Arsenal vs West Ham: The battle for fourth place

Matchday 17 of the English league will be the focal point between Arsenal and West Ham. Will the Hammers hold on to fourth place, or will they go down to face a direct rival?

Arsenal have squandered several good chances to cling to their beloved fourth place, losing to Man Utd and Everton. The defeat to the latter was particularly embarrassing due to their eight-game winless streak. To make matters worse, Arsenal gave away the win in the final minutes, cowardly clinging to their own goal. But the Gunners managed to rectify the situation last weekend, beating Southampton 3-0 at home. They are now two points adrift of fourth-placed West Ham.

West Ham hold the fourth place, fending off attacks from their pursuers and more. The Hammers were able to bail out at the most important moment after a three-match winless streak, pulling out a 3-2 victory over Chelsea. Masuaku’s ingenious cross from the flank was the month’s highlight, if not the whole season. In doing so, they held on to fourth place and pushed Chelsea out of first place. And last weekend, the Londoners lost points in an away game against Burnley (0-0). The visitors dominated the entire encounter, meaning they were unlucky to hit the Clarets’ goal. Let’s see what we see in the London derby at the Emirates.

We believe that the encounter will be productive, as a place in the top 4 is at stake, and there you have to take risks, especially since both teams are not very reliable in defence. Bet365 gives odds of 1.80 for Total Over 2.5 goals. We also reckon the game will be tense without being tilted in anyone’s favour. But the match will end in one side’s favour, as a place in the top 4 is not up for grabs. The odds are 2.40 to win either team by one goal.

In the end, we think Jarrod Bowen will lead his team forward again and show his leadership qualities, as he did in the match against Chelsea. Betway gives a generous odds of 4.90 for the 25-year-old Englishman’s goal.