Daily WHUFC News - 14th March 2015

Preview - Arsenal
WHUFC.com

In brief

West Ham United travel to Arsenal on Saturday looking to bounce back from a
narrow defeat to league leaders Chelsea. Having returned from a warm weather
training camp in Dubai, Sam Allardyce's men will want to get back to winning
ways after a tough run of fixtures. This is the Hammers' fourth consecutive
London derby, having played Tottenham, Crystal Palace and the Blues in
recent weeks. Arsenal, on the other hand, seem to be clicking into gear at
the business end of the season with a confidence boosting 2-1 win over
Manchester United in the FA Cup. Arsene Wenger's men are in good form,
winning six of their last seven games in all competitions. They are
currently third in the league with 54 points from 28 games.

Who are they?

Founded as Dial Square in 1886, Arsenal's early days were played out south
of the River Thames in Woolwich. They were the first team from the south of
England to join the Football League and in 1913 moved across London to
Highbury. Their success has been particularly consistent, accumulating the
second most points in the history of the English top flight and holding the
ongoing record for the longest uninterrupted period in the top division.
They have won the league title 13 times, the FA Cup on 11 occasions and two
European trophies - the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994 and the Inter-Cities Fairs
Cup in 1970.

Team news

West Ham United

West Ham could be without James Tomkins who has suffered a shoulder injury.
In an incredibly unlucky week, Enner Valencia will also miss out after
cutting his toe on a cup in a freak accident. Winston Reid and Carlton Cole
are both unavailable but making good progress from their hamstring injuries.
Morgan Amalfitano is back in contention having served his three match
suspension.

Arsenal

The Gunners also have a number of injury concerns. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
is out with a hamstring problem while Tomas Rosicky faces a race against
time to recover from illness. New signing Gabriel Paulista (hamstring), Jack
Wilshere (ankle) and Mikel Arteta (ankle) are also out. Long terms absentees
Mathieu Debuchy (shoulder) and Abou Diaby (calf) are still unavailable.

Referee

Saturday's referee is Chris Foy.

The Merseyside based referee has a wealth of experience, having refereed his
first game back in 2001. Since then, he has taken charge of 258 matches,
issued 705 yellow cards and 38 reds. This season, Foy has refereed three
West Ham games – the opening day defeat to Tottenham, the 2-2 away draw at
Stoke City and the 3-1 win over Swansea City. The assistant referees are
Andrew Garratt and David Bryan, while Anthony Taylor is the Fourth

Official.
One to watch

West Ham United

Alex Song could make his first return to the Emirates after leaving the
Gunners to join European heavyweights Barcelona in 2012. The Cameroon man
has proved to be an inspired signing. Having made 23 appearances this
season, he has been a mainstay in the heart of midfield. He has become an
integral part of the Hammers team and will want to put in an impressive
display against his former employers.
In the reverse fixture just after Christmas, Song saw an audacious volley
from outside the box dubiously ruled out due to other players standing in an
offside position.

Arsenal

Alexis Sanchez has truly hit the ground running at Arsenal after also making
the move to England from Barcelona in the close season.
The Chile forward enjoyed an outstanding World Cup and has carried that form
into his first season in English football, with 13 league goals to his name
already.

Tickets

All tickets have sold out for this fixture.
Travel

Click here for the latest from Transport for London and here for National
Rail. Please note that Emirates Stadium is situated in a residential area
with a Residents Parking Scheme in operation in the roads surrounding the
ground. Any cars parked illegally will be towed away. With road works taking
place outside Highbury & Islington station too, additional congestion is
likely around Highbury Corner. Supporters are therefore recommended to
consider an alternative route to Emirates Stadium and/or allow additional
time for your journey.
Supporters can access the Away Supporters Guide for Emirates Stadium here.

Weather

A cloudy day with a chance of rain before kick-off is forecast with
temperatures at 3pm predicted to be 8C (46F).

Last away meeting

Arsenal 3-1 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
15 April 2014

The Hammers last took on Arsenal at Emirates Stadium last April. Matt Jarvis
gave the visitors the lead in the first half, but that was as good as it got
for Big Sam's men as the Gunners came roaring back. Lukas Podolski levelled
on the stroke of half-time, before Olivier Giroud made it 2-1 ten minutes
after the break. Podolski finished the contest off with his second 12
minutes from the end to boost his team's challenge for fourth spot.

Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Rosicky (Ramsey
72), Arteta, Cazorla (Jenkinson 88), Kallstrom, Podolski, Giroud
Subs: Fabianski, Bellerin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanogo, Akpom

West Ham United: Adrian, Reid, Tomkins, Armero, Demel, Jarvis (J.Cole 78),
Noble, Diame, Downing (Vaz Te 78), Nocerino, Carroll (C.Cole 84)
Subs: Jaaskelainen, McCartney, Johnson, Taylor

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Amalfitano pens new deal
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce that French midfielder Morgan
Amalfitano has put pen to paper on a new two-year deal. The 29-year-old,
who joined the Club from Olympique Marseille in the summer, is now on course
to play his part in the Hammers' final season at the Boleyn Ground and the
first at the new Stadium in 2016.

It is a project that Amalfitano is proud to be a part of, after making an
encouraging start to life in Claret and Blue. "I am pleased," he told West
Ham TV. "It's the culmination of a good year. We're always trying to do our
best and so I'm very pleased to have signed for two more years. "I think
I've impressed the management, I know that I can always do better and I hope
to do so. I'll give it my all as I have done in the first eight months.
"I've not had a chance to see the Olympic Stadium yet but apparently it's a
very, very beautiful Stadium. So I'm very pleased to be a part of the
project and I always want to please our fans, as much as possible."

Amalfitano has made 22 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers this
term and announced himself to the West Ham faithful in style, netting on his
home debut in a memorable 3-1 win over Liverpool back in September. All
three of his goals to date have come in home wins, as he bagged the opener
in a 2-1 success against champions Manchester City and doubled the Hammers'
lead in January's 3-0 win over Hull City.He could yet celebrate his new
contract with an appearance at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, having now
served a three-match ban for his dismissal at West Bromwich Albion. The
Nice-born midfielder is understandably keen to return to action and hopes
Saturday's London derby will mark the start of an excellent end to an
excellent campaign. "It's been a little while that I couldn't play and
it's been a little bit frustrating," he confirmed. "So it's a pleasure to
get back out on the pitch and play games. I've trained as hard as I possibly
could in these past few weeks and now I'm ready for Saturday. "We need
to get back to winning games and it's down to us to rally ourselves to win
the next games and hopefully that will start against a great team in Arsenal
on Saturday."

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Tomkins suffers shoulder injury
WHUFC.com

West Ham United can confirm that James Tomkins has suffered a dislocated
shoulder. The 25-year-old was taken to hospital for treatment and will
continued to be assessed by the Club's medical staff.

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Oxford named in Elite Round squad
WHUFC.com

Reece Oxford has been named in the England U17 squad for the Young Lions'
UEFA European Championship Elite Round qualifiers at the end of March.
England, the defending champions, will continue their defence of the title
when they host a mini-group containing Norway, Slovenia and Romania. Oxford,
who captained the side in the recent Torneio Internacional Algarve in
Portugal, will likely add to his nine caps when England face Norway at
Burton Albion on 21 March, Slovenia in Chesterfield on 24 March and Romania
in Burton on 26 March. The mini-group winners will qualify for the finals in
Bulgaria in May. The 16-year-old Oxford has been named on the first-team
bench on four occasions this season – three times in the Barclays Premier
League and once in the Capital One Cup – and travelled with the squad on
many more occasions. A regular for the Hammers' Development Squad, the young
centre-back signed a new long-term contract with the Club in January.
England have won the UEFA European U17 Championship on two occasions, also
lifting the trophy in 2010, when West Ham's Robert Hall – now with Bolton
Wanderers – was part of the squad.

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Hector-Ingram targeting more goals
WHUFC.com

West Ham United U18s kick start their Play Off campaign with a home tie
against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday 14 March. The Hammers, who
finished in the Second Group of the Barclays U18 Premier League South
Division host the Seagulls for the second time this season, having beaten
them 2-1 in January, courtesy of goals from Jahmal Hector-Ingram and Jerry
Amoo. Opening goalscorer that day, Hector-Ingram is hoping to add to his
already impressive goals to game ratio of five in nine games – the second
best at the Club after Development Squad striker Paul McCallum with three
goals in as many games. Speaking ahead of the game, Hector-Ingram said: "I'd
definitely like to add my tally. As I missed the first half of the season
through injury, I'm making up for lost time. "It's a big game on Saturday
and we want to try and end the season on a high. So we're trying to use
these final games as a chance to stand our ground and certainly not lose any
games. So it's a big game ahead."

The U18s approach the game in good form having despatched Reading 4-0 in the
final game of the regular league season. In contrast, since playing the
Hammers, the Seagulls have struggled results wise, losing their last six
games, however the young striker knows the Hammers can take nothing for
granted come Saturday morning."Saturday's another opportunity, because every
game is potentially a step closer to playing in that first team. So I just
want to use all these opportunities to score goals and I want to get it
going on Saturday. "Everyone knows each other's game and it's one of those
things, you often don't need to say too much on the pitch. You just do it!"
We're a confident bunch. Several of us have represented our national teams,
we're all doing well. We're producing good things right now, all of us.
We're on form, we've been consistent this season and have all been pushing
up to different levels."
Across the U18s Play Off campaign, the Hammers will play Derby County,
Reading, Wolves, Liverpool and Sunderland before a final round of games
against Leicester City on Saturday 9 May 9.

Kick off at Rush Green is 11am, admission and parking are both FREE.

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Sam wants winning feeling to return
WHUFC.com

Sam Allardyce has urged his players to rediscover the winning habit over the
final ten games of the Barclays Premier League season. West Ham United have
won just one of their last eleven league matches, but the manager argued
that his team could have won at least four more – versus West Bromwich
Albion and Manchester United at home and away at Swansea City and Tottenham
Hotspur. With only two of the Hammers' ten remaining games to be played
against teams in the current top seven, Big Sam has encouraged his squad to
get back on the victory trail as often as possible. "The sad thing is we've
forgotten how to win," he told West Ham TV. "To not have got over the line
in recent games is massively disappointing for everybody concerned. The
entertainment value is there, the attacking play is exceptionally good and
the opportunity to win games has been there on at least five occasions in
the last eleven games. So, instead of competing for a European place as we
should be doing, we're now sat in tenth hoping to stay in the top half with
ten games to go. "Our need to try and win games from winning positions has
just failed us recently. Factors in terms of disruption through suspensions
and injuries and loss of form mean that, squad-wise, perhaps a finish in the
top eight needs a bit better quality of player or more strength in depth.
"Hopefully we'll finish the last ten games off and move back up the table
again. It's just a great shame we haven't converted all those performances
into more wins."

West Ham resume with a tough trip to third-place Arsenal on Saturday, where
the manager knows his team will likely have to keep a clean sheet to gain
all three points. "While we've been more free-scoring this season, netting
more than 40 league goals, our clean sheet ratio away from home in
particular has been the major negative factor," he continued. "We continue
to talk about it without over-stating it, but it's such a small divide
between a win and a draw and a difference in our points total. By my minimum
calculation, we should be on 46 points now. "It does present us with a big
challenge to keep a clean sheet at Arsenal, but we should have done it at
Tottenham. We were two goals up but couldn't see it out because we conceded
two. Yes, you could say Danny Rose's goal was fortunate because it was a
miskick, but then the determination to hold on wasn't there because we gave
a soft penalty away. "We've really got to keep cooler, calmer heads and make
sure we play out time better and keep possession a bit more, which eases the
pressure on us in the final few minutes. "Let's hope we can get in front, as
we have done twice at Arsenal in recent seasons. We've not been able to hold
on, even until half-time, and we've been severely punished. "The challenge
is to play as well as we have been playing and then hope that performance
will get us a result."

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Professional Guy
WHUFC.com

It has been a challenging season for West Ham United's experienced
right-back Guy Demel, but you will not hear the veteran Ivory Coast defender
complaining. A consummate professional on and off the pitch, the likeable,
intelligent, multi-lingual Demel has instead kept his head down to ensure he
is fit and ready should opportunities arise. Approaching the end of his
fourth season with the Hammers, the 33-year-old has been restricted to just
eight first-team appearances this term due to the presence and form of
Arsenal loanee Carl Jenkinson.
This Saturday, Jenkinson will be unavailable for the trip to the Emirates,
giving Demel the possibility of playing for the first time since appearing
as a substitute at Liverpool on 31 January. Should he be handed that chance,
the Orsay-born defender is looking forward to performing at the club he
called home for the 2000/01 season. "This is the first time in my career
that I haven't really played and I'm not really involved on the game-day,
but it's helped me to learn about myself," Demel began. "Because it's easy
to be happy when you are in the team, but I am happy with myself because I
have not really changed. "I don't like to talk about myself too much, but I
think I have been the same guy in training and then the Gaffer has made his
decision. "To be fair, we had a great start to the season and I was in it,
then I got injured and Carl got his chance and he is doing well. He's the
younger generation, he's a good player, so there is nothing I can really
complain about."

It is testament to Demel's mature approach that he has knuckled down and
maintained his role as an important squad member, pushing his colleagues
every day on the training pitch. "Of course I still play my part. I would
like to be on the pitch on a regular basis, but we have to work hard every
day because the starting XI need good competition and good training during
the week. It's the same for all the players. "I am part of it and we all
train well. I would say we always have a good mentality and that's exactly
the reason why we managed to produce when we were in a bad situation last
season. "Now, like I said, I am here if I'm needed and I will always give my
best. Obviously it's really hard, because every player wants to play, and
I'm fit and ready."

Demel was brought to English football by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger as a
19-year-old, but did not appear for the Gunners before moving on to German
club Borussia Dortmund after a single season. While he was only in north
London for a short time, the full-back still keeps a close eye on his old
club's fortunes. Demel has noticed a slight change in style from Arsenal
this season – a change he says they have had to make to compete at the top
end of an ultra-competitive Barclays Premier League. "Arsenal's mentality is
to win games and to produce good football – they will never stop playing
their football, even if this season we have seen them adopt a more direct
approach.
"The league has changed and every team is hard to beat, so you have to adapt
and be intelligent. Arsenal's season has been great and I think they are one
of the best teams in England, if not the world. "That said, we are proud to
be West Ham United and we have to get a point or a win because we've been a
bit unlucky and have deserved more than we have achieved in the last couple
of months. "I think this season the team has shown we can play good football
against the big teams, so I hope we're going to take that with us and get a
point at least. "Against Manchester United and even against Chelsea, we
could have won the games, so we will go to Arsenal and we need to produce
the same performance as we did at Tottenham, but with a better finish at the
end."

Looking further forward, Demel has been invited to return to another of his
former clubs, Hamburger SV, to take part in David Jarolim's testimonial
match on Saturday 28 March. But what does the long-term future hold for the
man who joined West Ham in the summer of 2011?
"I'm 33 and I have played in different leagues in my career, I still feel
good and as long as my body responds well I will keep playing. I have a lot
to give and I don't want to finish my career. "I've had an amazing time here
at West Ham so it doesn't matter what happens because I will always keep
West Ham in my heart."

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Hammers great Cantwell honoured
WHUFC.com

West Ham United great Noel Cantwell was posthumously honoured when a road
was named in the Irishman's honour in his native Cork.
The late Hammers and Ireland captain and full-back received recognition from
Cork City Council on Friday when they officially name Noel Cantwell Walk.
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Mary Shields officially unveiled a plaque on Noel
Cantwell Way, while Cantwell's widow Maggie and daughters Kate and Elizabeth
looked on.

Among the other dignitaries in attendance were FAI President Tony
Fitzgerald, Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane - himself a Cork
native - and FAI Chief Executive John Delaney. The thoroughfare can be found
beside the Mardyke, a recreational area to the west of the city centre that
was home to Cork Athletic FC and still houses Cork County Cricket Club –
both of whom Cantwell represented during his illustrious career. The
defender, who made 278 appearances in Claret and Blue after joining West Ham
from Cork Athletic in 1952, played 36 times for his country at football, and
five times for Ireland as a left-handed batsman and right-arm medium bowler.
Cantwell was raised in a house just a few dozen yards from the Mardyke,
which the West Ham squad visited to train at the University College Cork's
Mardyke Arena in summer 2013, before spending his childhood playing on the
sports grounds there. League of Ireland side Cork Athletic, for whom his
brother Frank played, were short a man for a game against Sligo Rovers in
1950, so they called on Noel to fill the gap. After joining the Hammers two
years later, Cantwell went on to captain the Club to the Division Two title
and promotion to the top flight in 1958, while he was also named in the
London XI which competed in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in the mid-1950s. He
was a renowned member of the Academy of Football, alongside fellow
countryman Frank O'Farrell, Malcolm Allison, Dave Sexton and John Bond, who
spent endless hours discussing football during the 1950s.

On leaving West Ham, Cantwell joined Manchester United, spending seven
seasons at Old Trafford and captaining the Red Devils to FA Cup glory in
1963. He also served as Chairman of the Professional Footballers'
Association and as manager of Coventry City and Peterborough United, before
passing away at the age of 73 in September 2005.

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Arsenal v West Ham
KO 15:00
13 March 2015
By Guy Mowbray
BBC Match of the Day commentator

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Emirates Stadium Date: Saturday, 14 March

TEAM NEWS

Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is out for up to four weeks with
a hamstring injury. However, Mathieu Flamini is back in contention after a
similar problem.

West Ham could be without striker Enner Valencia, who cut his toe by
standing on a broken teacup, and Alex Song is doubtful with a knee injury.
James Tomkins and Winston Reid are out and Arsenal loanee Carl Jenkinson is
ineligible, but Morgan Amalfitano returns after a three-game ban. A lack of
defensive options may see Cheikhou Kouyate switch from midfield to
centre-back, while 16-year-old Reece Oxford could also be involved.

MATCH PREVIEW

Before the reverse fixture at Upton Park on 28 December, West Ham were a
point ahead of Arsenal and sat fifth in the Premier League.
The Hammers had taken 13 points from the last available 18 and talk of being
amongst the challengers for a Champions League place was still in the air.
How that air has gone stale since. With only one win from nine league games
in 2015 the new year has been anything but happy for Sam Allardyce's team -
and the West Ham fans. Yes, some of the Irons' knives are back out for Big
Sam.

In his London Evening Standard column, Allardyce has understandably cursed
his luck ahead of a fourth successive all-London clash (they have taken one
point from the previous three). Enner Valencia has suffered a freak injury
and is likely to be ruled out along with James Tomkins, Winston Reid and the
ineligible Carl Jenkinson. Looking at those latter names tells you that at
least three changes will have to be made in defence - most untimely for a
game against an Arsenal side full of confidence after Monday's FA Cup win at
Manchester United - and who have only failed to score in one of their last
30 games (at Southampton on New Years' Day). Having won seven of their last
eight in the league, the Gunners are looking good for their seemingly
customary late-season surge to nail down a top-four finish. Despite still
having several players out through injury, Arsene Wenger has options again
and could make three or four changes with next Tuesday's 'Mission
Impossible' in Monaco in mind. I'd be surprised if one was resting Francis
Coquelin though. The Frenchman has returned from his Charlton loan a better
player, was deservedly man-of-the-match at Old Trafford, and could have the
chance to show one-to-one why Arsenal didn't need to re-sign Alex Song last
summer.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Arsenal have won their last nine league and cup games against West Ham,
including eight Premier League matches. The Hammers did the double over the
Gunners in the 2006-07 season but since then are winless in 14 league and
cup games (D2, L12) against them.

Arsenal
The Gunners have won 11 of 13 games since New Year's Day, including seven
wins from eight league matches. They have claimed 21 Premier League points
in 2015 - only Liverpool, with 23, have a better record. Arsenal have won
seven consecutive home league games - they have not won eight in a row since
a 13-match streak in 2005. Olivier Giroud has scored four goals in four
games against West Ham, while Theo Walcott has netted five times in his last
four matches against the Hammers. Francis Coquelin has made 41 Premier
League interceptions since returning from a loan spell with Charlton in
December - more than any other player in the same period.

West Ham United
The Hammers are winless in their last seven league and cup games (D3, L4).
They have recorded just one victory in 11 Premier League games since
Christmas Day (D5, L5).
Sam Allardyce has yet to win a Premier League game away to Arsenal in his
managerial career, losing seven and drawing three of 10 games.
They have kept one Premier League clean sheet away from home this term -
against Southampton last month. It is the joint-lowest total in the top
flight along with Burnley and QPR.

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James Tomkins dislocates shoulder in new injury blow
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 13th March 2015
By: Staff Writer

James Tomkins has added to Sam Allardyce's injury woes by dislocated a
shoulder during training. The central defender, who signed a new five-year
contract with the Hammers only last month is rumoured to be facing much of
the rest of the season on the sidelines having sustained the injury at
Chadwell Heath upon the squad's return from Dubai. News of Tomkins' injury
is the second major blow to Allardyce within the past 24 hours. Only
yesterday morning it was revealed that Enner Valencia had undergone surgery
to repair an injured foot, which was damaged in a freak domestic accident.

The Hammers, already without Carl Jenkinson - who is unable to feature
against his parent club at the Emirates on Saturday - and Winston Reid
(injured) are now back to having just one fit first team central defender,
namely James Collins. That could mean a return to central defence for Cheik
Kouyate, who deputised in that position during a similar defensive crisis in
February. That may depend however upon the condition of Alex Song, who is
also recovering from a recent knock.

Despite the bad news on the injury front, Allardyce was in positive mood
ahead of yet another London derby when addressing the press on Thursday. "We
know how difficult it is at the Emirates," he said. "We've 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. We'll try and do what we did against Chelsea and
see if that's good enough to get us a result."

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Arsenal v West Ham preview: Gunners turn attention to top-four battle
Last Updated: 14/03/15 7:53am
SSN

Arsenal host West Ham on Saturday looking for their fifth-straight Premier
League win as they look to cement their Champions League charge. The Gunners
can cap a good week with victory over the Hammers after they beat Manchester
United at Old Trafford on Monday to book their place in the semi-finals of
the FA Cup. Arsene Wenger's men have put themselves at the head of the pack
chasing the top two, and now sit only four points behind second-placed
Manchester City ahead of the weekend's games. The visitors, meanwhile, have
lost eight successive Premier League matches against Arsenal and have not
won a top-flight fixture since their victory over Hull in the middle of
January.

Jamie Redknapp looks ahead to a difficult game for West Ham as they travel
to the Emirates to take on Arsenal.
Team news

Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain faces up to a month out with a
hamstring injury. Midfielder Mathieu Flamini is back in contention for
Saturday's match against West Ham after a hamstring problem. Club captain
Mikel Arteta (ankle) is set to step up his rehabilitation, as is defender
Gabriel (hamstring), but Jack Wilshere (ankle) is still a few weeks away
from a return.

West Ham are without James Tomkins for their trip to London rivals Arsenal
after the defender dislocated his shoulder in training. The Hammers could
also be without three of their first-team strikers. Carlton Cole (hamstring)
and Andy Carroll (knee) are definite absentees whilst Enner Valencia is
struggling to be fit having suffered a severe cut to his toe after standing
on a broken teacup. Winston Reid will miss out with a hamstring complaint,
on-loan Carl Jenkinson cannot feature against his parent club and Alex Song
(knee) could also be sidelined - although fellow midfielder Morgan
Amalfitano is back having served a three-match ban. Sixteen-year-old
defender Reece Oxford could be included in the squad as cover.

Defeat against Chelsea last time out was harsh on Hammers

Opta facts

Theo Walcott has scored five goals and set up three more in his last four
Barclays Premier League games against West Ham, while Olivier Giroud has
scored four goals in his four Premier League appearances against the
Hammers.

West Ham have won none of the last 13 top-flight matches against Arsenal (W0
D2 L11), losing the last eight in a row.

Sam Allardyce says Enner Valencia will miss West Ham's trip to the Emirates
this weekend after a freak accident at home.
The Hammers have scored the first goal in four of the last five Premier
League meetings with Arsenal, but the Gunners have come back to win on each
occasion.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League London derbies at the
Emirates, but West Ham were the first team ever to beat Arsenal at their new
stadium back in April 2007.

Sam Allardyce has never coached a winning team away at Arsenal in the
Premier League, losing seven and drawing three of his 10.

Arsenal have won seven consecutive home league games; they have not won
eight in a row since November 2005 (13).

Merson's prediction

West Ham have hit a bit of a bad run and this time of year Arsenal are very
reliable. It was good to see Danny Welbeck score for Arsenal at Manchester
United but I think they'll play Olivier Giroud in this game and he can score
first in a 3-0 win.

MERSE PREDICTS: 3-0

Betting

Arsenal are Sky Bet's odds-on favourites at 4/9 to secure the victory, with
West Ham looking to upsets odds of 11/2 to leave the Emirates with a win and
18/5 to secure a draw. The Gunners are also short odds to secure a top-four
finish yet again this season at 1/5, with Manchester United (10/11),
Liverpool (11/10), Tottenham (11/2) and Southampton (8/1) all longer odds.
Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez share favouritism in the first goalscorer
betting at 7/2 apiece with Danny Welbeck following at 5/1, while Diafra
Sakho is considered the visitors' biggest threat at 9/1.

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West Ham midfielder Morgan Amalfitano signs new two-year deal
Last Updated: 13/03/15 8:03pm
SSN

French midfielder Morgan Amalfitano has signed a new two-year contract with
West Ham. Amalfitano has made 22 appearances for Sam Allardyce's side since
joining from Marseille in the summer. The 29-year-old scored on his home
debut in the 3-1 win over Liverpool in September and has also netted against
Manchester City and Hull. Amalfitano's new deal will now see him feature in
West Ham's final season at the Boleyn Ground and the first at their new
Stadium in 2016 "I am pleased," he told West Ham TV. "It's the culmination
of a good year. We're always trying to do our best and so I'm very pleased
to have signed for two more years. "I think I've impressed the management, I
know that I can always do better and I hope to do so. I'll give it my all as
I have done in the first eight months.
"I've not had a chance to see the Olympic Stadium yet but apparently it's a
very, very beautiful stadium. So I'm very pleased to be a part of the
project and I always want to please our fans, as much as possible."
Amalfitano is available again for Allardyce after serving a three-match ban
followng his sending off against West Brom. "It's been a little while that I
couldn't play and it's been a little bit frustrating," he added. "So it's a
pleasure to get back out on the pitch and play games. I've trained as hard
as I possibly could in these past few weeks and now I'm ready for Saturday.
"We need to get back to winning games and it's down to us to rally ourselves
to win the next games and hopefully that will start against a great team in
Arsenal on Saturday."

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James Tomkins suffers dislocated shoulder during West Ham training
Last Updated: 13/03/15 12:51pm
SSN

James Tomkins could miss the remainder of the season, after West Ham
confirmed he has dislocated a shoulder. The Hammers defender, who recently
signed a new long-term contract, suffered the injury during training. The
25-year-old joins fellow central defender Winston Reid on the casualty list,
while manager Sam Allardyce is facing an injury crisis up front with Carlton
Cole, Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia all expected to miss out this weekend.

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Doneil Henry praised by Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer
Last Updated: 13/03/15 2:04pm
SSN

Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer is delighted with the start on-loan West Ham
defender Doneil Henry has made to life at Ewood Park. Henry, 21, has starred
in two Rovers victories against Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton since moving
to Ewood Park. slotting in seamlessly next to Matt Kilgallon at the heart of
the back four. Henry dealt with former Liverpool and England striker Emile
Heskey in his second appearance for the club on Wednesday night and later
produced the header which Jordan Rhodes diverted into the goal for
Blackburn's stoppage-time winner.
"Young Doneil Henry came in and gave an unbelieveable performance," said
Bowyer. "He was against a very experienced striker in Emile Heskey. The
lad's had a real baptism of fire in terms of the two strikers he's played
against - (Atdhe) Nuhiu at Sheffield Wednesday and Heskey. "He's stood up to
both of them, I'm full of admiration for the kid; he's done ever so well."

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More promising Jenkinson signs
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

There are more promising signs this morning that Carl Jenkinson will become
a permanent West Ham signing in the summer. Reporter – and lifelong Arsenal
fan John Cross – writes in today's Mirror that Hector Bellerin has been
lined up to sign a new four year Gooners contract. And that will mean that
Carl Jenkinson will be allowed to move on a with the player having enjoyed a
great Upton Park year and wishing to remain in London, the right back begins
to look nailed on. Bellerin, 19, has impressed since moving into the right
back position in Mathieu Debuchy's absence and a new deal has apparently
been agreed which will take him up to 2019.

Little gets by 'Crossie' inside the Emirates where he has good contacts and
the story confirms a ClaretandHugh report that the Gunners will be looking
for around b£6 million for Jenkinson. Inisders at Upton Park have revealed
that negotiations with Arsenal will start at the end of the season and that
Jenks is a priority signing. And in fairness to Sam Allardyce the defensive
side of the player's game has improved since his arrival at the Boleyn. He
is a naturally attacking wing back but in recent games especially has shown
some fine defensive capabilities.

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Allardyce: "The season is a let-down"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Sam Allardyce has made it crystal clear that the Irons season could well
become a big let down if the club fails to stay in the top ten!.
That of course was the minimum requirement from the owners at the start of
the season but expectations of top four, six or eight soared with the team's
brilliant start. It has now gone pear-shaped and the manager knows it
declaring: ""It's a let-down now, it's a disappointment now, there's no
doubt about it. It's as well to remind ourselves that on Boxing Day the team
sat fourth with one win from 11 since we find the likes of Swansea and stoke
City above us. Allardyce said: We should be sat challenging for Europe
still. We should be and we've been in the position to do it and we've let it
slip. "We have entertained well but my point is about winning. I am not
interested in anything else other than winning but performances have been
good enough to win more games recently." However, despite the slide and the
board's absolute minimum requirements he is ready to discuss next season
saying: "When we get to this next time we've got a better squad, a better
strength in depth of players, we don't get affected by injuries as much as
we have and we continue to win football matches instead of drawing them," he
said. "That's the nature of recruitment for next season. This squad, to
finish eight or better, by the way it's looking at the moment may not quite
be good enough just yet.

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Zarate returns to Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Mauro Zarate has returned to West Ham from his QPR to undergo medical
treatment for a knee injury. Zarate was spotted at Chadwell Heath this week
with many speculating that he had been recalled by the Hammers following
Valencia's crockery related injury and Carlton Cole's ongoing hamstring
injury but a recall is not possible and would be blocked by the Premier
League.

In January West Ham claim The Premier League said they could recall Zarate,
by mutual agreement with QPR but later changed their minds which caused the
collapse Carlton Cole's transfer to West Brom on transfer deadline day.

Earlier this week, Claret and Hugh reported Zarate has managed just 71
minutes in a QPR shirt since his January arrival on loan. He has achieved
just four second half substitutions for the R's against Burnley,
Southampton, Sunderland and Hull, three of which resulted in losses for
third from bottom club.

QPR are thought to be picking up his full £40,000 per wages plus a loan fee
meaning his ten week stint so far has cost the club £500,000 which is just
over £7,000 for every minute he has spent on the pitch. This latest injury
will only push that cost up further.

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Gold: "It's no good moaning about injuries"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

David Gold heads for the Emirates tomorrow (Sat) refusing to feel sorry for
himself over the injury crisis which has suddenly arisen at Upton Park.
Instead – speaking to ClaretandHugh he said: "We are not down to playing the
kids. We have an experienced team we can put out Injuries must be expected.
I dare say Arsenal have a few. "It's when you reach the point where you are
having to throw youngsters on that there's a problem and we aren't at that
stage." With Enner Valencia, James Tomkins (above) and Winston Reid all
unavailable through injury, Alex Song apparently carrying a knee problem and
Carl Jenkinson unavailable under the pre-season arrangement between the two
clubs, it looks a bit bleak. But Gold said: "I am expecting a decent
performance and I want to believe we can come away with something. It's no
good moaning and groaning about injuries. "It would be a miracle at this
stage if we and every other club didn't have these issues. We can't keep on
about that – we have to go to Arsenal and do a professional job. "That's the
expectation and I refuse to feel sorry for myself. We can get something over
there but we have to get on with it because there's nothing else to be
done."

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EXCLUSIVE: Sullivan thrilled to sign Amalfitano
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham are tonight celebrating another high profile signing after Morgan
Amalfitano agreed to remain at the club for another two years.
The Frenchman was the last player to agree a deal in the summer transfer
window and after making 22 appearances, the club has agreed a deal which
keeps him at the club until 2017 And tonight – speaking exclusively to
ClaretandHugh – a thrilled David Sullivan said: " I'm delighted he's decided
to stay with us for two more seasons. "Morgan has played at the highest
level with Marseilles in the Champions League and he must be one of the best
Bossman's around that are proven in the Premier League." Sullivan has done
great business over the last few weeks having nailed down Mark Noble,
Winston Reid, James Tomkins and now Amalfitano to new contracts with Diafra
Sakho ready to put pen to paper at the end of the season.

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Spurs striker on Irons radar
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham are set to make a fresh move for free agent Emanuel Adebayor in the
summer. The Spurs striker was a loan target until the end of the campaign in
the January transfer window but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy played hardball
on wages wanting the Irons to foot his entire wage of £100k a week. However,
the player is out of contract in the summer and will have to take a cut on
his wages at 31 years old which gives the Hammers negotiators a shout at
concluding a deal. Carlton Cole looks a certain departure with West Brom's
Tony Pulis still interested and the the Irons know we have to get quality
cover in for Andy Carroll. Adebayor will doubtless have plenty of offers
from clubs in the middle east and US but may feel he has a case to make in
the Premier League. He has made 15 appearances this season – most of them
coming under former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood, now at Villa and who could be
interested should the midlanders survive in the top league. However, a
Hammers source told ClaretandHugh exclusively: "He interests us and anything
is possible in the summer."

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Irons respond to Tomkins 'season over' scare
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

James Tomkins is currently being scanned after sustaining a dislocated
shoulder in training yesterday. But sources inside Upton Park have described
as "premature" suggestions that the injury could sideline him until the end
of the season. The central defender tumbled awkwardly in a training ground
incident and was immediately taken to hospital where the dislocation was
corrected. But it won't be until later today whether there is any ligament
damage which would see him ruled out for several weeks. ClaretandHugh was
told: "We always read the scare stories following an injury but it's too
early to make any sort of judgement until the scans have been studied.
hopefully that will be later today. "Everyone of them varies depending on
the ligament situation. He could be back in two weeks or it could be an end
of season thing. "We hope top know the full extent of the injury within the
next 24 hours."

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Hammers injury 'crisis'update
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham's injury crisis at central defence is set to be solved by Cheik
Kouyate playing alongside James Collins against Arsenal tomorrow. Injuries
to Winston Reid and news that James Tomkins has suffered a dislocated
shoulder has caused the manager a massive headache ahead of the game. Doniel
Henry – on loan at Blackburn Rovers – is understood to be locked in to 28
days with the club before release clauses can be triggered. And with Carl
Jenkinson barred from appearing against his parent club, it looks like that
Joey O'Brien will be pushed into the right back role. Enner Valencia is
almost certain to miss the game with a wound caused by him stepping on
broken crockery at home although Alex Song – despite carrying a troublesome
knee problem – is almost certain to be told to get on with things.
With Carlton Cole also unavailable the likelihood is that Kevin Nolan will
be pushed up alongside Diafra Sakho.

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