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Aaron Ramsey
Aaron Ramsey Reuters

Arsenal travel to West Ham on Boxing Day as the Gunners look to take their season back on track after a disappointing run of results.

Where to Watch Live

The kick-off is set for 3 pm GMT. Live coverage will be available on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 1 HD. Catch the highlights of the game on Match of the Day on BBC One and BBC One HD at 10:25 pm GMT.

Overview

Sam Allardyce has a tough job on his hands ahead of Arsenal's visit to Upton Park with his side currently placed one point above the relegation zone. The Hammers are currently in 17<sup>th position with 14 points, and a loss here may well see them move to the relegation zone before the turn of the year. He has a lot of injuries to worry about as well, with the likes of Andy Carroll and Steward Downing unavailable for the game.

Big Sam does not have any strikers in his disposal to fall back on, something which will haunt him before the January transfer window. Carroll has not featured since his summer transfer from Liverpool last summer and Kevin Nolan was the one deputising on his behalf.

Their last game ended in a 3-1 loss to Manchester United and his side will be looking to put in a better performance than the one they made in the first half.

Meanwhile, the Gunners come into the game on the back of four matches without a win, having drawn against Everton and Chelsea at home while losing to Manchester City. A win here will take them three points clear of Liverpool who play City in a late kick off on Boxing Day.

Arsenal are currently second in the table, having dominated the top of the league for more than three months this season. A win here will give them some much-needed confidence and give them a boost ahead of the busy period.

What the Managers Say

Sam Allardyce: "It was a very good plan for facing Arsenal," he said. "A very fluent and exciting passing team really got ­nullified by Chelsea's good tactics. And a team that bought into the tactics and worked extremely hard. I am talking about the ones you perhaps don't expect, like Willian and Eden Hazard. They all played their part to try to achieve a result as a team. They had their opportunities to create and produce the flair but didn't quite do it on the day."

Arsene Wenger: "It's a local derby on Boxing Day and we know that West Ham have made surprising results. They have won twice at Tottenham this season now and can be a tough opponent. I think everybody takes West Ham seriously and expects great resistance from them. Last year we did well against them – we have to be inspired by that, go there and play our game again. But they have good players, always a good crowd and it's a derby so they are always up for it."

Form Guide

West Ham

  • Last Five(all competitions, most recent first): L W D L L
  • Last Result: Manchester United 3-1 West Ham

Arsenal

  • Last Five(all competitions, most recent first): D L L D W
  • Last Result: Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea

Team News

West Ham

  • Injured: Andy Carroll (foot), Stewart Downing (Achilles), Mladen Petric (calf), Winston Reid (ankle), Ricardo Vaz Te (shoulder).
  • Doubtful: N/A
  • Suspended:N/A

Probable Line-Up: Adrian; Demel, Collins, Tomkins, McCartney; Noble; Taylor, Nolan, Diame, Jarvis; Maiga

Arsenal

  • Injured: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain(knee), Abou Diaby(knee), Yaya Sanogo(back), Laurent Koscileny(knee)
  • Doubtful: N/A
  • Suspended: Jack Wilshere

Probable Line-Up: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Arteta, Ramsey; Walcott, Cazorla, Özil; Giroud.