Our prediction for this Premier League match:
London Stadium will host Saturday’s local derby between West Ham United and Arsenal. The Hammers surprisingly defeated Newcastle on the road on Monday, but they will have a much bigger fish to fry against Mikel Arteta’s troops. Ghana international Mohammed Kudus has yet to serve his ban, while summer signing Niclas Fullkrug remains on the sidelines with an Achilles tendon problem.
Arsenal, on the other hand, faced no difficulties in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest. The Gunners, though, need to keep on making progress if they are to win their first Premier League trophy since 2004. As Arsenal crushed West Ham 6-0 in their last meeting in the London derby, we believe that there is a big value in betting on Bukayo Saka and Co. Fit-again midfielder Martin Odegaard should keep his place in the starting XI, while Thomas Partey is pushing for a recall. Both Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu miss out with injuries for the away team.
Highlighted Player (Thomas Partey):
After starting his youth career at Odometah, Thomas Partey was spotted by Atletico Madrid scouts in 2011 and he soon joined the Estadio Vicente Calderon outfit. The defensive midfielder, who born in Odumase Krobo, Ghana on 13 June, 1993, played 33 league games for Atletico Madrid B, while making 14 league appearances for the first team.
After ending his loan spells with Mallorca and Almeria, Thomas Partey returned to Atletico Madrid in 2015 and he made his debut for Diego Simeone’s team in a 1-0 win over Espanyol. The Ghanaian footballer played in the 2015/2016 Champions League final against Real Madrid, coming as a substitute in the 116th minute of the game.
Thomas Partey made his Ghana debut in a 2-0 win over Mauritius in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match. His main position is defensive midfield, but the Atletico Madrid man is capable of playing as a central midfielder as well. Partey scored two goals for los Rojiblancos in the 2015/2016 La Liga campaign.
Highlighted Team (West Ham):
West Ham United are an English football club based in East London. The club was founded in 1895 and it has to be noted that the club’s name was Thames Ironworks back then. The Hammers were playing their home games at Upton Park from 1904 until 2016, when they moved to the Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
West Ham have won three FA Cup trophies (1964, 1975 and 1980) and they were runners-up in 1923 and 2006. The capital club finished the 1985/1986 England first division campaign in third place in the standings and that is the club’s highest placing in the top flight. West Ham United have strong rivalries with fellow London clubs, but Tottenham Hotspur are considered the club’s main rivals.
A number of top-class players were part of West Ham in the past and the likes of Joe Cole, Carlos Tevez, Paolo Di Canio, Paul Ince, Julian Dicks, Shaka Hislop, Michael Carrick and Slaven Bilic are some of them.