For a while now, the top of the table in the Premier League has occupied by Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, clubs that distanced themselves from other contenders for the Champions League spots. At the moment, West Ham are competing for the fourth position, which also guarantees the group stage of the European elite next season (and they currently deserve it) and others battling for that position are Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham. That is why the London derby at the Emirates between the Gunners and the Hammers (23.00) will have the fans at the stadium humming the Champions League anthem with hope of hearing it for real.One detail catches the eye when we analyze both clubs and they do not work in Arsenal’s favour in any case. From the start of the season, West Ham has won the label of a ‘killer of the Big Six’, and the Gunners still belong to that clan, at least on paper. David Moyes’ team has won against Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea since the start of the season.No ‘Pep-talk’ could have saved Leeds – rampant Man City hold the summit with authorityOn the other hand, Arsenal don’t know what it’s like to celebrate against the biggest names in the Premier League. The series of invincibility that the Gunners built from September to November, was laid mostly on the foundations built against the teams mostly from the lower part of the table. In the last five games, there was that massacre against Liverpool, as well as defeats from Man United and Everton in the matches in which Arteta’s team was the first to gain the advantage.The central topic in Arsenal in the last 24 hours was stripping the captain’s armband of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese did not act in accordance with the club’s rules, he left the country without permission just before the match against Southampton to complete his collection of tattoos, and showed that there are more important things in his head than the job for which he was paid, almost 340,000 USD per week. With the departure of Mesut Ozil, Aubameyang took over the role of the highest paid Arsenal footballer, but it seems that the nonchalance and disinterest that was characteristic of the German in the last year passed on to the African.This is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – not the Arsenal captainIn any case, against West Ham, the captain’s armband should be taken by the former deputy Alexandre Lacazette, a man who is West Ham’s (five goals) favorite customer in the Premier League, and time will tell who will be promoted to the new, permanent captain.”Arsenal have shown that they can rely on other players. There are Lacazette, Smith Rowe, Martin Odegaard… They will overcome this situation. Sometimes situations like this strengthen you, it depends on the attitude you take. Arsenal is still a strong rival, with Aubameyang or without him”, said Moyes before the London derby which is also a massive milestone for the Scot – the 600th game managed in the Premier League. He will join the company of Arsene Wenger (828), Sir Alex Ferguson (810) and Harry Redknapp (641), the only people who led the team in over 600 matches in the English top tier.There is a growing Covid trouble at Old Trafford but the Swede is not affectedArsenal have turned Emirates into a stronghold – they have not won only once in the last nine games, while not conceding in the last four. Although they are currently considered the fourth most successful team in the Premier League when it comes to away games – the Hammers did not have a good time in the red-and-white part of north London. In the ten of the last eleven games they were hosts, the Gunners defeated West Ham – the last time Arsenal lost was in August 2015.So, Arsenal has a chance to take the fourth position on the table at least until Thursday but West Ham will try and let Arteta and his players know that the Hammers belong in the Champions League.PREMIER LEAGUE – Round 17TuesdayNorwich – Aston Villa 0- (0-1)/Ramsey 34, Watkins 87/Man.City – Leeds 7-0 (3-0)/Foden 8, Grealish 13, De Bruyne 32, 62, Mahrez 49, Stones 74, Ake 78/Wednesday22.30: (2.15) Crystal Palace (3.40) Southampton (3.70)22.30: (2.25) Burnley (3.35) Watford (3.50)22.30: (2.50) Brighton (3.00) Wolverhampton (3.40)23.00: (2.35) Arsenal (3.40) West Ham (3.25)Thursday22.30: (2.25) Leicester (3.50) Tottenham (3.35)22.45: (1.30) Chelsea (5.80) Everton (12.0)23.00: (1.15) Liverpool (10.0) Newcastle (18.0)***odds are subjecto to change
