Arsenal vs. West Ham
When: Saturday 25 AugustWhere: Emirates Stadium, LondonKick-off time: 3pmTV channel: highlights on BBC1 and Sky Sports Premier League
Two clubs, four matches and not a point between them so far this Premier League season. West Ham United’s visit to the Emirates on Saturday may feature two sides yet to find their form, having both lost their opening two games of the season, but nonetheless it should prove a fascinating encounter, not least because of the presence of Jack Wilshere in the visitors’ line-up.
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Wilshere returns
The 26-year-old midfielder left Arsenal in the summer after 17 seasons as a Gunner and he admits it will be an odd sensation to return tomorrow. “I’ve got to try and block all the emotion out,” he told the Hammers’ website. “It’ll be a strange one for me as I was never able to go there and play when I went out on loan as you can’t play against your parent club. But it’s one I’m looking forward to.”
Hammers fancy their chances
Wilshere was loaned out to Bournemouth two years ago by Arsene Wenger, and although he forced his way back into the side last season he was released by Unai Emery when he replaced the Frenchman.
“It’s down to me to prove a point to Arsenal that they were wrong to get rid of me,” said Wilshire, who struck a bullish note ahead of the London derby. “I quite fancy our chances,” he said.
Pressure on Arsenal
And so he should. Arsenal’s defence has leaked five goals in the defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea, and up front they squandered numerous chances against the Blues last week. It’s left Arsenal mired in their worst start to a Premier League season since 1992 and Emery knows that defeat to the Hammers would have the fans up in arms.
“After the first two matches, we have two defeats and we need to win this match against West Ham,” he acknowledged. “We are thinking in our way and about our work to create our ideas and our system on Saturday with our supporters at the Emirates.”
Control and confidence
The last time a new Arsenal manager lost his first three games in charge was in March 1986, when the Gunners were led by the little-known Steve Burtenshaw, who was the caretaker boss between the resignation of Don Howe and the arrival of George Graham.
Emery won’t want to enter the history books for the wrong reasons but at the same time he is trying to overhaul a club that had stagnated under Wenger.
“Saturday is another match, tactically it will be different,” he said. “It will be demanding and I want to have more control to find the win in this match. We are working on different situations tactically.”
As well as ‘control’, the other key to winning on Saturday is ‘confidence’, as Emery explained: “The first idea for us on Saturday is to create chances and then the players’ confidence for starting to arrive in the box, to score.”
Respect due
As for Jack Wilshere, the Spaniard has no doubt he will be accorded a warm welcome by the Arsenal fans. “I have respect for his career here,” he said. “He chooses what the best was for him in his future. It’s for that, on Saturday, I know that here, the supporters like him and have this respect also. I think there is a good reception for him here. Then we are going to play and we are going to think after that, for us to win.”
