Arsenal and West Ham are both still searching for their first win of the Premier League campaign. These are two of the four clubs to have started the season 0-2, and each side would love to grab three points here. However, while West Ham would be tickled pink with a victory, Arsenal expects one. The Gunners are looking to make it back into the top four in order to qualify for the Champions League, but they know they can’t dig too much of a hole for themselves in the early going. That makes a win here all the more important.
Don't miss the English Premier League action from the Emirates Stadium in London at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, August 25, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on NBCSN.
English Premier League Betting at BookMaker.eu
West Ham +662
Arsenal -270
Draw +434
Over/Under 3 and 3.5
Odds Analysis
West Ham knew that a win in their first game of the season would be difficult. The Hammers were matched up against a strong Liverpool side and were simply outclassed in a 4-0 defeat at Anfield. However, they were more optimistic about their home opener against Bournemouth the following week.
It looked like West Ham would at least pull a result out of the match for quite a while. Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was making some incredible saves and West Ham got on the board first when Marko Arnautovic slotted home a penalty kick in the 33rd minute. However, their defense came unglued midway through the second half, allowing two goals in the span of six minutes, leading to a 2-1 loss.
Much like West Ham, Arsenal knew that they were up against it in their first match. They were facing a Manchester City side that only got stronger this offseason, and they knew that a result would be a win. It was not meant to be as the Gunners lost 2-0, and they had another tough match on the road against Chelsea last week.
Neither side played much defense in that tilt, as a number of great chances were simply missed. Arsenal fell behind 2-0 quickly thanks to some porous defense, but they rallied after Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi notched goals to level the score at 2-2. Marcos Alonzo scored in the 81st to put Chelsea on top for good though, sending Arsenal to 0-2.
Key Injuries
There are three long-term injuries to report on the side of West Ham coming into this match. Forward Andy Carroll and center back Winston Reid are out until mid-October as Carroll struggles with a foot problem and Reid deals with a knee issue. Additionally, midfielder Manuel Lanzini is out until after Boxing Day due to a knee injury.
Arsenal have a long-term injury of their own in center back Laurent Koscielny. Koscielny was injured in April of last year, and he is hoping to return to action in December. Defenders Sead Kolasinac, Carl Jenkinson, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are also out for a considerable amount of time, and they won’t return until October at the earliest. That leaves Arsenal considerably thin in the back line.
Matchup to Watch
In the loss to Chelsea last week, both Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed sitters that would have given Arsenal at least a result. Both players had a great look at goal from a relatively short distance, only to boom the ball over the bar and wonder about what could have been. They will be looking to change that this time around and score on former teammate Fabianski.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
The injuries to Arsenal’s back line are a major concern. They looked lost against Chelsea last week as both Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis continued to struggle. While they should perform better this week, it might not be enough against a West Ham team that does have some firepower. That makes me really like the over in this tilt.
English Premier League Odds: Arsenal 2, West Ham 2
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