After the great run of results Manchester suffered a setback in the last round, as they were held to a draw by Everton. United wants to return on the right track and to do that, they need all three points from this match. West Ham produced very good performance against Arsenal but they were punished for the missed chances late into the game.

West Ham suffered their second consecutive defeat at the hands of Hull, but the Hammers should have taken more from the game. They will have a difficult job against in-form Arsenal but the hosts will be looking to win this match. Arsenal’s youngsters are maturing and they trashed Fenerbahce at their Sukru Saracoglu stadium. They want all three points that would get them closer to the duo at the top.

Both teams are overachieving this season and their current form is really impressive. So much has been said about Hull City and their remarkable start of the campaign, but the Tigers continue to keep low profile and picking up points wherever possible. West Ham’s good run of results came to an abrupt end, as they lost at home to Bolton and this is the opportunity to make amends.

West Ham is occupying fifth place in the overall standings after the away win against Fulham. That was Zola’s second Premier League win in as many games, and he couldn’t have dreamed of a better start. Bolton lost the game at Old Trafford, and to be honest nobody expected to see them avoid defeat from Manchester. That was their third successive defeat, and they will try to avoid another.

Fulham and West Ham were both eliminated on Tuesday from the Carling Cup, and by fielding weakened line-ups the coaches clearly showed their priority is the Premier League. Fulham suffered a setback last week as they lost to Blackburn, and this will be the opportunity for them to get back on the right track. Gianfranco Zola won his first game in charge of West Ham against Newcastle, and he will look to avoid defeat in London.

Both teams are in a difficult situation following the departure of their respective managers. West Ham appointed Gianfranco Zola as their manager, and this will be his first game in charge. Newcastle is in the worst situation in their recent history, as after Kevin Keegan left, now even the club is up for sale. The visitors will miss six first team players and it remains to be seen how they will cope.

West Brom is still looking for their first win of the season, and the point against Bolton was the step in the right direction. The Baggies could have won the game if Miller took his chances but nevertheless that result will have given them something to build on. West Ham already has six points, but the performances haven’t been to match with the results, and another problem is the departure of manager Alan Curbishley.

The teams enter this game after disappointing results in the previous round. West Ham played really poor against Manchester City, and Noble’s dismissal only made things worse. The Hammers conceded three second half goals and lost the game easily. They struggled at home in the League Cup against Macclesfield, a League Two side, and only managed to win after extra time. After all three points from the game with Everton, Blackburn was expected to record another win, against Hull, and despite their domination, the hosts took only a point from the game.

Manchester City showed they were shaken by the problems in the club, and it seems that the players were unable to focus fully on the pitch. Although Aston Villa is a very good team, four goals which City conceded in the second half of that game are really too much. Mark Hughes will have to find a way to inspire his players to win this game. Alan Curbishley still has a lot of injured players, but the rest of the squad seems to be coping well, as they won their opening game against Wigan.

West Ham want to start new season with a win despite they miss a lot of players through injuries. The team was not very consistent last season, but mainly because they had the same problems, with a lot of injured players. West Ham was not busy in the transfer window. Wigan, on the other side was struggling last season, and manager Steve Bruce doesn’t want to repeat that. Four players have arrived, and they fitted very well, and this might be the season free of worries for the Latics.