Recent results suggest the Boxing Day game should be easy for Arsenal

 

 

By Bulldog Drummond

After a very frustrating and annoying interruption involving a huge amount of maltreatment of migrant workers, corruption and kowtowing by the media., we return to the football as Arsenal play West Ham on 26 December.

There’s a substantial difference between the two clubs in terms of the league with Arsenal averaging 2.64 points per game this season and West Ham 0.93 points per game.   Here are the two teams’ relative positions.

 

Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Arsenal 14 12 1 1 33 11 22 37
16 West Ham United 15 4 2 9 12 17 -5 14

 

While the media constantly find excuses for West Ham the reality is that having played the same number of games as the four teams below them they are just one point above the relegation positions although the goal difference of the bottom three clubs might ultimately come to West Ham’s rescue.

 

Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
15 Leeds United 14 4 3 7 22 26 -4 15
16 West Ham United 15 4 2 9 12 17 -5 14
17 Everton 15 3 5 7 11 17 -6 14
18 Nottingham Forest 15 3 4 8 11 30 -19 13
19 Southampton 15 3 3 9 13 27 -14 12
20 Wolverhampton Wanderers 15 2 4 9 8 24 -16 10

So to come on to our usual home and away comparison it is hard to imagine a greater contrast than the way the two teams have performed, and anything other than an Arsenal victory will be a shock.

 

Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts PPG
2 Arsenal home 6 6 0 0 19 7 12 18 3.0
17 West Ham United away 7 1 1 5 3 7 -4 4 0.57

 

One might take here as a simple example the goals scored – Arsenal have been scoring an average of 3.17 goals per home game while West Ham have been scoring 0.43 goals per game away from home, which makes a 3-0 score line rather likely.

This is where the last six table (which the mass media still refuse even to contemplate as a piece of information despite the success it, and tables built on other selections, has given us in predicting results) comes in rather handy.  At the top we have

 

 
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Arsenal 6 5 1 0 13 3 10 16
2 Newcastle United 6 5 1 0 12 2 10 16
3 Leicester City 6 4 1 1 10 1 9 13
4 Manchester City 6 4 0 2 11 5 6 12

 

While at the bottom it is particularly interesting to note how far and how fast Chelsea have been sinking.  And to return to the matter in hand, West Ham are in the relegation section when it comes to the last six league games they have played.

 

 
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
15 Chelsea 6 1 2 3 4 7 -3 5
16 Southampton 6 1 2 3 5 10 -5 5
17 Bournemouth 6 1 1 4 10 12 -2 4
18 West Ham U 6 1 1 4 4 7 -3 4
19 Everton 6 1 1 4 3 8 -5 4
20 Wolverhampton W 6 1 1 4 5 12 -7 4

 

The difference in form between the two is huge as is the goal difference of late.   West Ham have scored four in the last six games (the same as Chelsea but under half the number scored by Bournemouth) while Arsenal have scored 13 in the last six.  They have conceded seven to Arsenal’s three, and certainly of late are looking like relegation contenders.

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