Arnautovic gears up for Wales tie

Marko Arnautovic

Two Hammers could go head-to-head in FIFA World Cup Qualifying on Saturday, as Marko Arnautovic’s Wales head to Cardiff to take on James Collins’ Wales.

Group D is finely poised, with both Austria and Wales just four points behind joint-leaders Serbia and Republic of Ireland, so a victory would go a long way for either side.

The pair played out a 2-2 draw in Vienna at the start of the campaign – with Arnautovic on target twice – and the 28-year-old is keen to get back to winning ways after having to sit out the Hammers’ trip to Newcastle last weekend suspended.

He said: “We dominated that match [against Wales] and deserved the victory, so on Saturday we should give gas, and everyone should fight for each other until the end.

“I know how to deal with the pressure. I only focus on football and not on what people say, write or mean.”

Arnautovic was disappointed to start his Hammers career with a sending off at Southampton but is looking forward to his return to action after the international break and helping his side turn their early season form around.

He added: “I'm really looking forward to the new task, the team has a lot of potential.”