The fight for Champions League is getting interesting with teams such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur standing a chance to grab the elusive European spot.
Hence, the Gunners are aware of the importance of tonight's clash against West Ham at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal presently lie on the third position in the standings table, while Wet Ham are in the tenth position.
Arsenal go into their home fixture with full confidence after a series of impressive wins in the Premier League, as they have won five out of their last six fixtures.
But the same cannot be said about the Hammers, who have not won any of their last six PL fixtures, which has plummeted their position in the standings table. The Hammers had started the season quite well and were even in contention for the European spot.
Arsenal's confidence might have soared after their win against Manchester United during the FA Cup quarter-final clash.
Sam Allardyce, West Ham manager knows about Arsenal's quality, as he said, "I watched Arsenal's game away at Manchester United and everyone could see the quality they have," as quoted in EPL official website.
"We know how difficult it is at the Emirates, where we've actually gone in front a few times but not managed to hold on."
"We'll go there and give it our best shot and see what happens. I think they have different threats from all over the team, which is why they are so difficult to beat, especially at home."
The Hammers have a huge number of problems with injuries, which could prove to be disastrous considering Arsenal's prime form during the season. West Ham may have to be without the services of defender James Tomkins and doubts remain over Enner Valencia and Alex Song as well. Arsenal is set to miss Oxlade-Chamberlain due to a hamstring injury for at least four weeks.
With players such as Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck, Santi Cazirola, Alexis Sanchez, the Gunners look a complete set and a victory tonight could help them close the gap on Manchester City as well, depending on their results.
Arsene Wenger would want to win the game comprehensively and give his players the much needed confidence as they play Monaco on Wednesday in a Champions League Round of 16 second-leg match, where they trail 3-1.
Wenger would have loved to keep some of his players fresh for the Champions League clash, but such is the competitive nature of the EPL that the manager might not risk a Champions League spot finish.
Where to Watch Live
The game is set to begin at 11:00am ET (8:30 pm IST, 3:00 pm GMT) with live TV coverage on Star Sports 4/HD in India.
Viewers in the US can catch the action live in the US on NBC Sports, while the game can also be live-streamed online on NBC Sports Extra; residents of UK do not have the provision of watching the game live but can listen to it live on Absolute Radio.
Football fans across Indonesia can watch it live on beIN Sports 3 Premier League HD, while the Malaysian viewers can catch the action on Fox Sports Malaysia.
