West Ham United vs Arsenal Betting Tips 2026

The Big Picture

Arsenal arrive at the London Stadium on Sunday with one eye firmly on the Champions League final against PSG, and the other on cementing their place at the top of the Premier League. Mikel Arteta's side sit 1st with 76 points, a goal difference of +41, and a squad that has just come through a gruelling semi-final tie against Atletico Madrid. They beat them 1-0 at home on 5 May to seal the tie, having drawn 1-1 in Madrid in the first leg. The Gunners are in the form of their lives and this fixture comes at a time when everything is pointing in one direction.

West Ham, meanwhile, are in a very different place. Nuno Espírito Santo's side are 18th in the table, 36 points, goal difference of -19, and deep in a relegation battle that has no margin for error. Their last outing was a 0-3 hammering at Brentford, and the confidence levels around the squad will not be high heading into one of the toughest home fixtures left on their calendar.

Form and Injuries

West Ham's recent form has been a mixed bag at best. The 4-0 home win over Wolves looked promising, but the Brentford loss exposed the inconsistency that has plagued them all season. On the road they have won just four times in seventeen attempts. At home the picture is slightly better, but five home wins from seventeen is not the kind of platform you want going into a game against the league leaders.

The injury situation for Nuno is painful. Callum Wilson is missing, Crysencio Summerville is out, and Tomáš Souček is also absent. That is two of their top five scorers gone. Wilson has 6 goals in 29 appearances this season, Summerville 5 in 28. Souček adds 5 goals from midfield. Losing that trio strips out goals, creativity, and physical presence all at once. Jarrod Bowen carries the attacking threat now with 8 goals and 10 assists in 35 appearances, but he cannot do it alone against this Arsenal backline.

Arsenal are without Leandro Trossard, Riccardo Calafiori, and William Saliba, which is significant. Saliba anchoring that defence is a big miss on paper, but with 76 points and a +41 goal difference, this squad has the depth to absorb it. Viktor Gyökeres leads the line with 14 goals in 33 appearances, Eberechi Eze has 7 in 29, and Bukayo Saka matches that with 7 goals and 4 assists.

Head-to-Head

The recent history here is heavily in Arsenal's favour. In the first meeting of this season at the Emirates in October 2025, Arsenal won 2-0. Last season told a similar story: a 5-2 win at the London Stadium in November 2024, and a 6-0 at the same venue in February 2024. West Ham did nick a 1-0 win at the Emirates back in February 2025, and won there in December 2023 too, so they are capable of causing an upset at Arsenal's ground. But at the London Stadium against this Arsenal side? The record does not support optimism.

Three of the last four meetings have seen Arsenal score two or more. They do not tend to take their foot off the gas and with the title race context and Champions League morale at an all-time high, this Arsenal squad will not be coming here to protect anything.

The Betting Angle

With the Champions League final against PSG coming up, there is a genuine question about whether Arteta rotates. Some will use that as a reason to back against Arsenal here. That is a fair consideration, but look at the squad depth, look at the league position, and consider that Arsenal have lost just five away league games all season. Even a rotated Arsenal side is dangerous against a West Ham team missing three of their key attacking contributors.

The 0-3 loss at Brentford before a home game against the league leaders, without Wilson, Summerville, and Souček, is a brutal combination. Arsenal at 1.65 to win is not generous, but it is justified. The value in this game sits with the goals market. Arsenal have scored in all of their recent big performances, West Ham concede freely, and Bowen will likely chase the game if Arsenal take an early lead. Over 2.5 goals at 1.66 looks the sharper play.