Arsenal vs. West Ham United | Premier League | Pre Match

The Premier League title door has opened ever so slightly for Arsenal, who can move to within five points of leaders Liverpool by sinking London rivals West Ham United at the Emirates on Saturday afternoon. Mikel Arteta's men conquered Leicester City 2-0 last weekend thanks to a new attacking hero, while their visitors' plight continued in a painful 1-0 home loss to capital counterparts Brentford.

With Liverpool now showing signs of vulnerability previously unseen under Arne Slot - two 2-2 draws with Everton and Aston Villa either side of an unconvincing triumph over Wolverhampton Wanderers - Gooners may now have a glint in their eyes once more. The Arsenal faithful could have been forgiven for writing off their side's title chances after a costly trip to Dubai, which proved to be a season-saving trip in the 2023-24 campaign but was only a season-ending break for hamstring victim Kai Havertz this time around.

The Gunners' failure to bring in a new attacker in January seemingly proved fatal against Leicester last weekend, only for makeshift marksman Mikel Merino to bag a late brace in the final 10 minutes and propel Arsenal to their third Premier League win in succession. Arteta's men could have been as many as 10 points behind Liverpool at this juncture, but should Manchester City do them a massive favour this weekend while they take care of business against West Ham, the deficit will be just five points with a game in hand on Slot's crop.

While Arsenal should not bank on an ailing Man City to put another dent in Liverpool's title aspirations, Saturday's hosts should be confident of doing all they can even in their striker-less state, as the Gunners are the only team in the Premier League with their unbeaten home record for the season still intact. Not since April last year have Arteta's men been slain in a Premier League home game - navigating each of their last 15 without suffering defeat - but visitors West Ham only have to rewind a few days for their latest setback at the London Stadium.

A 12-day break in between matches arguably did the Irons more harm than good, as Kevin Schade's fourth-minute strike - which only just crossed the line despite the best efforts of Alphonse Areola - settled last weekend's capital derby in Brentford's favour. Unlike at Chelsea - where his tenure commenced with a terrific nine-game unbeaten run before things turned sour - Graham Potter has not brought the famed new manager bounce to West Ham, who sit 16th in the table but at least have a healthy 10-point buffer over the relegation zone.

However, collecting just four points from their last seven Premier League matches - five of which have ended in defeat - may raise fears of the 2022-23 Conference League winners being dragged into a demotion dogfight should results not improve, not to mention their recent defensive disasters versus Arsenal. The Irons may have left the Emirates with a shock 2-0 win to their name last term, but they have since conceded 11 goals to Arteta's men in harrowing 6-0 and 5-2 home losses, meaning that Arsenal could now score 5+ goals in three straight league games against a single team for the first time in the Premier League era.

It is expected to be as you were on the injury front for Arsenal, who have now seen Takehiro Tomiyasu join Havertz and Gabriel Jesus in the season-ending injuries club after the Japan international underwent surgery on a knee problem. Hamstring victims Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli remain out too - although both are reportedly pushing to return after the March international break - and needless to say, Arteta's only true selection dilemma lies in the final third.

Merino flourished after Raheem Sterling floundered in the win over Leicester, and the Gunners boss now faces a critical decision over whether to sacrifice the Chelsea loanee or leave Merino on the bench in the hope of another super-sub performance. Meanwhile, West Ham come into this derby missing Michail Antonio (leg), Crysencio Summerville (hamstring), Niclas Fullkrug (hamstring), Vladimir Coufal (hamstring) and Lucas Paqueta, who suffered an ankle injury in a recent training session.

A telltale sign of just how poor West Ham were in the first half of their loss to Brentford, Potter made no fewer than three changes at the break, removing all of Emerson Palmieri, Carlos Soler and Tomas Soucek from the XI. Instead, Potter may be tempted to throw in set-piece specialist James Ward-Prowse and Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Evan Ferguson, in what would be a first Irons start for the latter, but Soler should reprise his role following Paqueta's blow.

While Tottenham's resurgence under Postecoglou remains a key talking point, their clash with Ipswich Town at Portman Road is a crucial one. The Lilywhites suffered a surprising defeat to the Tractor Boys earlier in the season, marking Ipswich's first top-flight win of the campaign. Now, with revenge on the mind, Tottenham will look to continue their recent upward trajectory, having secured a vital 1-0 victory over Manchester United last weekend thanks to a James Maddison strike.

Postecoglou's men, now in 12th place, are aiming for their third consecutive Premier League win, something they have not managed since Antonio Conte’s tenure. A win would not only keep their faint European hopes alive but also solidify their defensive improvements, as they seek to achieve three straight victories without conceding for the first time in nearly two years. Ipswich, on the other hand, are struggling, winless in their last six top-flight outings and sitting in 18th place.

With injuries still a concern for both teams, Tottenham will be hoping that Kevin Danso, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Son Heung-min are fit after picking up knocks against Manchester United. Meanwhile, Ipswich will be without the suspended Axel Tuanzebe and several injured players, including Julio Enciso and Conor Chaplin. Despite their depleted squad, the Tractor Boys will take confidence from their earlier win over Spurs and their historical home record against them, having won four consecutive Premier League meetings against the North London outfit.

Ultimately, both Arsenal and Tottenham have crucial fixtures that could define their seasons. While Arsenal have their sights set on the title race, Tottenham are focused on salvaging a respectable finish. With contrasting fortunes but equally high stakes, London football fans are in for an exhilarating weekend of Premier League action.