Hammers head to the Emirates for early London Derby

West Ham is set to face London rivals Arsenal in an early season, London Derby. Both teams have struggled, both are without a win, and both are desperate to get their season officially underway. Somethings got to give.

With both teams looking for their first points of the season look for a match that may start off a little tentatively. Pellegrini and Emery will likely line up offensively in an effort to secure all three points, but the fear of losing out on any could see a standoffish start. With both teams presumably wading into action, what can either side expect?

What Can West Ham Expect from Arsenal?

Look for speed up the middle and holding possession in midfield. Two players to highlight for these aspects of the match could be Pierre-Emerick Aubumeyang and Mesut Ozil.

When Arsenal bough Aubumeyang from Borussia Dortmund in January one thing was on their mind: attack. The speedy striker is a terror on the counter-attack and will constantly be pushing to get in behind West Ham’s struggling back line. Against Chelsea last week he was caught offside twice and banged four shots with two on goal. He was isolated up front, but with Arsenal’s midfield options that decision makes sense for their squad.

Of the midfield options, Mesut Ozil is the offensive leader for Arsenal. Say what you will about the German international after the World Cup, but his vision and creativity are world-class and will cause problems for West Ham. He is a master at deceptively pushing the ball through the opposition’s defense, lulling them into one position and springing an attack on them.

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Arsenal’s game plan should be just to hold onto the ball, and they have the midfield players to do it. Ozil will spearhead the midfield but Mkhitaryan, Guendouzi, Iwobi, and Xhaka are all viable options for holding play. Look for Iwobi and Mkhitaryan to carry the ball out wide, probing for Aubmeyang runs, while Guendouzi and Xhaka sit in the center of the pitch shutting down and offensive outbursts from the hammers.

Where Arsenal can get in trouble is with their back line. Whoever plays center back out of Sokratis, Mustafi and possibly Koscielny usually makes their job more difficult than it has to be with either misplaced breakout passes, or early fouls. West Ham needs to pressure these defenders to force errors early in the match.

As well, Arsenal is potentially vulnerable in the full-back positions. Nacho Monreal is fresh off of injury, and while he started against Chelsea there is always the risk of reinjury when a player is being played out of necessity rather than choice. Bellerin at right back is fine, however, Arsenal fans are desperate to see him take the next step in his game, elevating his own play and making his teammates better.

What can Arsenal expect from West Ham?

Arsenal would be wise to push the pace of this game early as West Ham is fragile, having only scored one goal in two matches. This goal came from a penalty, so an early goal for Arsenal would play on the hammers inability to score from a live ball creating a near insurmountable mental hurdle in the match.

If they do weather the initial storm from the gunners look out for the sleeping giant that is the West Ham attack. Marko Arnautovic proved last season that he can hang with the elite center forwards when it comes to goals. He is big, strong, fast, and can dribble as good as anyone. Arnautovic creates play almost as much as he finishes and his name is undoubtedly circled on the team sheet in Arsenal’s locker room.

Will this be the game that Felipe Anderson wakes up? West Ham fans hope so while Arsenal is hoping they can continue to shut him down in the Premier League. If left unchecked he can potentially blow the match wide open. He has great speed, elite dribbling skills, and is an accurate crosser. If he can get his game going West Ham will be a much more threatening team for Arsenal to deal with.

West Ham does have some questions down the middle of the pitch, namely who will start in holding midfield and who will create the center back pairing. Wilshere seems to be a mainstay in Pellegrini’s plan for the midfield but will Sanchez and Obiang factor in? Or will Noble retain a position despite poor play and an injury? Maybe Declan Rice will get another shot at the first team. Regardless, until the starters emerge West Ham will be unsettled in their midfield structure.

At center back, the choices are fewer but still contentious. West Ham has rolled out Ogbonna and Balbuena in their first two matches but they’ve contributed to the six goals against. It should be Issa Diop’s time to feature but who should slot in beside him, or does Pellegrini opt into a back three now?

This match promises to be exciting as it is as close to ‘must-win’ territory as two teams can get three games into the season. Arsenal needs to get moving in order to retain their perennial top-six position in the table. West Ham needs to start picking up points to avoid another relegation battle. Both teams are motivated ahead of what should be a thrilling London Derby.