Arsenal aim to climb back to the summit of the Premier League table but will have to see off a confident West Ham outfit in the first of two London derbies that the Gunners have before the end of the calendar year.
The Gunners battled valiantly with Liverpool in an enticing 1-1 draw on Saturday evening, and received some luck in addition to a stellar first-half display to gain a valuable point at Anfield.
Similarly, the Hammers are full of confidence, fresh off the back of a 2-0 win against Manchester United. Goals from Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus secured a memorable victory against the Red Devils, while midfielder Lucas Paqueta continued his great run of form, setting up both goals.
One man that Mikel Arteta knows well is the opposition's boss, David Moyes, who gave the Spaniard his first opportunity in the Premier League with Everton after impressing for Rangers.
However, while their home record against West Ham points towards an easy win for the Gunners, their last two matches have been games that Arsenal fans will have wanted to forget about quickly, conceding a 2-0 lead last year which was costly in their quest for the title. His side were also ousted of a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-final by the Hammers in their most recent fixture back at the start of November.
The Arsenal manager discussed the threat that the Hammers can pose, team news and the importance of the Arsenal fans' support during his press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Here are four points from the press conference:
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On team news
The Gunners still have a proportion of the squad sidelined, albeit not as many as some of the other teams struggling in the league.
A yellow card that Kai Havertz picked up in Anfield on the weekend rules him out of Thursday's fixture, due to it being his fifth of the season.
Thomas Partey and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain the talk of the hour among Arsenal fans, with rumours that both should be returning to action soon.
However, Arteta answered cautiously, suggesting that the positive news most are waiting for is still far away.
"No, nothing has changed yet. We’re not going to have those two available unfortunately yet, and then we have the suspension of Kai. So I think it’s five players missing in the squad. So yeah, we are a bit short, but we have been doing well and we still have lots of other players willing to play."
Jurrien Timber and Fabio Vieira are also absent for Arsenal, with the latter expected to be back in late January.
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On West Ham's attacking threat
While many believe that David Moyes' side are underperforming in the league, the stats suggest otherwise. Jarrod Bowen is joint-third for goals scored and Vladimir Coufal, Lucas Paqueta and James Ward-Prowse all rank within the top ten for assists.
The Hammers are also joint-top for goals scored from counter-attack situations - a weakness that the Gunners have seen other sides as well as West Ham exploit against them this season.
Summer signing Mohammed Kudus is in top form for the East London side, with four goals in his last four games.
The Ghanaian international was also one of the main difference-makers in their previous affair. The former Ajax man swiftly brought the ball down on the right wing, took a simple touch to fend off Oleksandr Zinchenko and fired past Aaron Ramsdale to increase the deficit to 2-0 and regain momentum.
Arteta is aware of the threat they pose up top and the implications that it may have on conceding from a dominant position.
"Yeah they are very good at combining in open spaces and it’s very difficult to control them. There are areas where giving the ball away is critical because it puts them in a good starting position. We will try to nullify their strengths. They have many others. We will try to play in our strengths," Arteta told VAVEL.
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On the difficulty of the match
Recent form may suggest that Arsenal will be dominant, but this fixture has been difficult for Arteta's side recently.
The Gunners were beaten convincingly at London Stadium in the Carabao Cup, and failed to pick up all three points in the back end of last season when the pressure was on them.
"Very difficult. They are a really good side, they’re really well coached and when you look at the success that they had last year and how they’ve played this season they’ve shown a lot of consistency. They’ve beaten Spurs and Manchester United - that tells you everything about the difficulty of the game. Tomorrow we’ll have to be really, really good," Arteta said.
The Arsenal boss also sent out a message to the fans ahead of their last home game of the year. Attendance numbers have soared at the Emirates and the unity between players and fans has increased on and off the pitch.
"First of all thank you to them [supporters] for what they have done throughout the year and how they have supported and inspired the team. For tomorrow, go to that stadium, get it rocking and get the team inspired again.
The team is going to try to do everything that we can to get them out of their seats. It’s going to be the last game of the year in front of them, so let’s make it beautiful."
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On his appreciation for his previous manager
David Moyes and Mikel Arteta have a unique relationship that extends way back. The West Ham boss was impressed by the Spaniard's performances in the Scottish league and insisted on signing him for Everton.
The young midfielder was crucial in Moyes' side for qualifiying for the Champions League and went on to play over 150 times for the Toffees.
However, many West Ham fans have criticised Moyes for his traditional management style, and others feel that he is under-appreciated, having won the UEFA Conference League with the Hammers last season.
Arteta was full of credit for his former boss, responding, "Well when you look at (how few) managers in this league have managed for so long and have been more successful than him, it is not easy.
For how long and in the teams he has done it, the way he has done it. Obviously, I know him. I love him a lot and I am so grateful for everything he did for me and the times we had together."
The Arsenal manager also praised his management style and the job that he has done with West Ham, silencing critics that claim he is too antiquated for the job.
"I think he is an outstanding manager and does it in a way that is, in my opinion, very, very special. Without making too much noise but I think what he has accomplished at West Ham I think is incredible," Arteta responded.
