Match preview
Sam Allardyce is confident West Ham United can continue their purple patch at the Boleyn Ground when Arsenal come to visit in the Barclays Premier League on Sunday.
The east London club have won six of their last seven home matches in the league, including victories over Liverpool and Manchester City.
One of the BPL's biggest surprise packages this term, the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea on Boxing Day has left West Ham in fifth place in the table, a point above the Gunners.
Allardyce opted to use key duo Alex Song and Diafra Sakho off the bench at Stamford Bridge, presumably with one eye on this weekend's fixture, and ahead of their encounter with Arsenal, he stated his desire to pick a full-strength line-up with Arsene Wenger's charges just a place behind his side.
The north Londoners have won the last eight meetings between the two sides, but Allardyce claims his men will be motivated by another visit from one of the league's "big boys".
"We'll try to pick the strongest team possible to start the game, then the subs will play their part as the game goes on, with two games in a short period of time," he told the club's website. "I want us to play like we did against Leicester and all the other teams we've faced at home, or more like we played against Manchester City and Liverpool when they came to our place.
"It is one of the big boys who are visiting us and we should all look forward to the game based on how well we've played at home in the last seven games.
"Let's go out there and try and beat Arsenal and make sure we don't lose two games on the trot, which is something we haven't done this season."
James Tomkins could return from a hamstring problem although the on-loan Carl Jenkinson will not be eligible to play against his parent club.
Wenger has doubts over Laurent Koscielny (hamstring) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (groin) and will be without suspended striker Olivier Giroud, who was sent off following an altercation with Nedum Onouha during Friday's 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers.
Wenger's men have taken seven points from their last nine going into key fixtures with West Ham and fourth-placed Southampton in the race for a UEFA Champions League place.
However, Wenger insisted he is not looking at the standings at the halfway stage. "I don't give importance to the table at the moment," he said. "There's 20 games to go. It's very tight and it's down to consistency now. We know every game now is down to consistency and reproducing the performances.
"We need to prepare quickly, focus quickly and that is an ability we want to show at West Ham."
Arsenal (from): Martinez, Ospina, Szczesny, Chambers, Debuchy, Gibbs, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal, Cazorla, Flamini, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rosicky, Alexis, Campbell, Podolski, Sanogo, Walcott, Welbeck.
West Ham (from): Adrian, Jaaskelainen, Spiegel, Collins, Cresswell, Demel, O’Brien, Potts, Reid, Tomkins, Amalfitano, Downing, Jarvis, Kouyate, Lletget, Morrison, Noble, Nolan, Poyet, Song, Carroll, Cole, Sakho, Valencia, Vaz Te, Zarate.
Match Appointments
Referee: Neil Swarbrick Assistants: S Ledger, M Wilkes Fourth Official: K Stroud
Referee: Neil Swarbrick Assistants: S Ledger, M Wilkes Fourth Official: K Stroud
Match Facts
West Ham United have won none of the last 12 Barclays Premier League meetings with Arsenal (W0 D2 L10), losing the last seven in a row.
Theo Walcott has scored five goals in his last four league matches against the Hammers.
The Hammers have opened the scoring in each of the last four BPL matches against Arsenal only for the Gunners to come from behind to take all three points.
West Ham have won six and lost none of their last seven league matches at the Boleyn Ground and conceded just three goals, keeping four clean sheets in that run.
West Ham United have won none of the last 12 Barclays Premier League meetings with Arsenal (W0 D2 L10), losing the last seven in a row.
Theo Walcott has scored five goals in his last four league matches against the Hammers.
The Hammers have opened the scoring in each of the last four BPL matches against Arsenal only for the Gunners to come from behind to take all three points.
West Ham have won six and lost none of their last seven league matches at the Boleyn Ground and conceded just three goals, keeping four clean sheets in that run.
Current form
| Last six matches | ||
|---|---|---|
LOST
| 2 - 0 v Chelsea (A) | 26 Dec 2014 |
WON
| 2 - 0 v Leicester (H) | 20 Dec 2014 |
DRAWN
| 1 - 1 v Sunderland (A) | 13 Dec 2014 |
WON
| 3 - 1 v Swansea (H) | 07 Dec 2014 |
WON
| 1 - 2 v West Brom (A) | 02 Dec 2014 |
WON
| 1 - 0 v Newcastle (H) | 29 Nov 2014 |
| Last win/defeat | ||
|---|---|---|
WON
| 2 - 0 v Leicester (H) | 20 Dec 2014 |
LOST
| 2 - 0 v Chelsea (A) | 26 Dec 2014 |
Current form
| Last six matches | ||
|---|---|---|
WON
| 2 - 1 v QPR (H) | 26 Dec 2014 |
DRAWN
| 2 - 2 v Liverpool (A) | 21 Dec 2014 |
WON
| 4 - 1 v Newcastle (H) | 13 Dec 2014 |
LOST
| 3 - 2 v Stoke (A) | 06 Dec 2014 |
WON
| 1 - 0 v Southampton (H) | 03 Dec 2014 |
WON
| 0 - 1 v West Brom (A) | 29 Nov 2014 |
| Last win/defeat | ||
|---|---|---|
WON
| 2 - 1 v QPR (H) | 26 Dec 2014 |
LOST
| 3 - 2 v Stoke (A) | 06 Dec 2014 |
Last corresponding meeting
Thu 26 Dec 2013 | Boleyn Ground | Attendance: 34,977
West Ham1 - 3Arsenal
- Carlton Cole (46)
- Theo Walcott (68, 71)
- Lukas Podolski (79)
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