins this season, scored once and assisted three times, including the corner that Konstantinos Mavropanos header in at Emirates Stadium in December.
The No7 has 15 goal involvements in 32 appearances overall this campaign, following his August transfer from Southampton.
Mohammed Kudus scored the second goal in the aforementioned EFL Cup victory, and he and Ben Johnson look likely to fill the wing positions, as they did at Old Trafford a week ago.
Jarrod Bowen scored one and made another in the EFL Cup fourth round victory in November, netted the opening goal in the Premier League win at Emirates Stadium in December and he again starts up front.
Mavropanos is named among the nine substitutes alongside January signing Kalvin Phillips, former Arsenal goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański, defenders Angelo Ogbonna and Aaron Cresswell, versatile young midfielder Ollie Scarles, winger Maxwel Cornet, and forwards Danny Ings and Divin Mubama.
So, with Michail Antonio and Lucas Paquetá still not ready to return from injury, the same 20 players who were named at Manchester United are named to face Arsenal this afternoon.
For Arsenal, Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior start in place of Jorginho and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Ukraine star Zinchenko and Emile Smith Rowe are absent from the visitors' squad, while Jurrien Timber, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Thomas Partey, Fabio Vieira, Gabriel Jesus and Marquinhos are not involved.
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Johnson, Zouma ©, Aguerd, Emerson, Álvarez, Souček, Ward-Prowse, Kudus, Bowen
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Mavropanos, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Scarles, Phillips, Cornet, Ings, Mubama
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, Rice, Ødegaard ©, Trossard, Saka, Martinelli, Havertz
Subs: Ramsdale (GK), Cédric, Jorginho, Elneny, Nketiah, Nelson, Bandeira, Nwaneri, Walters
Referee: Craig Pawson
