12 minutes: Whatever Gabriel and Saka had planned before this corner was clearly working perfectly!

As the winger slowly walks towards the flag, his Arsenal teammates gather at the back of the penalty area. They all make a quick run to the front post, where Gabriel flicks it past Fabiański and into the net!

GOAL! West Ham 0-1 Arsenal (Gabriel, 10)

9 minutes: Another corner for visitors. Saka goes over to receive it, subtly chatting with Gabriel on the way to the flag. What are they cooking?

7 minutes: Arsenal have a corner and Gabriel slowly runs into the penalty area. Rice is the man to do it, but West Ham can clear at the front post quite easily.

5 minutes: Saka gains possession of the ball on the right, but Paquetá rushes in to win it back. The Brazilian eventually converted on a foul from the Arsenal player, much to the delight of the home fans.

3 minutes: Bowen receives the ball on the right and attempts to break into the Arsenal penalty area but is blocked by Calafiori.

2 minutes: West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui looks on from the back of the directors’ box. I’m not sure that’s the best place to be when trying to manage a team…

Start

Charles Antaki has spoken out about recording Kieran Tierney…

“A little wave of appreciation for Kieran Tierney as he gets back into the race. Arsenal fans aren’t quite sure how much more affection to invest in him – there was plenty of it – but he’s what? Fourth or fifth in line for the left-back role…. When he leaves we will have many great memories; Not many elite football players come to games with their belongings in a plastic bag, so he probably has that distinction forever.”

Martin Ødegaard proved once again last week that he is Arsenal’s mastermind. The Gunners appeared to have lost track of things in his absence in recent months, going on a four-game winning streak between late October and early November. But when captain Ødegaard made his comeback from injury, they got back into the swing of things. The Norwegian has the ability to make those around him better on the pitch, which is something West Ham will have to be wary of tonight.

The last time these two sides met was at the London Stadium in February – and it was a miserable day for the hosts. Thanks to goals from William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Magalhães, Leandro Trossard and former Hammer Declan Rice, Arsenal secured a massive 6-0 win over West Ham.

Will there be a repeat today? Or will West Ham shock Mikel Arteta and Co.?

Before today’s game: Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said: “I know him (Lopetegui), we are friends, I have great admiration for what he did in the game. He comes from the same area as me in the north of Spain. It’s a team that’s on a high now after the big away win against Newcastle and they’re always a really tough opponent, we know that.

“(They have) different ways of creating big problems. They are a very physical team, very good at direct play and attack second balls where they have to dominate the game with the ball. Or if they have the space, they are a really dangerous team. Through set pieces and the individual quality they have, the top players can create any situation that causes you trouble at any moment. They’re really well trained.”

Elsewhere in the Premier League today

• Wolves 2-4 Bournemouth

• Crystal Palace 1-1 Newcastle

• Nottingham Forest 1-0 Ipswich Town

• Brentford 4-1 Leicester City

Julen Lopetegui will not be in the West Ham dugout tonight. The 58-year-old received his third yellow card of the season in Monday’s game against Newcastle, meaning he will have to serve a game on the sidelines against Arsenal.

“The players who are on the pitch are always the most important thing,” the coach said during his pre-match press conference. “Players who are ready to help the team and be able to compete against one of the best teams in the Premier League in my opinion. “So we have to be ready. I won’t be in the dugout and maybe I need to improve because I have three yellow cards, but it’s done. I am passionate. And sometimes you try to say something, or how you act, or you perform an action with your hands.”

Kieran Tierney has been recalled to the Arsenal squad for the first time since August 2023. The left-back, who played on loan at Real Sociedad last season, will initially sit on the bench.

I want to hear from you! Be sure to email me with all the predictions, feelings, thoughts and all that jazz. Where will you be watching from? Who will you be watching with? Do you have any other games planned this weekend? I want to know!

Mikel Merino and Thomas Partey are both not in the Arsenal squad tonight. Merino is unavailable due to a knee problem, while Partey is missing due to a muscle problem.

The Arsenal fans breathe a collective sigh of relief as Gabriel is in the starting lineup for tonight’s game. There were doubts about his commitment after he limped off the pitch against Sporting Lisbon earlier this week. In typical Mikel Arteta fashion, the coach was incredibly cryptic about his availability during a pre-match press conference yesterday, but yet – and this isn’t a complete surprise – he’s been there from the start.

Meanwhile, Julen Lopetegui names an unchanged squad since Monday’s win against Newcastle.

Team news

News about the team will be released soon. Mohammed Kudus is out for West Ham as he serves the fifth part of his five-game ban. Niclas Füllkrug is also out due to an Achilles tendon injury.

Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are still unavailable for Arsenal, Gabriel Magalhães is uncertain.

preamble