Arsenal v West Ham – Preview, Team News & Predicted Line-ups

Premier League
Emirates Stadium, London
Saturday 4 October 2025
3pm BST

Nuno Targets Statement Result at the Emirates

Nuno Espírito Santo couldn’t have asked for a tougher second match as West Ham United boss. Fresh from a gritty 1-1 draw away at Everton on Monday night, his new Hammers side now make the short trip to north London to face title challengers Arsenal.

Having only had two training sessions before the Everton clash, Nuno’s influence was already evident as the Irons showed defensive discipline and resilience to fight back for a point. The Irons gaffer told reporters yesterday that set-pieces remain a ‘big problem’ and that will put to an extreme test by Mikel Arteta’s men who are the best in the league at corners.

Jarrod Bowen grabbed his third goal of the campaign to level the game against the Toffee’s, and the Portuguese coach is expected to stick with a largely unchanged line-up for Saturday’s showdown. Whilst all eyes will be on the set-piece battle, West Ham should be more competitive in midfield although it could be a tough day at the office for Niclas Fullkrug against a robust Gunners defence.

Arsenal Flying High

Arteta’s men head into the match full of confidence after a last-gasp 2-1 victory at Newcastle and a midweek 2-0 Champions League win over Olympiacos. The Gunners currently sit second in the table after six matches, having beaten Manchester United, Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle, drawn with Manchester City, and narrowly lost to Liverpool.

Their creative hub remains Martin Ødegaard, while Bukayo Saka is set to mark his 200th Premier League appearance. Arsenal boast a formidable home record, but West Ham will draw inspiration from their previous two visits to the Emirates — both of which ended in Hammers victories.

Team News and Key Battles

Gabriel is hopefully a doubt for Arsenal after being withdrawn midweek, but Arteta remains optimistic about his fitness. Piero Hincapié is still side-lined, while Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus remain long-term absentees.

For West Ham, Tomáš Souček serves the final match of his suspension following his red card against Tottenham. Aaron Wan-Bissaka faces another fitness test following a stomach issue, but Nuno otherwise has a full squad to choose from. Bowen has scored five career goals against Arsenal — including last season’s Emirates winner — and will once again be West Ham’s main threat.

It will be interesting to see whether James Ward Prowse and Jean Clair Todibo travel with the Hammers squad for this one. That said, even if selected, I’m confident neither will make the starting line-up.

Predicted Line-Ups

Arsenal (Predicted XI)

West Ham United (Predicted XI)

Prediction

West Ham’s recent away record at the Emirates gives us hope, but there remains a lot of work for Nuno to do on that Hammers defence and this game could come too soon. Espirito Santo will set his side up to frustrate and counter, hoping Bowen can deliver another big moment and the impressive partnership of Diouf and Summerville continues to grow.

However, Arsenal’s creative quality could prove decisive if they create as many chances as they did against Olympiacos. Factor in those perilous set pieces and we couldn’t be facing the Gooners at a worse time. That said, it’s not a great time to be playing West Ham either and Mikel Arteta will certainly be wishing he was playing Graham Potters team rather than the new revamped version.