Mikel Arteta has warned West Ham will know "how to hurt" his Arsenal team when the London rivals clash in the Premier League on Sunday.
The fifth-placed Hammers sit seven points ahead of Arteta's toiling mid-table Arsenal with 10 games of the season remaining for both teams, as David Moyes continues to work wonders.
Arsenal's best hope of qualifying for next season appears to be through the Europa League, which offers a place in the elite competition to the winners, and Slavia Prague await them in the quarter-finals.
West Ham, however, can get there on merit through the domestic league, and three points at the London Stadium this weekend would bolster their top-four chances.
Arteta and Moyes were appointed by their respective clubs in December 2019, and few would have foreseen West Ham being a step ahead of the Gunners 15 months down the line.
Looking ahead to their tussle, Arteta said: "We know we will have a really tough game, they've been in great form. They've been really consistent, they know really well what to do and how to hurt opponents. I know David really well and I am sure he will prepare the match so it is a really difficult game for us."
Arteta was asked whether West Ham's form has come as a surprise, to which he replied: "Not really. I think they have a really strong squad and they have a great manager and coaching staff.
"They started the season with some doubts, but I know what David is capable of doing.
"He gets the group together, they're working really hard for each other, they've recruited really well and you can start to see the things that David has done. Obviously they have a little bit more time during the week to prepare football matches and training, and I think they've been in great form and they're a really dangerous team."
Arsenal muddled their way past Olympiacos in the Europa League last-16 on Thursday, with a 1-0 home defeat meaning the Gunners scraped through 3-2 on aggregate. As Arteta pointed out, West Ham have no European commitments this season, but it could be a different story next term.
Why are Arsenal still trailing in West Ham's wake?
West Ham were already ahead of Arsenal at the turn of the year and it will worry Arteta that the gap has grown since, yet in many aspects the teams have performed on a similar level in the Premier League.
Since January 1, the Hammers have a goals for-and-against of 19-11 in the competition, while Arsenal's shows as 21-10, and the 13.38 per cent shot conversion rate for West Ham is more or less identical to Arsenal's own (13.04).
West Ham have created 20 'big chances', to 16 by Arsenal, and both sides have 50 per cent conversion rates when it comes to those opportunities, which are defined by Opta as being "where a player should reasonably be expected to score".
Arsenal are on a par with their xG (expected goals rate) of 18.2 from 158 shots in 2021, scoring 18 non-penalty goals, while West Ham have taken 18 fewer shots and are similarly closely tracking their xG of 17.5, also scoring 18 times excluding spot-kicks.
Perhaps telling when it comes to judging the difference between the teams is the toll that errors are taking on Arsenal.
In 12 Premier League games this year, West Ham players have collectively made three errors leading to shots, none of which resulted in a goal, but Arsenal have made seven such errors and have conceded three goals as a direct consequence.
The Gunners' 2021 haul of 21 points from 12 games (W6 D3 L3) is bettered by West Ham, who have 25 points (W8 D1 L3) over the same period.
Indeed, only Manchester City (45 points from 16 games), Manchester United (27 points/14 games) and Leicester City (27 points/13 games) have taken more points than West Ham since the turn of the year.
Ali Al-Hamadi’s goalscoring ability was never doubted by Johnnie Jackson
Johnnie Jackson never doubted the goalscoring capabilities of Ali Al-Hamadi, whose impressive hat-trick proved decisive in AFC Wimbledon’s 4-1 win over Tranmere.
The Iraqi international bagged his first career treble, leading the charge as AFC Wimbledon came from behind to pick up their first home win of the Sky Bet League Two season and move into the play-off places.
Prior to Saturday’s contest, Al-Hamadi had found trouble converting his chances and his goal tally for the season sat at just one.
However, Jackson insisted that it was an inevitability that the 21-year-old would find his shooting boots for Wimbledon.
Jackson said: “I always said it was coming, but no one said it more than him.
“No one here was worried about him scoring goals because you’re seeing how well he’s playing, seeing how many chances we’re creating for him as a team, how many he’s creating for himself by his own devilment.
“We knew they’d come for him. It’s ironic how in one week you get one, and then the next week you go and get your hat-trick.
“Delight for Ali, it’ll do him the world of good.”
For Tranmere manager Nigel Adkins, the heroics of Al-Hamadi only brought frustration as his side’s wait for a point on the road this season continues.
Rovers had snatched an early lead through Connor Jennings, but after Armani Little brought AFC Wimbledon level, it all went wrong for the visitors.
Defeat leaves Tranmere in the relegation zone, where they started the day, having won only two of their first 10 games this season.
However, Adkins has nonetheless found encouragement by the start his team made to the game.
He said: “We started both halves really, really well. The first half especially.
“Our intensity, our passing, our movement, our identity, our understanding of what we wanted. For the first 20 minutes, it was spot on.
“And then goals changed the complexion of the game.”
A key moment of the game came eight minutes after the interval, when Josh Turnbull saw red after a rash challenge on Isaac Ogundere.
The challenge was right under the nose of Adkins, who understood referee Daniel Middleton’s decision to dismiss Turnbull.
“It’s a thunderous challenge going in, committed,” Adkins added.
“We want committed challenges going in, but I think in the climate of today, maybe a follow through is just enough [to be a red card].
“It’s a fraction harsh, but the referee had a decision to make and we went down to 10 men.”
Scott Lindsey not taken by surprise as Crawley’s stunning start continues
Crawley boss Scott Lindsey is not surprised his side are up to second in League Two after they beat rock-bottom Sutton 3-0.
After suffering their worst campaign since promotion to the EFL last season, there has been a transformation at the Broadfield Stadium and the Reds are now boasting their best start since coming up in 2011.
An early goal from Adam Campbell sent the hosts on their way and Laurence Maguire and Danilo Orsi added further goals in the second half as Crawley recorded a fourth straight league win.
“We expect good results because of the work we put in,” Lindsey said.
“Within the group, we felt we could do what we’ve done.
“We feel we will always score goals but we do need to be stingier at the back.
“This was our first clean sheet since the opening day and we have spoken about us needing around 20 over the season so we need to do better.
“We know that football can kick you in the teeth.
“So we must remain professional and I will not allow us to get complacent.”
Sutton manager Matt Gray felt the turning point of the game arrived when Crawley added their second goal from a free-kick which he was convinced should have gone the way of his bottom-of-the-table side.
“I’m not happy with that as it was a blatant free-kick to us,” Gray said.
“But we should have taken one of our many chances to go in level or ahead at half-time.”
Sutton, who lost keeper Dean Bouzanis to a hip injury shortly after the break, have now lost eight of their last nine league games, but Gray is convinced results will soon turn.
He added: “Over the last two weeks I’ve been pleased with the performances and I was in parts today.
“A little bit of fortune would be nice. A couple of decisions going for us, and a bit of rub of the green will help turn it.
“I was disappointed with the second goal today, our disallowed goals and the penalty shouts.
“We need to make sure we get that result and we can kick on from there.”
Gillingham boss Neil Harris hit outs at referee over Mansfield equaliser
Gillingham manager Neil Harris criticised referee Jacob Miles after Davis Keillor-Dunn’s controversial goal earned Mansfield a point from a 1-1 draw at Priestfield.
The Scottish striker cancelled out Macauley Bonne’s early opener for the Gills, but it came from a free-kick taken when it appeared that referee Miles was in the process of booking midfielder Ethan Coleman.
Gillingham would have returned to the top of League Two with a victory but slipped from second to fifth after drawing a game for the first time this season.
“I feel we’re right to be hard done by,” said Harris. “It’s frustrating as the game swung massively at that moment.
“If we focus on the moment, Ethan brings the lad down. It’s a foul and a yellow card. I’m not disputing the law there.
“Mansfield’s players are well within their rights to play on. But the referee makes it clear to everybody in the ground, because of his actions with his whistle and the card, that he’s going to book our player. Ultimately, his body language and demeanour have made our team stop.
“I’ve spoken to the referee, who was good enough to give me his time. He obviously stands by his decision but needs to see it back. I’ve been fortunate enough to see it back. If he pulled the game back the moment they passed the ball, this moment would not be mentioned one bit.”
Former Charlton and Ipswich striker Bonne scored his first goal for the Gills 95 seconds into the game after Connor Mahoney capitalised on a loose pass from Stags defender Lewis Brunt.
Keillor-Dunn’s equaliser, his eighth league goal of the season, tied the game nine minutes before the break. George Maris blazed over after meeting Ollie Clarke’s cutback and Shad Ogie blocked Lucas Akins’ driven effort as the Stags went closest to a second-half winner.
“We recovered extremely well after the first two minutes,” said Town manager Nigel Clough after watching his side extend their unbeaten league run to 11 games dating back to last season.
“I thought in the first half we had an element of control to our game. Then in the second half we had the control and the chances. I’m pleased with the number of chances we made in the second half.
“Gillingham made some brilliant blocks and defended well. I think if George’s chance goes in just after half-time, we go on to win the game,” he said.
Clough saw no issue with his side’s equaliser, adding: “We just took a quick free-kick. I don’t think there’s anything in the rules against taking a quick free-kick. We tell them in training to play quickly. The ball went straight past their centre-half, who stood there watching, and Davis has finished it well.”
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