Matchweek seven of the Premier League has arrived, and one of the best games on Saturday’s slate features West Ham traveling across London to face Arsenal.
These two sides have gotten off to completely opposite starts to the new season, as Arsenal sit in second place while West Ham sit in 19th and have already had a change in the dugout. Graham Potter is out, while Nuno Espírito Santo is in. Funny enough, this is the second time this season that Arsenal have faced a team who have recently changed its manager. Earlier in the season, they took down Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest in his first game as the Forest boss. This will be Nuno’s second game in charge of West Ham, after getting a 1-1 draw against Everton in his opening match.
Arsenal are -425 favorites on the moneyline for this one on DraftKings Sportsbook, with a draw available at +550. Fancy a West Ham upset? The Hammers are +850 on the moneyline.
Arsenal vs. West Ham Prediction, Pick
Arsenal vs. West Ham has been one of the strangest matchups in recent Premier League history. In 2023/24, the Gunners lost 2-0 at home before beating the Hammers 6-0 on the road just a few months later. Last season, Arsenal beat West Ham 5-2 away before dropping the home fixture 1-0. Arsenal seem to perform better in this fixture away from home, but I’m backing that trend to come to a halt on Saturday.
There is only so much Nuno Espírito Santo can do after two games. He is inheriting one of the worst teams in the league, particularly on the defensive side. No team in the Premier League has conceded more goals than West Ham this season, letting in 14 goals in just six games. West Ham have played seven games in all competitions, and have conceded three or more goals five times.
For contrast, Arsenal have conceded just three in nine games in all competitions. When you are defending like that, the last stadium you want to visit is the Emirates. Arsenal have scored nine goals in their three home Premier League games, including going over this total in two of those. They have had some big wins against the Hammers in recent seasons, albeit not at home, but the advantage of playing at the Emirates is usually beneficial.
The Gunners should be scoring goals for fun in this one.
