WEST HAM UNITED v ARSENAL
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 15 JANUARY 2011
KICK-OFF: 5.30PM
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• West Ham United welcome Arsenal looking to keep up a fine run of one defeat in seven matches - with four wins and two draws in that sequence. The Hammers have won their last three Boleyn Ground fixtures and, although in last place, sit just two points from 14th spot.
• Arsenal are third in the standings, just four points from top spot and going well in the UEFA Champions League. They also have a last-16 meeting with Barcelona to look forward to on 16 February-8 March. However, the Gunners have won just one of their last five matches.
• This will be the second meeting of the clubs this season after the 1-0 defeat at the Emirates on 30 October. Avram Grant's men held out until the 89th-minute goal by Alex Song.
• Tickets are pay on the day. Click here for more information.
• Wayne Bridge could make his debut for the club after his loan move from Manchester City on Wednesday. Bridge will stay at the Boleyn Ground until the end of the season.
• Robert Green is in line for his 200th Barclays Premier League appearance. Theo Walcott is a match away from his 100th.
• Arsenal have scored more goals (20) away from home than anyone else in the top-flight this season.
• The last Boleyn Ground encounter saw West Ham United lose 2-1 in the FA Cup third round on 3 January 2010. Alessandro Diamanti opened the scoring just before half-time, only for the Gunners to come back and win through Aaron Ramsey (78) and Eduardo (83)
West Ham: Green, Upson, Tomkins, Daprela, Kovac, Behrami, Jimenez, Faubert, Stanislas (Edgar 87) , Diamanti, Nouble (Sears 79)
Subs not used: Stech, Da Costa, Payne, 'Gala, Lee
Arsenal: Fabianski, Vermaelen, Silvestre, Sagna, Gallas, Song, Merida (Nasri 65), Ramsey, Wilshere (Diaby 65), Vela, Eduardo
Subs not used: Mannone, Traore, Gilbert, Emmanuel-Thomas, Eastmond
• The Hammers have a decent record in London derbies this season - beating Tottenham 1-0 at the Boleyn and drawing 1-1 at home with Fulham before a 3-1 away win on Boxing Day.
• Julien Faubert and Marouane Chamakh are former team-mates from Girondins de Bordeaux in France.
• Jack Wilshere is a boyhood West Ham fan before he joined Arsenal aged nine, while Mark Noble spent two years with the Gunners before signing up for the West Ham academy.
• West Ham will be seeking to end a eight-match winless run against the Gunners stretching back to 7 April 2007, when Bobby Zamora's goal secured a 1-0 victory in north London. The Hammers did the double over Arsenal in 2006/07, with Marlon Harewood bagging the winner in the reverse Premier League fixture at the Boleyn Ground on 5 November 2006.
• The two sides met three times last season. A 2-2 Premier League draw at the Boleyn Ground was followed by that 2-1 FA Cup third-round win for Arsenal at the same venue. The Gunners also won 2-0 at the Emirates in the reverse Premier League fixture in March.
• The clubs could potentially meet in the Carling Cup final on Sunday 27 February, should they overcome Birmingham and Ipswich respectively in the semi-finals. The Hammers are 2-1 up before their away leg while the Gunners need to overturn a 1-0 deficit at home.
Team news
• Manager Avram Grant is definitely without Thomas Hitzlsperger (thigh), Jack Collison (knee) and Manuel da Costa (ankle). None are expected to return before February at the earliest. Goalkeeper Peter Kurucz (knee) is not expected to play at all this season.
• Junior Stanislas is out for a month, having just had surgery on an abdominal hernia. Kieron Dyer (thigh) and Herita Ilunga (hamstring) are closer to a return after being in light training.
• Hitzlsperger and Da Costa - injured by a Cesc Fabregas tackle in the dying stages of the previous meeting in October - stepped up their rehab with outside work this week. Collison is also making good progress.
• Lars Jacobsen, Danny Gabbidon and Benni McCarthy have all trained normally this week.
• Victor Obinna is suspended after his red card in midweek against Birmingham City. He will also miss the trip to Everton next Saturday and the return match with Birmingham on Wednesday 26 January.
• Arsenal could continue with Wojciech Szczesny in place of the shoulder-injury victim Lukasz Fabianski. Manuel Almunia remains sidelined with an ankle problem.
• Denilson is a doubt with a thigh while Abou Diaby (calf) is definitely out.
• Central defence continues to pose problems with Thomas Vermaelen (achilles) and Sebastien Squillaci (hamstring) still absent, along with full-back Bacary Sagna (suspended). However, the Gunners could recall Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri to aid the attack
Referee
• Saturday's referee is Andre Marriner.
• He also officiated the Hammers' 3-1 home Barclays Premier League defeat by Bolton Wanderers on 21 August and the 1-1 draw with Fulham on 2 October.
• Birmingham-born Marriner began refereeing in 1992, progressing through the Birmingham Amateur Football League and the Southern League to become a Football League assistant referee in 2000.
• Marriner, who turned 40 on New Years' Day, was appointed to the Football League List of referees in 2003.
• Marriner was appointed to the Select Group in 2005. Since then, one of the most notable matches he has refereed are the 2008 FA Community Shield between Portsmouth and Manchester United at Wembley.
• The West Midlands-based official was added to FIFA's International List in 2009, but insists the biggest fixture he has ever refereed was the 2003 Conference National play-off final between Doncaster Rovers and Dagenham & Redbridge.
Last time out
Carling Cup semi-final first leg
Tuesday 11 January 2011
West Ham United 2-1 Birmingham City
West Ham: Green, Upson, Spector, Faubert, Reid, Tomkins, Parker, Noble (Kovac 89), Sears (Hines 74), Piquionne (Cole 73), Obinna (sent off 59)
Subs not used: Boffin, Spence, Boa Morte, Nouble
Goals: Noble 13, Cole 78
Carling Cup semi-final first leg
Wednesday 12 January 2011
Ipswich Town 1-0 Arsenal
Arsenal: Szczesny, Djourou, Eboue, Gibbs, Koscielny, Arshavin (Vela 80), Fabregas, Walcott, Denilson, Wilshere (Chamakh 68), Bendtner (Song 68)
Subs not used: Shea, Ramsey, Eastmond, Miquel
Head to head
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
30 October 2010 Arsenal 1-0 West Ham United
20 March 2010 Arsenal 2-0 West Ham United
3 January 2010 West Ham United 1-2 Arsenal (FA Cup third round)
25 October 2009 West Ham United 2-2 Arsenal
31 January 2009 Arsenal 0-0 West Ham United
26 October 2008 West Ham United 0-2 Arsenal
Overall record v Arsenal (all competitions) W 33 D 38 L 53
Ten-year league records
West Ham United
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
2000/01 Premier League 15th (42 points)
Arsenal
2009/10 Premier League 3rd (75 points)
2008/09 Premier League 4th (72 points)
2007/08 Premier League 3rd (83 points)
2006/07 Premier League 4th (68 points)
2005/06 Premier League 4th (67 points)
2004/05 Premier League 2nd (83 points)
2003/04 Premier League 1st (90 points)
2002/03 Premier League 2nd (78 points)
2001/02 Premier League 1st (87 points)
2000/01 Premier League 2nd (70 points)
Old boys
• Matthew Upson joined Arsenal from Luton Town for £2m in May 1997 at the age of 18. Upson made a total of 56 appearances for the Gunners over five-and-a-half seasons before moving to Birmingham City for £1m in January 2003
• Luis Boa Morte was brought to English football from Sporting Clube de Portugal in 1997 in a £1.75m deal, making 25 appearances for Arsenal before leaving for Southampton for an initial fee of £500,000 in August 1999.
• Among the players who have represented both clubs are Jeremie Aliadiere, James Bigden, Jimmy Bloomfield, Liam Brady, Dick Curtis, George Burgess, Kaba Diawara, Ted Drake, Stan Earle, Bert Fletcher, Ron Greenwood, Eddie Hapgood, John Hartson, Les Henley, Fergie Hunt, James Jackson, Bernard Joy, Fred Kemp, Tom Lee, Harry Lewis, William Linwood, Fredrik Ljungberg, Roddy MacEachrane, Jimmy Marshall, David Noble, John Radford, Stewart Robson, Charles Satterthwaite, Laurie Scott, Rami Shaaban, Bill Sidley, Bob Stevenson, Davor Suker, Charlie Walker, Nigel Winterburn, Ian Wright and Richard Wright.
General information
For ticket information, click here. For details on getting to the Boleyn Ground, click here.
Weather
The forecast is for an overcast evening with temperatures around the 10C mark.
Travel information
West Ham United supporters attending the Barclays Premier League visit of Arsenal on Saturday 15 January should take note of the following important travel information.
District line
·Saturday 15 January, no service between Tower Hill and Upminster. From 1500 until 2130, this will be reduced to no service between Tower Hill and Upney eastbound and between Barking and Tower Hill westbound. Replacement buses operate.
Service A: Tower Hill - Aldgate East - Whitechapel - Stepney Green - Mile End - Bow Road - Bromley-by-Bow - Canning Town
Service B: Mile End - Stratford - Upton Park - East Ham - Barking - Upney (eastbound buses only between 1500 and 2100)
Service C: Barking - Upney - Becontree - Dagenham Heathway - Dagenham East (there will be no service C available between 1500 and 2100)
Service D: Barking - Dagenham East - Elm Park - Hornchurch - Upminster Bridge - Upminster Bridge (there will be no service D available between 1500 and 2100)
Hammersmith and City line
Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 January, no service between Liverpool Street and Barking. Trains will operate between Hammersmith and Aldgate.
Central line
Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 January, no service between Holborn and White City.
Metropolitan line
Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 January, no service between Moorgate and Aldgate
Overground
Due to planned engineering work, the c2c line will be closed between Fenchurch Street and Barking. All trains will divert to Liverpool Street. Train services will be unable to call at West Ham, Limehouse or Fenchurch Street. Trains diverting to Liverpool Street will additionally call at Stratford.
National Express East Anglia services will run to a normal Saturday timetable.