Ok, so five discussion points looking forward to the game at 3pm today…

Jack is back
I have to admit that from the little I have seen of West Ham so far this season, Jack hasn’t pulled up too many trees. Still, the team around him has not really clicked, and there is a view that Wilshere paired with Mark Noble are too slow a combination to work in the fast paced matches that are generally seen in the English top flight. Noble is an injury doubt today, which could see a quicker partner for Wilshere and a more effective central midfield. There is also of course, what writer Brian Glanville christened, “The Immutable Law of the Ex”, a reference to former players coming back to haunt teams they have left. I am uncertain this is truly borne out by statistics, but one thing I am 100% certain of. Wilshere will get a warm reception from the home crowd. No doubt about that. People understood why he had to leave, with Unai Emery obviously favouring the talents of the likes of…

Granit Xhaka
The yellow card Xhaka received in the first half of last weekend’s match at Stamford Bridge made his substitution at half time marginally less humiliating. It was interesting though, that with him off the pitch and Torreira on, the Gunners largely lost their attacking impetus. I am uncertain you could place the blame for this completely on the Uruguayan. One suspects Arsenal were told to play more conservatively so that they might get a point from the game. Nevertheless, Gooners are unquestionably down on Xhaka presently, and he is an obvious boo boy in the making. The two seasons he has been at the club saw them finish outside the top four for the first time since the mid 1990s, and there is a view he is simply not good enough. Certainly being told not to make tackles by his previous manager still has many scratching their heads about his ability to be a fulcrum for the team. It is difficult to second guess Emery, so we wait until 2pm to see who pairs up with the impressive Guendouzi in central midfield.

Aaron Ramsey
It will almost certainly not be the Welshman, although that is not to say he will not start further forward. Perm four from Aubameyang (certain starter), Ozil (likely starter), Mkhitaryan, Lacazette and Iwobi. What we can conclude is that, in spite of having four of these players available from the start of pre-season, Emery has yet to decide on his preferred starting eleven. Ramsey finds himself in a rather strange situation with his contract winding down and little sign of progress. Now, not only is the amount he wants a factor, he will also be asking himself what his future holds under the a new coach. On Emery’s side, there is little point in making Ramsey an integral part of the side if he knows the player might be offski next summer (or even possibly sold in January). One thing is certain. In the two matches played so far, we haven’t seen the best of Ramsey. Still, it’s a 14-man game these days, with Emery happy to give his subs more than the predictable 20 minutes we tended to see under Arsene Wenger. So Ramsey will see gametime, it’s really a matter of whether he gets to start, and if so, where exactly he will be asked to play.

Playing it out from the back
West Ham are nowhere near the level of either Man City or Chelsea. That, however, does not mean they will not have looked for Arsenal’s weaknesses and Petr Cech in possession of the ball is unquestionably one. If his colleagues are sharp enough, the ball can be played out quickly. Assuming the opposition will press high to try and force errors, the key to making this tactic work is players making themselves available quickly, and being able to pass the ball on at pace to others. Ideally Cech does not receive the ball back at his feet because better options are available. This tactic can only be used ponderously if the opposition are sitting off. Additionally, it needs to be mixed up a bit to stop becoming too predictable. If Cech can pass long and accurately rather than simply punt it in hope, Aubameyang has the pace to worry opposition defenders. Arsenal’s equaliser against Chelsea demonstrated how playing from the back can work, but it needs the whole team to be on point.

Manuel Pellegrini
It is sometimes claimed that, with big spending teams, your grandmother could have managed them to the title. And of course, that argument could apply to Unai Emery at PSG in his two seasons there (although Monaco won it in his first, leaving this observer astonished he kept the job, when you combine that with the defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League). Pellegrini managed City for three seasons and won the title once. He also won two League Cups. Given City’s resources, it wasn’t the kind of return they expected and when Pep Guardiola became available, Pellegrini moved to China to manage for two seasons before returning to West Ham. He has history with Arsenal beyond facing them as City manager. He faced them twice as Villarreal manager in the Champions League, most notably in the 2006 semi-final, but also in the 2009 quarter final. In both ties, Arsene Wenger triumphed. Since the move to the Olympic Stadium, the West Ham manager’s job has become a bit of a poisoned chalice. Slaven Bilic lasted for a season and three months, before David Moyes led them for the remainder of last season. Pellegrini’s there now, and it already looks like they will be facing a relegation scrap. A defeat to Liverpool at Anfield was expected, but the home defeat to Bournemouth would have caused real concern. The idea of Pellegrini as a bit of a glamour figure might have appealed early on, but he is 64 years old now, in a division where younger coaches with fresher ideas seem to be the ones achieving more.

In Conclusion…
Granted, it’s unlikely, but the Hammers have pulled off surprise results at Arsenal in the past, including becoming the first team to beat them at the Emirates Stadium (twinned with being the last to defeat them at Highbury). Frankly though, if Arsenal lose this afternoon, for many the patience with Unai Emery may well take a hell of a battering, if only because West Ham are arguably in a more chaotic state than the Gunners. Our partners Fansbet.com are confident of an Arsenal win – they are 4/11 to take the three points. The draw is 17/4 and an away win is a massive 31/4 – that is almost 8/1. Sure, football is full of surprises, but it is difficult to see anything but a home win today, and my prediction is a comfortable 3-0 win to Arsenal.

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