Arsenal v West Ham United
Premier League, Emirates Stadium, Thursday 28 December 2023, 8.15pm GMT
West Ham United return to Premier League action with a trip to north London to face Arsenal.
The festive fixture list continues as David Moyes’ side head to the Emirates Stadium to take on Mikel Arteta’s Gunners with another big three points up for grabs.
Arsenal got the better of West Ham in this fixture last season – incidentally, also both team’s first matches after Christmas – when the hosts won 3-1, but the Irons defeated the north London side by the same score in the Carabao Cup at London Stadium earlier this campaign.
Tickets…
West Ham United's allocation of 3,003 away tickets is sold out. Supporters are advised that the first 90 per cent of tickets sold out to Bondholders and Season Ticket Holders with 30+ Loyalty Points.
The remaining ten per cent (303 tickets) were then made available via a ballot process to Season Ticket Holders who had yet to purchase for this fixture. This ballot closed at 12pm on Tuesday 12 December.
Travel…
The best option is to travel utilising TfL lines, with each of the main tubes expected to be operating with a good service again following Christmas.
The closest station is Arsenal, on the Piccadilly line, which is just a three-minute walk from the Emirates Stadium. Finsbury Park, which is also on the Piccadilly and Victoria lines, as well as Great Northern Rail, is also only a ten-minute walk and is usually less congested on matchdays.
Highbury & Islington station, which is serviced by the Victoria Line, North London Line and Great Northern rail, is also ten minutes from the ground.
Supporters are strongly advised not to drive to Emirates Stadium due to a lack of publicly available parking, and a residential permit operation in place in the streets around the ground.
How To Follow…
Thursday's Premier League match will be able to watch live in the UK on Amazon Prime Video.
You can listen to commentary in the UK on TalkSPORT, BBC Radio London 94.9FM and worldwide on whufc.com and our official app.
You can also follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app and across our social media channels. We will also have highlights and exclusive reaction for you after the final whistle.
Team News…
The Hammers continue without Michail Antonio, who sustained an injury with Jamaica during the November international break.
Thursday’s hosts will definitely be without summer signing Jurrien Timber, who sustained an ACL injury early in the campaign.
Arsenal are also expected to be missing Japan defender Takehiro Tomiyasu and playmaker Fabio Vieira, with both out until the new year, but midfield duo Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny have an outside chance of returning following their respective thigh injuries.
Opposition…
Opportunities to lift silverware in English football are severely limited.
Arsenal found that last season, when they led the Premier League table for 248 days but ultimately finished second to Pep Guardiola’s treble winners.
The Gunners also had the misfortune to draw Manchester City away in the FA Cup fourth round and lost 1-0, while Brighton & Hove Albion and Sporting Lisbon proved too strong in the EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League respectively.
And so, despite winning 32 of their 49 games in all competitions, and losing just nine, Arsenal ended the 2022/23 campaign empty-handed.
Mikel Arteta’s side did kick-off the current season with victory over their closest rivals City in the FA Community Shield in August, defeating them on penalties, but Arsenal supporters crave a major trophy.
One has already been ruled out after a loss to the Hammers in the Carabao Cup fourth round back in November.
Since Arteta returned to north London in 2019, Arsenal have won one FA Cup, along with two Community Shields, but remember this is a fanbase that was increasingly brought up on The Invincibles, Arsène Wenger, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp; a fanbase which celebrated ten major trophies during the Frenchman’s 12-year tenure between 1996 and 2018, and also enjoyed trips to two European finals.
And so, for all Arsenal’s outstanding play – and Arteta has got his exciting young team playing some exciting, entertaining football – the club’s large and diverse fanbase want nothing more than to see their team regain their position as a feared force, not just in English, but in European football.
The north Londoners have a brilliant squad, full of both quality and potential. Arsenal’s players are already very good, but they will all get better. Only four members of Arteta’s squad are aged over 30, and of them only Jorginho is a regular starter.
Even then, the younger members of the group already possess plenty of top-level experience.
At 24, Declan Rice, as we know, has more than 250 club appearances, a European final, nearly 50 England caps, a UEFA European Championship final and FIFA World Cup finals under his belt.
At just a year older, Martin Ødegaard is captain of Arsenal and Norway and a truly world-class midfielder.
At 22, Bukayo Saka is one of the first names on the Arsenal and England teamsheet and arguably the most outstanding young player in this country.
With the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, fellow Brazil international and serial Premier League title winner Gabriel Jesus and England duo Ben White and Emile Smith Rowe also at his disposal, among others, Arteta and Arsenal’s supporters have plenty of reasons for optimism.
Previous Meetings…
As previously mentioned, West Ham United’s last visit to the Emirates Stadium came a year ago, when the Hammers fell to a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Boxing Day 2022.
The north London ground has not been a happy hunting ground for the Irons in recent years, with West Ham United tasting defeat on their last seven league visits to the Emirates.
The Hammers were the first ever away team to claim a victory at Arsenal’s new home following its opening, however, when Alan Curbishley’s side secured a vital 1-0 win against Arsene Wenger’s Gunners in April 2007 thanks to Bobby Zamora’s terrific finish and Rob Green’s heroics in goal.
The last time West Ham won at the Emirates Stadium came in Slaven Bilic’s first Premier League match as manager, on the opening day of the 2015/16 season, when Cheikhou Kouyaté and Mauro Zárate earned the 2-0 victory.
Match Officials…
Referee: Michael Oliver
Assistants Referees: Stuart Burt and Dan Cook
Fourth Official: Rob Jones
VAR: Craig Pawson
Assistant VAR: Ian Hussin
Michael Oliver has been named the referee for West Ham United's trip to Arsenal.
Born in Ashington, Northumberland, Oliver was introduced to refereeing by his father, Clive, at the age of 14 and became the youngest referee to officiate at Wembley Stadium when he refereed the 2007 Conference National play-off final. He had already become the youngest Football League assistant referee, youngest Football League referee, and would also become the youngest fourth official in the Premier League.
Oliver has refereed two FA Cup finals, the 2018 final between Chelsea and Manchester United and 2021 final between Chelsea and Leicester City, and also took charge of Liverpool and Manchester City's meeting in the Carabao Cup final in 2016 as well as the 2014 Community Shield between Manchester City and Arsenal.
Oliver, who also refereed three matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, is taking charge of his second West Ham United match of the season, having also officiated the 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace at the start of December.
Click here for more information on Thursday’s match officials at the Emirates Stadium.
