The Gunners revealed on Friday that Wenger will depart at the end of the season, bringing an end to a tenure that spanned 22 years, and the announcement has given the remainder of their games a whole new dimension.
With just five matches left in the Premier League and a top-four finish out of their reach, Arsenal’s focus has understandably shifted to the Europa League, which offers them a path into the Champions League.
Nevertheless, the remaining games in the league are now an opportunity for the Arsenal players to leave an impression on a prospective new manager and they can start by securing a positive result against their London rivals on Sunday.
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on TV on Sky Sports Premier League and it can be streamed live online using Sky Go.
Squads & Team News
Jack Wilshere and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are set to miss out as they continue to recover from injuries, but Aaron Ramsey could make a return to action. Santi Cazorla remains unavailable.
Potential Arsenal starting XI: Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Holding, Kolasinac; Xhaka, Elneny, Ramsey, Ozil; Aubameyang, Lacazette.
David Moyes is expected to have the same panel as he had for the Hammers’ last game against Stoke City, which means that Andy Carroll and Manuel Lanzini are in contention to start, though they are not deemed likely to feature for 90 minutes.
James Collins is not going to be available for the match, nor is Pedro Obiang, but Moyes said that the latter is making positive progress. Michail Antonio, Sam Byram and Winston Reid are all out.
Potential West Ham starting XI: Hart; Rice, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Masuaku, Kouyate, Noble, Zabaleta, Fernandes, Mario; Arnautovic.
Betting & Match Odds
Arsenal are favourites to win the game with dabblebet rating them at 8/15. West Ham’s chances of victory are given at 5/1, while a draw is available at 10/3.
Click here to see all of dabblebet’s offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.
Match Preview
The announcement of Wenger’s impending departure from Arsenal has unsurprisingly prompted an outpouring of tributes, with friends and foes alike praising the Frenchman’s qualities, as well as the impact that he has made in English football over the past two decades.
It is no doubt a bittersweet time for the 68-year-old, whose past glories at the club - which have been recalled with fervour since Friday’s revelation - have been overshadowed by a decline in standards in recent seasons, but the remaining matches offer him a chance to bow out with one final flourish.
However, on Sunday they come up against a West Ham side that find themselves in a fight against relegation and, as they continue to plot a way to avoid the drop, the Hammers will be in no mood to get swept up by an air of poignancy at the Emirates.
Of course, the chief goal for Arsenal is the Europa League and the first leg of their semi-final against Atletico Madrid looms large on the horizon next Thursday, just four days after the game against West Ham, so Wenger may opt to rest some of his key players.
Either way, the game against Moyes’ side has now become the first of the rest of their season and Wenger - as well as the players and fans - will be hoping to kick things off with a win.
