The last meeting between these two sides did not start so well for Arsenal, but the Gunners were able to regroup and claim the three points. Having gone down 1-0 after Mohamed Diame scored in the 21st minute, Arsenal fans were starting to believe it was going to be one of those days.
Olivier Giroud got Arsenal even in the first half with Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla sealing the deal late in the second half with two very impressive strikes.
On Wednesday, Arsene Wenger may be able to have Lukas Podolski and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain back in the squad after they missed the last match against Chelsea due to illness. Tomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta and Francis Coquelin will also be out for Wednesdays match due to injury.
French International Abou Diaby will be up against a last minute fitness test after having played a significant amount of minutes in the last few weeks.
Given Arsenal's current form, Arsene Wenger has mentioned that he is worried about the teams confidence.
"What is worrying is that we do not win big games. The position we are in now is a bit backs to the wall," Wenger said in a press conference.
"We have to respond. I am confident we will, but the team was very down after the Chelsea game."
The visitors will enter the match fresh off a 1-1 draw against Queens Park Rangers. Without a victory in the Premier League since New Years Day, Sam Allardyce believes his side will be ready on Wednesday.
"I think if we get a performance and a result on Wednesday night then we will be very, very happy," said the West Ham manager.
"We are playing this game this week and generally everybody wanted to play on Boxing Day."
Previous Matches
10-06-12 West Ham 1-3 Arsenal
01-15-11 West Ham 0-3 Arsenal
10-30-10 Arsenal 1-0 West Ham
03-20-10 Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
01-03-10 West Ham 1-2 Arsenal (FA Cup)
10-25-09 West Ham 2-2 Arsenal
Prediction
Neither team has been in the greatest of form this season, but Wednesday could be an opportunity for both clubs to claim the full three points.
The way Arsenal has been playing, they have proven that they can be frustrated whether it is at home or away. With their last two defeats in the Premier League against Manchester City and Chelsea, the Arsenal players will be become very nervous the longer the match goes on without a goal.
If West Ham is able to grab the first goal of the match, what ever is left of the Arsenal confidence could really start to unravel quickly.
The Hammers have also not been great, but they do not have to worry about playing with any pressure on Wednesday. Not many, if any, expect them to get a result at the Emirates, so even a draw would be a good result.
Will Arsenal continue the trend of failing to show up for the first half, or will they finally come out prepared to battle right from the initial whistle?
The latest results between the two show Arsenals dominance in this matchup, but in the Premier League, anything is possible.
Anything less than a victory for Arsene Wenger's side could really start to cause problems not only from the fans, but also internally.
Arsenal 2-1 West Ham
