Some of the fiercest rivalries in all of Europe are the ones in London, and though Arsenal and West Ham aren't quite as bitter against each other as Arsenal and Tottenham are, that doesn't take anything away from what should be a great game on Saturday on Match Day 14 of the EPL campaign.
Don't miss the EPL action from London Stadium at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 3, 2016. Catch every moment of the match live on NBC Sports Network.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
West Ham +340
Arsenal -130
Draw +295
Over/Under 3
Odds Analysis
Perhaps at a different time of year, Arsenal wouldn't even be favored in this matchup. That said, West Ham is still flirting with the relegation zone and isn't anywhere near the middle of the table as most suspected it would be in. As a result, the Gunners are the odds-on favorites here at -130, knowing that they would love nothing more but to help bury their crosstown rivals.
The total is very high at a flat 3, but let's remember that West Ham is allowing a goal and a half per game and is very likely to concede at least once, and probably at least twice in this one.
Key Injuries
The Hammers are just ridiculous beaten up right now. Andy Carroll has been out since August with a knee injury, and that's only compounding the problem up front with Diafra Sakho out of the lineup. Reece Oxford, one of the youngsters on this roster, also has a leg injury, and that's only making things worse for Slaven Bilic.
Arsenal is playing without Hector Bellerin, Santiago Cazorla and Chuba Akpom, and it doesn't seem like Mathieu Debuchy is going to be in the fold for a while after getting injured last week at Bournemouth with what is being classified as a "potentially severe" hamstring injury. Olivier Giroud also left that match against the Cherries, though he seems to be more likely to play on Saturday afternoon.
Recent Form
West Ham was taken out of the EFL Cup on Wednesday by Manchester United, but that wasn't the end of the world. What did matter was the team's 1-1 draw at Old Trafford three days before in the Premier League. It's the first positive result we've seen out of the Hammers since the middle of October. Can Bilic get anything going from here? If not, they're going to be in this relegation scrap heading into the new year.
Arsenal was also taken out of the EFL Cup midweek by Southampton. It's tough to lose at home no matter the circumstance, but all things considered, England's secondary cup isn't that big of a deal. But this was one of the many results that have been at least somewhat suspect out of the Gunners of late. They are just 1-3-1 in their last five matches across all competitions, including what ended up being a potentially damning 2-2 draw at home against PSG in the UCL.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Arsene Wenger has really been on the hot seat in London for a while, and losing this match would be a big hit on him. That would leave the Gunners at least four points back of the top of the table with 14 matches finished in the 2016-17 campaign.
That said, Wenger has really called out his team, and this could be just what is needed to get the job done.
West Ham still has no strikers of note, and the fact that it doesn't have a single healthy striker with a goal in the Premier League this year is terrifying. You just have to imagine if the Gunners can get their first goal, they'll coast from there.
EPL Odds: Arsenal 2, West Ham 0
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