Hipster Gooner: Preview: Arsenal v. West Ham United

One Aaron Ramsey. One Man of the Match in Arsenal's 2-1 FA Cup win over West Ham in January. Pic via Daily Mail.

Emirates Stadium, London

Saturday, March 20

1730 GMT, 1:30 p.m. EDT

Referee: Martin Atkinson
This Match, Last Year: Arsenal 0 - 0 West Ham United
All-Time in All Competitions: 51 Arsenal wins, 33 West Ham United wins, 38 draws
Arsenal's Recent Form: L-W-W-W-W-W
West Ham United's Recent Form: L-W-W-L-L-L

Predicted Line-Up

guesses italicized

Almunia

Sagna - Campbell - Vermaelen - Clichy

Fabregas - Song - Diaby

Nasri - Bendtner - Arshavin

Subs from: Fabianski, Silvestre, Eboue, Denilson, Rosicky, Eduardo, Walcott

Out: Gallas (calf), Ramsey (leg), Gibbs (foot), Van Persie (ankle), Djourou (knee)

Arsenal News and Notes

Arsenal will go top of the league with a win by any scoreline, because Chelsea and Manchester United do not play until Sunday. United will have a game in hand, Chelsea will have two.
This is the first time Manuel Almunia will start against West Ham this year. Vito Mannone started the league fixture at Upton Park in October and Lukasz Fabianski started the FA Cup tie in January.
Alex Song returns from suspension and Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) and Tomas Rosicky (groin) are expected to return from injury.
Carlos Vela will also be back. I didn't even know he was hurt again. Last I heard, he was out of the Burnley match with jet lag. Maybe it was that 14-day kind of jet lag?
Arsene Wenger is becoming increasingly frustrated with center back William Gallas's calf injury, calling it "seemingly endless." He'll miss at least this match and next week at Birmingham, which means he won't get to sit in the center circle of St. Andrew's crying this time.
Arsenal have won five straight league games, a season high.

West Ham United News and Notes

West Ham have 27 points, three points above the relegation zone. Fortunately for the Hammers, they also have a better goal differential than many of the teams around them in the table.
Mark Noble (arm) and Herita Ilunga (thigh) might make returns from their respective injuries.
Julien Faubert (hamstring), Luis Boa Morte (knee), and Zavon Hines (knee) will likely remain out.
Manuel Da Costa is serving the second game of a three match ban.
The Hammers released Calum Davenport on Wednesday. Davenport has not played since he was stabbed in the legs six times during an incident where he was also later charged with assaulting his pregnant sister.
Wait, what?
West Ham have lost three straight matches in the league. At no point this year have they lost four straight Premier League games.

Match Facts

West Ham United's last win at Arsenal was a 1-0 win on April 7, 2007. It was the first victory for a road team at Emirates Stadium.
This is Arsenal's third match against West Ham this year. The last time the Gunners and Hammers met outside of only Premier League competition was 1997/98. Arsenal took four points from league matches and knocked West Ham out of both the League and FA Cups.
The referee is Martin Atinkson. Atkinson has previously worked Arsenal's 1-0 win at Fulham and their 3-1 FA Cup loss at Stoke City this season. For West Ham, he worked a 2-1 loss at Stoke City and a 3-0 win against Hull City.

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