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It’s a big game for…
Dimitri Payet: Assuming that he starts this match following their Europa League qualifier in Romania in midweek, The French midfielder will want to show the Upton Park faithful why West Ham forked out nearly £11m for his services. Only topped for assists in Europe last season by Cesc Fabregas, Leo Messi and Manchester City target Kevin De Bruyne. His style will pose a different problem to what teams facing West Ham wold normally expect.
Best stat…
8: West Ham have not beaten Arsenal at the Emirates in eight years, when Bobby Zamora’s goal on the stroke of half time gave them a lifeline in avoiding relegation. Slaven Bilic’s new side have only scored three goals in eight visits to Arsenal since their move to the 60,000 seater stadium.
Remember when…
Arsenal produced a stunning attacking display in the early months of 2013 to thump the Hammers 5-1. Jack Collison put West Ham ahead with a drive from the edge of the box but Arsenal responded in superb fashion, with Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud(2), Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott all netting wonderful goals in front of The Emirates’ faithful.
Player to watch…
Olivier Giroud: The French striker’s substitute performance against Chelsea in the Community Shield gave Arsenal an extra dimension and he will be hoping to start against West Ham - an outfit that he has scored five goals in five games against. Arsene Wenger is reportedly in the market for a striker - Karim Benzema’s name has been oft mentioned - but Giroud will want to prove to his manager that he is capable of spearheading a title challenge for the Gunners.
Show all 17 1 /17Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 17) Mark Noble (West Ham United) Slaven Bilic has been tasked with making the Hammers more attractive this season and Noble should be a key part in making that happen. He has been handed the armband in the Europa League ties and with injury question marks hanging over some of their strikers (Carroll and Valencia) Noble will need to be a force from midfield. With the club moving to the Olympic Stadium next season, relegation is unthinkable.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 16) Jack Butland (Stoke City) Former No 1 Asmir Begovic was allowed to go and warm the bench at champions Chelsea to finally give Jack Butland his big chance. He has seemingly been around forever but the former Birmingham keeper is still only 22 - Begovic was an above average player for Stoke in his five years at the club so Butland has big shoes to fill.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 15) Romelu Lukaku (Everton) You don't spend £28m on a striker and expect only 10 Premier League goals in return. The big Belgian was awful last year and his reputation, and that of manager Roberto Martinez, rests on the 22-year-old rediscovering his touch in front of goal. Everton will only go as far as Lukaku's goals take them.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 14) Jose Fonte (Southampton) Ronald Koeman's success last season was built on the Saints' superb defensive record, the second best in the Premier League. Fonte probably deserved a nod in the team of the year ahead of Gary Cahill, but with Nathaniel Clyne and Morgan Schneiderlin no longer on the South Coast, the Southampton skipper will have to be at his very best if the club are to maintain their top half status.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 13) Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle United) Newcastle enter this season as one of the great unknowns under new manager Steve McClaren. The former England boss has spent around £35m on three new players, but two of those are unproven 20-year-olds from Anderlecht. Sissoko was just about the only bright spot in a dismal campaign last year and holding onto him will prove to be a shrewd move; he is a powerful midfielder in defence and attack with an eye for goal.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 12) Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) Kane is very clearly better than a lot of players in front of him on this list. The England striker has to prove he is not a one-season wonder, but with Spurs failing to significantly strengthen this summer, it's difficult to imagine them bettering last season's fifth place finish after Liverpool and Man United strengthened again. It's hard to put Kane further up this list for that reason.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 11) Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace) Could prove to be one of the transfers of the summer. The 29-year-old is pure class, was a key member of two PSG title wins and was linked with Arsenal and Manchester United as recently as six months ago. Palace appear to be going places.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 10) Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City) Like Newcastle, Leicester City will be one of the great unknowns after a summer of huge upheaval that saw them sack last season's saviour Nigel Pearson. The Japanese forward, bought for £7m, has the talent and eye for goal but it's not clear how that will translate in the Premier League. New manager Claudio Ranieri has been out of the English game for 10 years and, while popular, has often drawn criticism for his methods.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 9) Jermain Defoe (Sunderland) Scored four vital goals at the end of last season as the Black Cats somehow managed to survive. Will start the season as one of the few true match-winners in the squad; Dick Advocaat will place a heavy burden on the England man scoring the goals to keep the club up once more.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 8) Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) The likely absence of Sergio Aguero puts a bit more pressure on Sterling, who at £49m probably has more than enough on his young shoulders. The way he seemingly forced a move out of Liverpool (whether financially motivated or not) has left a bad taste in plenty of mouths - the England star must deliver more than the seven goals he managed last season.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 7) Jordan Henderson (Liverpool) The man who has to replace Steven Gerrard. Good luck.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 6) Callum Wilson (Bournemouth) Eddie Howe appears to have largely trusted the team that romped their way to promotion last season, scoring 98 goals in 46 matches. That brand of attacking football will be extremely difficult to maintain as the side step up to the Premier League but Cherries fans will be hoping Wilson (who scored 20 goals last season) will continue his rapid rise.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 5) Troy Deeney (Watford) Like Bournemouth, Watford played attacking football to lead themselves to the top flight. Unlike Bournemouth, the Hornets changed manager over the summer, bringing in Quique Flores. Deeney has been superb for the club in the last three seasons, with 20 goals in each. If Watford are to survive they will be relying on their No 9.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 4) Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) Despite all the upheaval around Louis van Gaal's squad Wayne Rooney remains the top dog. With Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao gone, the captain will no longer be wasted playing in midfield, but will be used as the main striker. United still have major defensive issues and the David De Gea situation needs to be resolved. But Rooney is more than capable of scoring 30 goals - if he can do that then United are back in the title race.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 3) Petr Cech (Arsenal) Arsenal haven't had a top goalkeeper since the days of Jens Lehmann and the arrival of the former Chelsea man appears to have buoyed the squad. If he is actually worth 12 points a season then Arsenal will be Chelsea's biggest title challengers.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 2) Bradley Johnson (Norwich City) It may appear strange to place a Norwich City player this high, but the Canaries are favourites for the drop and, like the other two promoted clubs, haven't set the transfer market ablaze. Johnson was quite brilliant last season, scoring 15 goals from midfield and setting the tone for the club in pretty much every game.
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Premier League Power Rankings - Game Week 1 1) Eden Hazard (Chelsea) It's hard to put anyone else at the top of the list heading into the season. He's still the best player for a Chelsea team that won't look too much different to the one that won the Premier League at a canter last season.
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Past three-meetings…
Arsenal 3 (Giroud, Ramsey, Flamini) West Ham 0, Premier League, March 2015
West Ham 1 (Kouyaté) Arsenal 2 (Cazorla, Welbeck), Premier League, December 2014
Arsenal 3(Podolski 2, Giroud) West Ham 1 (Jarvis), Premier League, April 2015
Vital information…
KICK-OFF: Sunday, 1.30pm
TV: Live on Sky Sports highlights on BBC1
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