West Ham United v Arsenal
Premier League, London Stadium, Sunday 11 February 2024, 2pm GMT
West Ham United welcome high-flying Arsenal to London Stadium on Sunday, looking to bounce back to winning ways following defeat at Manchester United last time out.
Disappointment at Old Trafford marked the end of the Hammers’ six-game unbeaten run in the league, while back on home soil they have not been overcome since the end of October, when Everton claimed a 1-0 win.
David Moyes’ men have enjoyed a string of good results against the Gunners recently, having won two and drawn one of the teams’ previous three meetings in all competitions, but the Irons will be wary of the stern test promised by a side sitting just two points off the top of the table.
Arsenal will make the short trip across the capital full of confidence after their impressive 3-1 triumph over title rivals Liverpool last weekend, that stretched their perfect Premier League record in 2024 to three games.
Tickets…
Tickets for this sold-out game are still available on the Ticket Exchange, with Season Ticket Holders who cannot attend this fixture relisting their seats for other supporters to buy. Click HERE to check availability or relist.
Travel…
There is no planned disruption to TfL Underground services on the Jubilee and Central lines, though there are set to be part closures on Elizabeth line, Overground and Docklands Light Railway services. Supporters utilising these lines are highly recommended to check their routes before departure.
Similarly, there are various planned engineering works on the c2c and Greater Anglia mainline services, as well as the Southeastern network that serves Stratford International.
Stratford and Stratford City Bus Stations are located in close proximity to Stratford station. Buses that run to these stations are numbers: 25, 86, 97, 104, 108, 158, 241, 257, 262, 276, 308, 425, 473, D8.
Supporters using public transport are advised to check their journeys before they travel, using resources such as TfL’s Journey Planner and the TfL Go app. Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website if travelling on the rail network.
There is no parking available at London Stadium. Restrictions will be in place and enforced in the local area.
How To Follow…
West Ham United’s home Premier League match against Arsenal has been selected for broadcast in the United Kingdom by Sky Sports.
If you live outside the UK, click HERE for details of Premier League listings in your territory.
You can follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app, and across our social media channels. We will also have highlights and exclusive reaction for you after the final whistle on our website and social media.
Live audio commentary will be available in the UK on BBC Radio 5 live, and worldwide on our official website and app.
Official Programme…
At 116 pages, and just £4 per issue, West Ham United’s 2023/24 Official Programme represents superb value for money for supporters wanting exclusive interviews, attention-grabbing opinions and eye-catching photographs, plus the regular news, columns, statistics and insightful content from across all areas of the Club.
Sunday’s issue includes an in-depth interview and analysis of January signing Kalvin Phillips, features with Maxwel Cornet and Michail Antonio, and a chat with 1988 Hammer of the Year and ex-Arsenal midfielder Stewart Robson.
With Academy content focusing on Northern Irish youngster Callum Marshall, who recently joined West Bromwich Albion on loan, the latest from our women’s team, plus history, puzzles, statistics and the lowdown on our opponents from Emirates Stadium, the Official Programme is packed full of content for you!
Team News…
Defender Nayef Aguerd could be set for a first appearance at London Stadium since mid-December, after making his return from the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations against Manchester United last time out.
Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola was withdrawn at half-time against the Red Devils as a precaution, while Lucas Paquetá and Michail Antonio, who have not featured in the league this calendar year due to injury, continue to be assessed.
Arsenal will be hoping to be able to call upon Bukayo Saka and Oleksandr Zinchenko on Sunday, with both being replaced with injury concerns against Liverpool at the Emirates last weekend.
Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey could return following injury absences, and Takehiro Tomiyasu is expected to be available after his Asian Cup endeavours with Japan, but Jurriën Timber and Fábio Vieira should still be missing.
Opposition…
Opportunities to lift silverware in English football are severely limited.
Arsenal found that last season, when they led the Premier League table for 248 days but ultimately finished second to Pep Guardiola’s treble winners.
The Gunners also had the misfortune to draw Manchester City away in the FA Cup fourth round and lost 1-0, while Brighton & Hove Albion and Sporting Lisbon proved too strong in the EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League respectively.
And so, despite winning 32 of their 49 games in all competitions, and losing just nine, Arsenal ended the 2022/23 campaign empty-handed.
Mikel Arteta’s charges did kick off the current season with victory over their closest rivals City in the FA Community Shield in August, defeating them on penalties, but Arsenal supporters crave a major trophy.
Since the Spaniard returned to north London as head coach in 2019, Arsenal have won one FA Cup, along with two Community Shields, but remember this is a fanbase that was increasingly brought up on The Invincibles, Arsène Wenger, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp; a fanbase which celebrated ten major titles during the Frenchman’s 22-year tenure between 1996 and 2018, and also enjoyed trips to two European finals.
West Ham United ended Arsenal’s pursuit of EFL Cup glory at the fourth-round stage this season - with Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen strikes, plus a Ben White own goal, securing a 3-1 scoreline - while a home defeat against Liverpool saw their FA Cup hopes dashed at the first hurdle.
Success in 2023/24 remains possible on only the Premier League and UEFA Champions League fronts then, with their chances in the former having received a timely boost last time out against familiar foes Liverpool, with a 3-1 win.
As aforementioned, that result stretched Arsenal’s winning run in the league to three games, following three games without victory over the festive period, that included West Ham’s 2-0 triumph at Emirates Stadium on 28 December.
On the continent, the 2006 Champions League finalists have impressed on their return to Europe’s premier competition for the first time since 2016/17, topping their group to book a round-of-16 clash against Portuguese giants Porto.
Among Arsenal’s ranks is one individual particularly familiar to the Hammers’ faithful, with former skipper Declan Rice having made a strong impact in red and white since his move across the capital last summer.
Two members of the Irons’ current squad have ties to Arsenal - Łukasz Fabiański made 78 appearances during a seven-year spell with the Gunners earlier in his career, while Dinos Mavropanos turned out eight times for them between 2018 and 2022.
Previous Meetings…
Sunday’s contest marks the 151st competitive meeting between West Ham and Arsenal, and the 56th in the Premier League.
Overall, the Gunners lead the head-to-head statistics, with 72 wins to their name. There have been 41 draws between the teams, while West Ham have come out on top on 37 occasions.
The last two match-ups have resulted in full shares of the spoils for the Hammers, with Tomáš Souček and Dinos Mavropanos goals sinking the hosts at Emirates Stadium last time out at the end of 2023. Before that, David Moyes’ charges triumphed 3-1 on home turf in the EFL Cup in November.
In general, London Stadium has been a reasonably happy hunting ground for the Gunners, who have won on three of their eight visits, and come away empty-handed just twice.
They last took all three points on their travels against West Ham on 1 May 2022, when Rob Holding and Gabriel netted either side of a Jarrod Bowen goal on the stroke of half-time.
Back in May 1980, the Irons claimed their third and most-recent FA Cup title thanks to a 1-0 win over Arsenal in the final at Wembley, with Trevor Brooking’s 13th-minute strike proving the difference.
Match Officials…
Referee: Craig Pawson
Assistant Referees: Marc Perry and Steve Meredith
Fourth Official: Graham Scott
VAR: John Brooks
Assistant VAR: Lee Betts
Craig Pawson has been confirmed as the referee for Sunday’s Premier League match at home against Arsenal.
One of the top-flight’s most experienced officials, Pawson has been a part of the Select Group of Referees since 2013 and has officiated 11 Premier League games so far this campaign, most recently Brighton & Hove Albion’s 0-0 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers at the end of January.
Pawson served as Video Assistant Referee in West Ham’s 2-0 win over Sunday’s opponents in December, and has handed out 52 yellow cards this term, as well as three red cards.
Most of Pawson’s appointments in 2023/24 so far have come in the Premier League, but the 44-year-old, who is on the FIFA International Referees List, has also taken charge of games in the EFL Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League qualifying.
For more information about the officials, click HERE.
