Beware Arsenal and Mikel Arteta! Why title contenders should fear facing West Ham United in Premier League run-in

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Arsenal can edge closer to a first Premier League trophy in 22 years with a win this weekend at the London Stadium, but West Ham have a history of spoiling the party for title contenders.

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Mikel Arteta's team will be bouncing into Sunday's London derby after securing their place in the UEFA Champions League final for the first time in two decades on Tuesday night, following their 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid.

All eyes return to the Premier League run-in this weekend where the Gunners know they are in control of their destiny after title rivals Manchester City slipped to a dramatic 3-3 draw at Everton on Monday.

Arsenal can become English champions with three more victories, but claiming three points against West Ham is never a given.

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The Hammers are fighting for top-flight survival at the other end of the table and need to bounce back from a disappointing 3-0 defeat at Brentford last weekend.

Nuno Espirito Santo's men can leapfrog fellow strugglers Tottenham Hotspur with a win of their own against Arsenal, with Spurs playing Leeds United on Monday night.

Pep Guardiola was warned about the potential banana skin of facing West Ham in March, and it turned out to be justified with City drawing 1-1 in east London.

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Following the frustrating draw, Guardiola and Rodri suggested the title race was not over, and maybe they knew the Gunners had the daunting task of playing against the Hammers in the run-in.

This is another warning to Arteta and Arsenal supporters. History suggests that West Ham love nothing more than to throw a spanner in the works for teams chasing the Premier League crown.

West Ham history v title contenders

The table below shows how the East London club have spoilt the party for teams chasing the title in the Premier League era.

Title contenders	Result v West Ham	Final position
Man Utd 1994/95	1-1 D (May)	2nd
Newcastle 1995/96	2-0 L (February)	2nd
Arsenal 1997/98	0-0 D (March)	1st
Man Utd 1997/98	1-1 D (March)	2nd
Spurs 2015/16	1-0 L (March)	3rd
Arsenal 2015/16	3-3 D (March)	2nd
Leicester 2015/16	2-2 D (March)	1st
Spurs 2016/17	1-0 L (May)	2nd
Man City 2021/22	2-2 D (May)	1st
Arsenal 2022/23	2-2 D (April)	2nd
Liverpool 2023/24	2-2 D (April)	3rd
Arsenal 2024/25	1-0 L (February)	2nd
Man City 2025/26	1-1 D (March)	?
Arsenal 2025/26	?	?

West Ham played a crucial role in the 1994/95 title race and have continued to punish title contenders during the run-in ever since.

On the final day of the 1994/95 campaign, Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United travelled to Upton Park needing a victory to become English champions for a third season in a row.

However, the east London club revelled in spoiling the party for United as they dug deep and came away with a 1-1 draw which saw Blackburn Rovers win the Premier League in one of the most memorable final days in the competition's history.

Over the last decade, The Hammers have proved to be a constant thorn in the side of title contenders.

The 2015/16 campaign is the perfect example, as title-chasing Leicester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur all slipped up against West Ham.

Leicester famously lifted the Premier League trophy that season but a 2-2 draw against The Hammers came at a cost after talisman Jamie Vardy was sent off and was ruled out of the following match.

Andy Carroll produced a memorable hat-trick in West Ham's final game against Arsenal at the Boleyn Ground that season as The Gunners' title hopes faded away.

Liverpool were hopeful of giving Jurgen Klopp the perfect farewell in his final season at the club in 2023/24, but their title hopes were diminished when they were pegged back at West Ham in an enthralling 2-2 draw.

The match will be remembered for Klopp and Mohamed Salah's touchline spat in front of the TNT Sports cameras.

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London Stadium has become a fortress

Take a glance at West Ham's home record this season, and it is hard to imagine this is a team fighting against relegation.

Since suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest on January 6, the Hammers have been unbeaten at the London Stadium in nine matches across 90 minutes in all competitions.

Leeds United needed penalties to knock West Ham out of the Emirates FA Cup at the quarter-final stage, but even then, the hosts showed great determination to force extra time after scoring two dramatic goals in stoppage time.

Nuno highlighted the importance of their recent form at home in his pre-match press conference.

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"It is a big game and our fans know, and they've been fantastic for us at London Stadium, and we've been showing them with results and performances that we can count on them," he said.

"We realise it is up for us to deliver, but it is a big game. We want to think about Everton, think about Wolves, think about the first half against Brentford, about the positive things we can do. This has to be our mindset.

"Being at home is good for us. Especially recently, our fans are giving us an extra run, so they've been really helpful.

"It's always nervy in these final games of the season. There's always anxiety in the games so it is up to us to control our nerves and deliver what we want."

However, Arsenal fans can be buoyed by Arteta's managerial record at the London Stadium, with the Spaniard winning three games and drawing just once from his six trips to the Hammers in the league.

Following the emotional highs in midweek, Arteta highlighted the importance of refocusing and taking West Ham seriously.

"We talked immediately [about refocus] after the game, and this is great," he told his press conference.

"What a moment, we earned it. We'll have time to prepare and get ready for that final, but now the focus, the attention, the detail, the energy, everything has to be put into West Ham. There is nothing else there, and we made it very clear."

Redemption for Saka?

It has been the perfect week for Bukayo Saka so far.

The Arsenal academy graduate returned from injury to deliver a stunning 45-minute cameo with a goal and assist in the 3-0 win against Fulham before scoring the winning goal against Atletico in the Champions League.

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The England international is hitting form at just the right time for The Gunners, but he has some unfinished business at West Ham.

During Arsenal's first title challenge under Mikel Arteta during the 2022/23 campaign, the team's season started to unravel after they blew a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 against a Declan Rice-inspired West Ham.

However, things could have turned out differently for Arsenal when they were awarded a penalty with the score at 2-1, but Saka put his effort wide before the hosts completed the comeback.

One of the lasting images from that season was a distraught Saka with his head in his hands following his failed spot-kick.

Bukayo Saka reacts after missing crucial penalty against West Ham in 2023

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When he returns to the same pitch on Sunday, Saka will have a shot at redemption and a chance to right the wrongs of that crucial penalty miss.

The 24-year-old will be full of confidence heading into the match - he absolutely loves playing against West Ham, as the table below shows:

PL Opponents	Games played	Goals & Assists
West Ham	11	9
Southampton	9	8
Brighton	12	7
Wolves	13	6
Fulham	10	6

When asked about working with Saka at Arsenal, Arteta was full of praise for one of his key players in this title charge.

"A joy. I feel extremely lucky, I said it from the beginning, to find somebody at the club that you can lean into at any level," he explained. "Knowing that he's going to respond.

"Knowing that his heart is in the right place. Knowing that everything that he does comes from certain values, certain education, certain principles.

"It's been a joy. On the human level, I think we know him. And on the football level, what he has provided to this club, and what he did the other night, is just remarkable."

Saka's fitness will be key on Sunday given the forward has not completed 90 minutes of Premier League football for two months due to injury.

Can Arsenal's 'Starboy' edge them one step closer to Premier League glory or will West Ham continue their incredible knack of ruining title contenders' hopes?

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