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Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has predicted that Arsenal and West Ham United will play out a 1-1 draw in the Premier League on Sunday (1 May).
Arsenal endured three straight defeats at the hands of Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton after the international break. But they have since bounced back with two consecutive wins over Chelsea and Manchester United and are currently fourth in the standings.
Considering their recent victories, the Gunners are expected to be full of confidence heading into Sunday’s London derby with West Ham United.
The Hammers, on the other hand, are on a two-game losing streak. They will head head into the weekend's match on the back of a 2-1 loss against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League semi-final first leg. West Ham, who are currently seventh in the Premier League standings, need to beat Arsenal to jump to sixth spot. They have 52 points from 34 games, eight points behind their London rivals, who have a game in hand.
When asked to give his prediction for the West Ham-Arsenal clash at the London Stadium, Owen told Bet Victor:
“West Ham competed very well at Stamford Bridge last week. They didn’t have a lot of the ball or many chances, but to concede a late winner must have been frustrating. Still, the Europa League is the priority for David Moyes.”
Owen added that he enjoys Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard’s passes, claiming that the player oozes class. The former England international continued:
“What a massive couple of wins that was for Arsenal. I thought the Man United game could have gone either way, and really swung on Bruno Fernandes’ missed penalty. Nonetheless, some of Arsenal’s play was excellent and I really enjoyed some of Odegaard’s passes. We all know his quality, he oozes class when he’s at his best. This is a tough one, I’m leaning towards a 1-1 draw.”
Arsenal might need more than a point to maintain their lead in the Premier League top-four race
Mikel Arteta’s side are fourth in the league after 33 rounds of fixtures. Having played the same number of matches, fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur are only a couple of points behind them.
If Arsenal drop points against the Hammers and Spurs nick a win over a struggling Leicester City side on Sunday, the Gunners' slender advantage will evaporate.
As Antonio Conte’s side have a better goal difference than the Emirates Stadium outfit (currently 18 vs 12), they will replace Arsenal in fourth if the two clubs are level on points.
With the north London derby just over a couple of weeks away, Arsenal cannot afford to drop points against the Hammers.
All things considered, the result against West Ham could realistically leave a lasting impression on the Gunners’ top-four aspirations.
