Green Street Hammers
Fansided

Looking Ahead At West Ham’s Pre-Christmas Schedule

By Scott Johnson

STRATFORD, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 25: West Ham fans during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Southampton at London Stadium on September 25, 2016 in Stratford, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
STRATFORD, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 25: West Ham fans during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Southampton at London Stadium on September 25, 2016 in Stratford, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /
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SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 29: (2ndL) Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring the 4th Arsenal goal with (L) Aaron Ramsey, (2ndR) Kieran Gibbs and (R) Mohamed Elneny during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Arsenal at Stadium of Light on October 29, 2016 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 29: (2ndL) Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring the 4th Arsenal goal with (L) Aaron Ramsey, (2ndR) Kieran Gibbs and (R) Mohamed Elneny during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Arsenal at Stadium of Light on October 29, 2016 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) /

Arsenal (H)

What Bilic will be after: Get at Arsenal. Don’t make it easy.

Arsenal are a tough team to play against, whether that be home or away. If they’re in the mood then they can be unplayable. But it is not worth worrying about that, we’ve just got to make it hard.

Our recent record against Arsenal is pretty good, but we’ve been taken apart by them before. Last season some opening day heroics and some questionable keeping by Petr Cech gave us a win at the Emirates before Andy Carroll scoring the final Boleyn Ground hattrick earned us a point at home.

We will need to get at them and make sure we can play our game. If Carroll is fit by then great, because his physicality gives us an edge over them. They may have strengthened that area but still have been caught out by balls into the box.

However it’s important not to let Ozil have any space. He will pull the strings of the Arsenal attack and is a massive danger to any team, let alone ours when we get into a mess. Sanchez is obviously a tough opponent, but if you can cut Ozil’s passing and vision out of the game you are fighting a severely blunted threat. Anything positive from this match is good.