Mikel Arteta Calls On Arsenal To Find Consistency Before West Ham Match

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Mikel Arteta has emphasised the need for Arsenal to maintain consistency as they prepare for their Premier League match against West Ham on Saturday. The Gunners recently delivered an impressive 5-1 victory over Sporting CP in the Champions League. Arteta is aware that replicating this form in the Premier League, where Arsenal are fourth and nine points behind leaders Liverpool, is crucial. "That's what we need to do. We need to find consistency," said Arteta. "You want to be challenging for the big things? You have to be consistent. Win and win again."

West Ham also achieved a significant result with a 2-0 win over Newcastle United on Monday, which moved them up to 14th in the league standings. This victory provided some relief for Julen Lopetegui, who will miss Saturday's game due to a suspension from accumulated bookings. Lopetegui commented on the Newcastle win, saying, "The only thing in our control is to play football, attack and defend well, and combine play better." He expressed satisfaction with his players' performance and added, "I am happy for them."

Tomas Soucek has been pivotal for West Ham this season, scoring three Premier League goals so far. His partnership with Carlos Soler was instrumental in their recent victory at Newcastle. Notably, 17 of Soucek's last 18 goals have either given West Ham the lead or levelled the score in matches.

Bukayo Saka has been equally influential for Arsenal, contributing to 12 Premier League goals this season with four goals and eight assists. Only Mohamed Salah has been involved in more goals than Saka this term. Saka scored against Sporting CP and has both scored and assisted in three different league games.

Arsenal are considered favourites for this London derby due to their strong record against West Ham. The Gunners have lost only one of their last 16 away league games against West Ham, including a notable 6-0 win last season. West Ham have struggled against Arsenal historically, losing more games overall (36) and at home (15) against them than any other opponent.

West Ham's recent form in London derbies has been poor, with losses against Fulham and Chelsea at home. In contrast, Arsenal have excelled in such fixtures, losing just two of their last 26 league matches against fellow London clubs since the start of the 2022-23 season.

OPTA Win Probability

According to OPTA statistics, Arsenal have a significant chance of winning at 61.2%. West Ham's probability of victory stands at 18.5%, while a draw is estimated at 20.3%. These figures reflect Arsenal's dominance in recent encounters with West Ham and their overall strong performance against London rivals.

As both teams prepare for this crucial match, maintaining momentum will be key for Arsenal while West Ham aims to build on their recent success despite Lopetegui's absence from the touchline due to suspension.