Tim Sherwood told Optus Sport on Premier League Productions that he doesn’t like West Ham taking their ‘foot off the gas’ in big games.
The former midfielder thinks if West Ham go ‘negative’ against the Gunners today then they will suffer a defeat.
Well, it’s another one of those ‘big games’ for West Ham today as they take on Mikel Arteta’s men on home soil.
After being ineligible to play against his former club, key man, Jesse Lingard is set to return to action for the Hammers.
Ahead of that showdown, Sherwood also claimed that Pablo Fornals was playing the ‘best football of his West Ham career’ before the Manchester United loanee arrived.
“The only worry I have for West Ham is that when they decide to take a back foot, like they did against Liverpool, Man United then I think they become unstuck,” said Sherwood.
“If they go negative and start worrying about Arsenal more than imposing themselves on the Arsenal team then they will get beat.
“Sometimes when they play against the big sides, they just take their foot off the gas and I don’t like that. West Ham fans won’t like that also.
On Lingard: “He said ‘I want to go and play games’. Credit to David Moyes. Obviously, spoke to him and told him he was going to come there. Fornals was playing the best football of his West Ham career.
“When he went in people said ‘well, will he play?’. Well, of course, he would play because Moyes said to him ‘come in and you are going to play’ – he affects every football match he plays in.”
Before a ball was kicked this season, not many would have expected West Ham to be in such a situation where they are seven points ahead of Arsenal.
Well, that’s the case and it can be extended with all three points today.
West Ham’s record isn’t that strong against the Gunners, but Arteta’s men haven’t faced this rejuvenated side that is aiming for those top-four spots.
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