West Ham vs Arsenal (16/17)

Team news:
Arsenal: Arsene Wenger says striker Olivier Giroud "might not be available" for Arsenal after he suffered a groin injury in the win over AFC Bournemouth. Mohamed Elneny (sickness) will have a fitness test on Friday and Mathieu Debuchy (hamstring), Santi Cazorla and Hector Bellerin (both ankle) are definitely out.

West Ham: West Ham United duo Aaron Cresswell and Michail Antonio have been ruled out but are expected back for Matchweek 15. Diafra Sakho (hamstring) will be sidelined for around six weeks but Andy Carroll is fit and will be in the squad and Andre Ayew is back in training. Sam Byram (hamstring) remains out.


MANAGER
Slaven Bilic made an instant impact upon taking charge of the Hammers last season, but has found his second campaign much more difficult. West Ham are currently only a point clear of the relegation zone.

Bilic made his name as boss of Croatia, where he was renowned as both a good man-manager and an astute tactician. Last season, West Ham’s most impressive performances came away at big clubs, with fine counter-attacking wins over Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City.

FORMATION
This is perhaps the most interesting thing about West Ham. They started the season playing a 4-3-3 system before shifting into more of a 4-2-3-1, but over the past few weeks have generally lined up in a 3-4-2-1 system, which seems to have been popularised by Antonio Conte’s Chelsea.

That’s likely to be the system Bilic deploys this weekend, with wing-backs Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell speeding forward regularly on the overlap.

STRENGTHS
West Ham are a physically imposing team, with the switch to a three-man defence boosting their average height. Winston Reid is fantastic in the air, Angelo Ogbonna plays to his left and is similarly solid, while Cheikhou Kouyate is a converted midfielder but has adjusted well.

Antonio is also a surprisingly useful aerial weapon for a wing-back – he’s brilliant at arriving at the far post and has scored six Premier League headers already this season – and there are also rumours Andy Carroll might be fit to return after injury. He netted a hat-trick in this fixture last season, including two with his head, so Arsenal need little warning about his threat.

DANGERMAN
Dimitri Payet was one of the best players in the Premier League last season, usually drifting inside dangerously from an inside-left position. He can dribble dangerously into attack, play pinpoint through balls or shoot from long range, especially from dead-ball situations. Although he has been quieter so far this season, five assists by this stage underlines his creative threat.

AREAS TO TARGET
West Ham don’t look entirely convincing defensively in this three-man shape. Antonio has looked suspect defensively so far this season, while Cresswell is more secure but his constant forward charges can leave the team exposed to counter-attacks. Arsenal might find joy with speedy attacking down the flanks.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20161202/scouting-report-west-ham-v-arsenal

Jenkinson is getting dropped apparently. Between Coquelin and Gabriel to play RB. Won't mind either.

West Ham away is always shit. I don't see us winning but maybe a draw. This is despite the fact West Ham have a poor team.

But hoping we can win comfortably for once.

It will be our strongest team so no excuses.

Will go with

--------------------------Cech---------------------------
Coquelin------Mustafi-----------Koscielny-------Monreal
-------------Xhaka---------Ramsey---------------------
Walcott---------------Ozil---------------------Oxlade/Iwobi
---------------------Sanchez-------------------------

they have used back 3 against some big sides this season as they did vs us last time
and we had no problem finding space on the outside of side backs before carroll bullied us and got them back level and they switched to back 4 in 2nd half and we didnt create much

so lets see how they approach this

hope midweek match give us some physical advantage for once since we rotated and rested more first teamers relatively

would go with Gabriel at RB to give us more height+with cazorla injury and Elneny was sick so we could be short of options in midfield if we start Coq at RB

Must win to make up ground on City/Chels and build some momentum before more difficult fixtures late December
COYG

Wenger confirmed that he won't start Coquelin at RB. Most likely he'll go with Gabriel but I can't be the only one who immediately thought of Mustafi when Debuchy got injured? He has more experience in that position than Gabriel and is better with the ball. The Mustafi - Koscielny partnership has not exactly been great so I wouldn't mind some changes in defence.

Xhaka - Ramsey seems the obvious choice in midfield but Wenger will more than likely go with Xhaka - Coquelin.

Oxlade-Chamberlain will start in attack in place of Iwobi, and the usual Theo-Özil-Alexis frontline.

urbaNRoots wrote:Wenger confirmed that he won't start Coquelin at RB. Most likely he'll go with Gabriel but I can't be the only one who immediately thought of Mustafi when Debuchy got injured? He has more experience in that position than Gabriel and is better with the ball. The Mustafi - Koscielny partnership has not exactly been great so I wouldn't mind some changes in defence.

Xhaka - Ramsey seems the obvious choice in midfield but Wenger will more than likely go with Xhaka - Coquelin.

Oxlade-Chamberlain will start in attack in place of Iwobi, and the usual Theo-Özil-Alexis frontline.

The Xhaka-Ramsey pivot may not work as Xhaka is actually slow and Ramsey with his gung-ho approach will always be with the attack, this will probably makes us vulnerable to counters. And the only Xhaka knows to stop counters is to get himself carded. If only Ramsey had some control and adhered to tactics.

There is thing that has continuously flummoxed me. Cazorla, if I remember right, was considered to be as attacking as David Silva back in his Villareal heydays. If he can control his attacking instincts and play according to tactics and team needs, what the hell stops the inferior-in-attacking Ramsey to not do the same?

On a side note, what would be the most optimal result in Che v MC game, for us? A draw?

A draw or a City win, but lets be honest. Chelsea are looking set to walk the league ffs.

Sri wrote:A draw or a City win, but lets be honest. Chelsea are looking set to walk the league ffs.

I still feel their defence if tested can be exposed. I know Conte is a world-class tactician but when the defence consists of a CB trio of a joker, a side-back and an idiot and one of the sidebacks is a winger, it can/should be tested much more. And I firmly believe their one injury away from trouble, as their squad is dog poop.

Wish they played Klopp's Liverpool now. At present, I guess only their attack can ask questions and expose them.

Anyway, Che have won, so let's try and close in on MC.

Well, we definitely need to win now. This Chelsea are looking rampant. Need to keep in touch for as long as we can.

Jay29 wrote:Well, we definitely need to win now. This Chelsea are looking rampant. Need to keep in touch for as long as we can.

Oh c'mon Jay, you dissect strategies/tactics better than surgeons. Please give me hope(even if its false), that Chelsea are not as strong as they're portrayed. I sincerely believe they look good as they're riding on their wave of form.

I am not expecting much in terms of performance from us to be honest. West ham are in awful form as well at the moment with injuries to some key players, as long as Ozil and Sanchez turn up we should have enough to win this game.

Arsene has to get the balance right in midfield, he hasn't done it in the past 4 games and the team has struggled because of that so it will be interesting so see what midfield combo he goes with.

I hope he starts Gabriel ahead of Jenkinson for this one, Jenkinson against Payet on current form is a no no. Gabriel's could come in handy for set pieces since West ham look strong on set pieces.

Da Gunner wrote:

Jay29 wrote:Well, we definitely need to win now. This Chelsea are looking rampant. Need to keep in touch for as long as we can.

Oh c'mon Jay, you dissect strategies/tactics better than surgeons. Please give me hope(even if its false), that Chelsea are not as strong as they're portrayed. I sincerely believe they look good as they're riding on their wave of form.

That's just it, it's not just luck and form. Our unbeaten streak non-sense was a lot of luck on the other hand.

Conte managed to play Fabregas as CM and demolish City. Let that sink in.

Cech; Gabriel, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Xhaka; Walcott, Ozil, Chamberlain; Alexis

Subs: Ospina, Holding, Gibbs, Elneny, Ramsey, Iwobi, Lucas

Team as expected more or less.

Surprised AW made the call to drop Ramsey tbh

Problem already. Alexis nursing his groin, left the warm-up early.

Hope it doesn't explode during the game.

ffs Monreal in a great position three times and failed to pick out a team mate each time. Should be ahead.

All over West ham so far but end product lacking, need to make this account

Mesuuuuuuuuuut 1-0

Deserved that lead, even if it did come from a mistake in the end. Defenders can't be sloppy with Alexis around.

YESSS OZIL

We're pressing well so far. West Ham's back three are too detached from their midfield. Easy to force them into errors or to kick long.

Ox

So bad it's funny. Wasting these great positions.

Need to kill the game off, so many chances being wasted

Poor first touch from Alexis ruins another good chance. Much better through ball from Ox this time.

Can see Carroll coming on and nodding in an equaliser in the second half at this rate.

Alexis should have buried that, how many more chances do we want. Decent ball by Ox for the first time

Xhaka's passing