23rd Jan 2013 | Football
Arsenal v West Ham Tip
The Gunners may be struggling against the very best, but they haven't lost at home to a bottom-half team all season.
West Ham have turned into one of those side that you fear travelling to, but would welcome to your own ground with open arms. They have scored four times more goals at Upton Park (20) than on the road (5) - comfortably the worst away record in the top flight.
Arsenal are nothing longer than 9/20 (BetVictor) for the victory but a best price of 17/10 (Coral) on the win to nil smartens up the appeal. The Hammers haven’t found the net on their travels at all since Andy Carroll registered at Tottenham on 25 November; the England man remains on the sidelines for now. Since then there have been five consecutive blanks (L4 D1).
The Gunners are absolutely desperate for three points in their bid to stay in the battle for Champions League places. Arsene Wenger will send his team out demanding a fast start after the lacklustre first half performance at Chelsea on Sunday.
Luckily, this is a fixture they traditionally fare well in. Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 10 games against West Ham (W8 D2) in all competitions. Furthermore, the Hammers have failed to score in seven of their last nine league outings against their London rivals. The stats suggest we have a strong value bet.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 18:29 23rd Jan, 2013 but subject to change
