Arsenal face West Ham in Saturday’s London derby.
After a comfortable victory over Greek side Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League, the Gunners host neighbours West Ham in the London derby, in a bid to pick up successive Premier League victories. Arsenal vs. West Ham kicks off at 15:00 [GMT+1] on Saturday, October 4, at the Emirates.
Arsenal are 2nd, sitting just two points adrift of table-topping Liverpool, who have 15 points. They head into Saturday’s London derby with the Hammers, hoping to secure successive PL victories following last weekend’s 2-1 win over Newcastle. Fortunately, a 2-0 win over Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League would do well to boost the Gunners’ morale ahead of the weekend’s clash. ‘Very happy. Obviously, winning the Champions League is always very complicated. Keeping another clean sheet, we make it 11 in 14 games, which is remarkable from the boys,’ Mikel Arteta said. His side remains formidable at home overall. The Gunners have lost only four of their last 42 Premier League games at the Emirates (W29 D9). However, two of those defeats were inflicted by West Ham – in December 2023 and February 2025 – underlining how the Hammers have become something of a bogey side in this fixture. Arsenal’s momentum is undeniable, though. Since mid-May, they have won six of their last eight league matches (D1 L1), with the only slip-ups coming against Liverpool (0-1) and Manchester City (1-1). No team has collected more points (19) than the Gunners in this period, showcasing their ability to grind out results in tight contests. Mikel Arteta is expected to keep the familiar 4—3—3 formation in place with Viktor Gyökeres, Gabriel Martinelli, and Leandro Trossard in attack.
A change at the helm didn't bring the immediate impact the Hammers would have wanted, but it helped them avoid defeat in a 1-1 draw with Everton on Monday night in what was Nuno’s first game in charge. They remained in 19th place with just four points, having gone winless in three PL games [LWLLD]. With a trip to the Emirates up next, West Ham are looking to return to winning ways, having won their last two Premier League visits here, including a 2-0 victory in February 2025. Should that happen, Newcastle would become just the second team to claim three successive away league wins against Arsenal. Only Manchester City, with six between 2018 and 2023, has previously managed such a feat. However, for West Ham, London derbies have been problematic. They have lost more such fixtures than any other Premier League club (134), including eight of their last 11 (W2 D1). A 4—1—4—1 formation with Niclas Füllkrug in attack is expected against Arsenal.