Arsenal host West Ham on Saturday looking to continue their promising form that has seen them reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup and also consolidate their place in the top-four.
Alexis Sanchez topped-off an impressive performance against the Hoops with the winner, as he guided the Gunners to an important 2-1 away win. Arsenal fans will have been particularly pleased to see the Chilean returning to form, after a few weeks in which he hasn’t been hitting the heights he had been at the start of the season. In particular, Sanchez looked like he’d rediscovered his predatory instinct to take shots on goal, as the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index demonstrates that he had the second most attempts in the league (5). If you fancy Sanchez to find the net again against West Ham, then head to 888sport.com who have him at 18/5 to score at any time.
Santi Cazorla has had a barnstorming season for the Gunners this year, cementing his place in the heart of Arsenal’s midfield. In particular, he’s received praise for his ability to spray the ball about the park with relative ease and against QPR, he showcased his creative instincts again. The Spaniard completed an impressive 48 passes in the opposition half, the most of any Arsenal player, at a rate of a pass every 1.9 minutes.
One of Arsene Wenger’s greatest managerial strengths is his ability to bring through youngsters and blood them in the first team, with talents such as Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs and the now-departed Cesc Fabregas all benefitting from his tutelage. Héctor Bellerin is a youngster who has graduated to the first team this season, operating up and down the right touchline to great effect. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that the Spaniard was bombing up and down the right flank again against QPR, as it shows that he covered an impressive 11.1km, the second most behind Santi Cazorla.
The Hammers travel to the Emirates desperate to rediscover the form that saw them as outsiders for the Champions League spots earlier in the season. The Hammers are currently sitting pretty in tenth, but will be hoping for a late charge to consolidate their place in the top half of the league.
They may have suffered a loss to Chelsea in their last fixture, but West Ham produced a good display and would have been disappointed to emerge from the game with nothing. Diafra Sakho, in particular, was a threat to the Chelsea defence all game with the Senegalese international taking a total of 6 shots (more than any other player in the league in this round of Premier League fixtures).
Another player who performed admirably for the Hammers was skipper Mark Noble. The West Ham academy graduate produced yet another composed display in the centre of the park, spraying passes about with ease. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index showcases that he completed 28 in the opposition half, the most of any West Ham player. If you fancy Noble to find the back of the net against the Gunners, head to 888sport.com who have him at an industry best 25/1 to score at the first goal of the game.
It will be a pity for the Hammers that they’ll miss on-loan full back Carl Jenkinson when they play the Gunners this weekend, as the English international is ineligible to play against his parent club. It’s been an impressive year for Jenkinson as he’s made the Hammers’ right-back slot his own and in particular, he has shone with his willingness to run and run for the sake of the team. This ability of his was on show against Chelsea, as he covered 11.4km, the second most in the Hammers squad (behind only Mark Noble).
Arsenal vs West Ham Possible Lineups:
Arsenal: Ospina; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla; Ozi, Sanchez, Welbeck, Giroud
West Ham: Adrian; O’Brien, Collins, Tomkins, Cresswell; Noble, Song, Kouyate; Downing, Sakho, Nene