Arsenal have been handed a major boost ahead of this weekend's tie with West Ham in the first of a number of key clashes in the run-in for the Premier League title. The Gunners currently lead the way in the division, sitting six points clear of rivals Manchester City, though with an extra game played.
Should Pep Guardiola manage to earn a win in that match, the gap could close to just three points with a head-to-head between the two sides on the horizon. The change in the title race came after the north London side drew 2-2 with Liverpool last weekend in a chaotic match.
"We’ve been responding for 31 games now," Mikel Arteta said when asked if his side need to respond to dropping points. "Every single day is a test. The test now is how good are we going to be on Monday, and how well will we prepare and play the way we want to play to beat West Ham."
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The clash with the Hammers comes at a tough time of the season to be playing teams towards the bottom of the table, who tend to pick up more wins to try and avoid the drop. Man City find themselves in a similar situation as they face Leicester City, however the Gunners have one clear advantage going into their tie.
That's because West Ham were in European action on Thursday night in the UEFA Europa Conference League against Gent. The Belgian side pushed them all the way in a 1-1 draw that forced some key stars such as Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen to play the majority of the clash.
Compare that to the Foxes, who have had a midweek off under their interim coaching staff of Dean Smith, Craig Shakespeare and John Terry. It could come as a boost for them as much as it is for Arsenal, who may face a jaded team in their clash, something that could impact the title race.
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